Candela Pena, Llum Barrera, Mariana Cordero

A sometimes hilarious, sometimes emotionally gripping, realistic look at the world of prostitution that convincingly demonstraes that we are all looking for the same things--self-respect, love and hap...( read more  read more... )piness. Caye is Spanish, middle class, and keeps her life of prostitution a secret from her family. Zule is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who will use the money to support her son back home. Their friendship develops when Zule is beaten up and Caye takes her to the hospital.

Flixster Users

60% liked it

13,601 ratings

Critics

74% liked it

31 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 53 min.

Directed by: Fernando León de Aranoa

Release Date: August 23, 2005

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DVD Release Date: March 27, 2007

Stats: 306 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (306)


  • September 24, 2008
    Impressive follow-up to Mondays in the Sun by Fernando León de Aranoa. Competently directed, emotionally engaging drama about a pair of Madrid prostitutes who find friendship in the least pleasant of circumstances. Despite the difficult subject matter, there's colour and e...( read more)nergy to the storytelling that betrays a die-hard optimism and is vaguely reminiscent of Pedro Almodóvar. Compelling, frequently funny, with terrific performances and, commendably, resists wrapping things up sentimentally. Nice Manu Chao soundtrack, too.
  • July 10, 2008
    Mixes styles with reasonable success and Pena gives a believable nuanced performance but some of her flights of fancy are a little contrived.
  • May 14, 2008
    This a great film about sadness and friendship. Outstanding performances.
  • April 29, 2009
    This is a very well written movie based on reality. Actor's performances are great. I like the movie because is a drama of an immigrant whom driven by the bad economic situation of her country, was forced to leave the homeland and work as a prostitute in Madrid Spain. She was pro...( read more)mised for a visa to stay legally in the country, but they just used her. She met Caye who is just a prostitute too They understand each other and they create a true friendship until Zulema has to leave the country because her HIV results came back positive. A very human story that is worth to see it.
  • April 21, 2008
    An interesting drama that portrait the lives of immigrant women who are forced by the bad economic situation of their respective countries, to leave their homeland and work as a prostitutes in Madrid, Spain. Great acting, script, as well as, the music and editing.
  • October 15, 2009
    Boring! But well made if you want to know about the trials and tribulations of Spanish hookers.
  • September 7, 2009
    An absolutely, amazing example of good European cinematography. It shows amazingly, the street and dirty side of the luxurious and full of lifestyle Barcelona. A great movie with tremendous performances, my own favorite was Blanca (María Ballesteros) the junkie, she is nothing le...( read more)ss than perfect!
    You have to see it!
  • August 21, 2009
    ...( read more)a>
    Nathan Lee of the NY Times described this film as an "unimaginative melodrama" with stereotypical cliches such as "the hooker with a heart of gold," and featuring "improbable poetic
    monologues."

    To an extent, he is right, but I think he was expecting something different from this movie based on its release description. Prostitutes, like movie critics, come in all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and from diverse backgrounds, so it's difficult to say with any certainty what is "typical" in that world. This film isn't supposed to be a gritty expose of the sex service industry. Rather, the industry provides a backdrop for a character portrait, albeit not a tremendously substantial one, about two women who bond because they are similarly situated in circumstances under which outsiders can rarely provide solace or real understanding on a level the girls can relate to.

    In this slice of life ballad, the story revolves around the unlikely and uneasy alliance that develops between two rival prostitutes in Madrid. Caye comes from a good family and is a mid-level independent contractor. She consoles herself with the conviction that her career choice is temporary. Her friend Zulema is an illegal alien, working as a streetwalker and is in a more desperate financial and legal situation.

    Both struggle against violent clients, disapproval from family and acquaintances, and the difficulty of trying to cultivate normal external relationships, an endeavor which their deviant occupations severely impair. While coping with their respective circumstances, the pair attempt to find substance, meaning and happiness in spite of their bleak, shadow-like existence.

    The characters are portrayed in a genuine and sympathetic manner, their interactions with society presented from their point of view. Their profession offers opportunity for a number of observations, some harsh, about human nature and the human condition. In so doing, the plight of the central characters is presented as a microcosm of the social attitudes, hypocrisies and superficiality that we all encounter in the world at large.

    This film is sort of a pensive, arty piece, not intended to provide succor for the viewer seeking deep revelations or looking for a riveting, intricate plot.
  • August 6, 2009
    Good movie. Fairly realistic, (or appeared to be), portrayal of prostitution. I liked the ending and the sense of hope for the main character instead of the usual, wound up dead or may as well be. The other lead character did not fare quite as well, but that's where the realism...( read more) comes into it, and at least it wasn't all bleak for her. (Not that I mind bleak as that is how things are, but this was a refreshing change).
  • July 11, 2009
    La trama parece facil pero tiene mil mensajes que te hacen reflexionar . Muy buena actuacion

Critic Reviews


August 11, 2006
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

Another depiction of flesh trade hardships told with a mixture of somewhat disingenuously restrained grittiness, bittersweet pathos, and little of the depth that might help it stand out from the incre... full review

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