COSTA BRAVA
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
COSTA BRAVA is a sweet lesbian love story. It is a low budget picture that was shot on donated film in just fourteen days. This seems appropriate since one of the leads, Anna (Marta Balletbo-Coll), spends most of the movie trying to get free government funding to make her comedic play, which she calls her "monologue," about a heterosexual housewife with a lesbian neighbor. Although the name COSTA BRAVA might lead you to believe that the film is in a foreign language, actually, every word of this film, set in Barcelona and on the Costa Brava, is in English.
Anna is a tour guide for Costa Brava tours, but she wants to be a playwright. Large portions of the movie have her on her rooftop trying out various versions of her pretty awful monologue to her video camera. These scenes are funny at first, but after the fifth time, I had enough. Repetition does not make the heart grow fond.
The script by Marta Balletbo-Coll and Ana Simon Cerezo is simple and lighthearted with some good lines. Describing herself and her last girlfriend, Anna says, "Generally people don't label me a lesbian. They label me nuts. When they hear I had a relationship with a woman for five years, and I only slept with her twice, they label me nuts."
Funny, strong and yet somewhat insecure Anna meets an architect named Montserrat (Desi Del Valle) who is teaching at the local university. Montserrat is sweet and vivacious, and they quickly form a bond. Montserrat's striking good looks are in contrast to the chunkier Anna's average appearance. The chemistry between them is partially believable.
I thought Balletbo-Coll goes for the laughs too often and ignores the relationship part, but the humor is good. One of Anna's better lines has her commenting about Montserrat that, "Whenever she's upset, she wants to make love, but whenever I'm upset, I want to have pizza."
Del Valle, on the other hand, is the better of the two actresses. She talks a lot about her bisexuality and whether she wants to be with a man again or not. She is uncomfortable with the lesbian label, telling Anna, "I'm not a lesbian just because I want to sleep with you."
After they fall in love, the only tension in the show is will they consummate the relationship and will they move in together. The glue that keeps the plot together is Anna's play which is overemphasized. I liked both of the main actresses in this two person story, but the script lacked much substance. Yes, the laughs are there, but the characters are more outlined that they are brought to life. Actress and director Marta Balletbo-Coll, should stick to acting. The movie is adrift too often. It needed firmer control. As a brief and insubstantial tone poem, it almost works, but the inherent charm of the leads is not enough to carry the picture.
The music by Miguel Amor, Emil Remolins Casas, Xavier Martorell, and Ikal Sena is happy and carefree setting just the right mood. The cinematography by Teo Lopez Garcia and the editing by Ignacio Perez De Olaguer Cordoba is way too amateurish. I got so tired of them switching to a section of the fish net on Anna's wall when they needed a scene transition. Why that fish net, and why twenty times?
COSTA BRAVA runs 1:32. It is not rated, but since there is no sex, nudity, violence or bad language, my guess is that would have gotten a PG-13 for sexual situations. It would be fine for any kids interested in the subject. Although my favorite lesbian love story remains DESERT HEARTS, I did like this one some, but not quite enough to recommend it. A little more substance and character development, and I could have. Finally, I give the film ** and hope to see both actresses again, but with more polished material and a better director.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: May 6, 1996
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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