Bulgarian Lovers (2002)

53% of critics liked it
(17 reviews)
33% of users liked it
(781 ratings)

A well-to-do Spanish attorney finds himself in hot water after falling for a shady Bulgarian man in the 2002 comedy-drama, Los novios bulgaros (Bulgarian Lovers). Middle-aged Madrid native Daniel (Fernando Guillen Cuervo, who also helped adapt the script) lives a life of relative comfort and is… More A well-to-do Spanish attorney finds himself in hot water after falling for a shady Bulgarian man in the 2002 comedy-drama, Los novios bulgaros (Bulgarian Lovers). Middle-aged Madrid native Daniel (Fernando Guillen Cuervo, who also helped adapt the script) lives a life of relative comfort and is generally pretty happy with how things have been going for him lately. His one guilty pleasure is frequenting the city's gay quarter looking for men to pick up for an evening of reckless abandon. One night, Daniel meets Bulgarian Kyril (Dritan Biba) and is quickly smitten beyond all hope of reason. Finding out that Kyril is essentially homeless and penny-less, Daniel nonetheless gets him into bed--after buying him dinner--even after Kyril confesses to having a fiancee back in Bulgaria. As Daniel falls deeper in love with Kyril, Kyril takes advantage of the situation by convincing the lawyer to complete various tasks for him, which range from the morally questionable to the highly illegal and dangerous. A more than willing stooge to Kyril's demands--and all too aware of his situation--Daniel resigns himself to following this relationship through to the end, wherever it may lead. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Eloy de la Iglesia
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: May 3, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Oct 19, 2004
Studio: TLA Releasing

Critic Reviews

Joe Brown, San Francisco Chronicle
Well acted, and its Faustian dynamic of mutual exploitation would be absorbing enough, but as Kyril draws Daniel into ever shadier situations, the film loses its tone and devolves into absurd political farce.
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
Slightly better than some recent skin-deep gay- and lesbian-themed movies.
Charles Ealy, Dallas Morning News
Shows that Mr. De la Iglesia's long absence hasn't dulled his sense of stylish, cinematic storytelling.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
The screenplay contains enough witty elements to lift it above the average sex farce.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Sly, swift, succinct -- and very sexy.
Megan Lehmann, New York Post
As Daniel is drawn deeper into Kyril's web of shady business dealings, the film completely loses its way.
David Noh, Film Journal International
Has a verbal wit and tang to it, which set it quite above most gay film fare in literary terms.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
cold and calculating, but it's a life
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...hackneyed and dull...
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com
These Bulgarians might be nice to look at, but they have no depth - kind of like this movie. So I was entertained on the surface level, who needs depth anyway,
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
Garish, frenetic, but curiously dull...suffers from a serious case of the cutes, a disease that in this case proves fatal.
Gabriel Shanks, Mixed Reviews
Won't leave you disappointed, but it may leave you hungry for something more substantial.
Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly
A witty, unsentimental class comedy.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
De la Iglesia's years of filmmaking experience are obvious in the film's formal touches.