Sex And Lucia review

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The follow-up to Lovers Of The Arctic Circle is another beguiling piece of romantic storytelling from Basque magic-realist Julio Medem (Cows, The Red Squirrel).

The Lucia of the title is a Madrid waitress (Paz Vega) who runs away to a secluded Mediterranean island after the death of her writer boyfriend Lorenzo (Tristan Ulloa). There, amid dazzling sunshine and mysterious rock formations, she encounters guest-house proprietor Elena (Najwa Nimri) and scuba-diver Carlos (Daniel Freire), who together cause her to reassess Lorenzo's life and work...

Shifting between past and present, reality and fantasy, Medem's artistry appears effortless. The multi-layered narrative considers how fiction is both created and consumed, while intense, naturalistic performances collide with dreamy, overexposed imagery (the film was shot on hand-held digital video) and a marvellously melodramatic score. And yes, there's also a smattering of sex.

The most impressive work yet from a hugely impressive filmmaker.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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