Amor de hombre (1998)

Yes the the star of this movie is one of Spains leading TV & film actresses.Her performance has won a few festival awards as best actress in 1997.I doubt this film had any major release in the USA.It should have.Its is a rare gay themed comedy that is free of the usual clichés we find in films of this sort, made in the USA.Miss Leon is a teacher & her best friend is a lawyer who just happens to be gay. They have mostly gay friends BUT they to do not fit the typical stereotypes.Yes there are some bitchy lines but lines like that are in many modern comedies.This delight was written and directed by Yolanda Garcia Serrono & Juan Luis Iborra.Only quibbles I have is that the running time of 88 minutes seems a bit draggy in spots & occasionally the subtitles are a bit hard to read..All in all this is a far better gay themed film than what has been released by US film makers.Ratings *** (out of 4) 86 points (out of 100) IMDb 8 (out of 10)

AMOR DE HOMBRE is a smart, snappy, fast-paced, entertaining little film which considering its release date of 1997 was a precursor to the now frequent appearance of films that deal with tender relationships between gay men and straight women ('My Best Friend's Wedding' and all the spin-offs). It is a smart script, well cast and acted and directed and scored and should be given the chance for a theater release now, in more expansive gender-friendly times.Ramón (Andrea Occhipinti) is a handsome, successful lawyer in Madrid who happens to be gay and unlike most of his friends has not settled into a partnership. His closest friend is Esperanza (Loles León) who is a divorced school teacher, just turned 40, who love Ramón and constantly tries to help him find the 'right man' while Ramón tries to help her find her 'right man'. They party together with all of Ramón's professional friends - doctors, businessmen, teachers - and Ramón is hedonistic enough to have a different be partner every evening. After an automobile accident in which Ramón is injured, Esperanza moves in to care for him, a care that includes asking one of her fellow Phys Ed teachers Roberto (Armando del Río) to offer physical therapy and massage to the ailing Ramón. Because Roberto seems to rebuff Ramón's growing obsession with an unattainable straight man, the therapy ends when Ramón is able to walk. A twist occurs once Ramón is well and Roberto changes roles and is seductive to Ramón, a romance that comes to a tragic ending. In the end it is the quality of friendship between Ramón and Esperanza that provides the lasting nucleus of this tale.It is refreshing to see a film that focuses on healthy men who happen to be gay instead of a series of beleaguered victims of the usual stereotypes who end up with hopeless tragic lives. Yes, the circle of friends seems always on the watch for the 'new man on the block', but the cruising is healthy and fun. The movie works so well because of the fine writing and direction by an amazing team - Yolanda García Serrano and Juan Luis Iborra - who seem to have pared down life in Madrid's professional sector with a fresh eye on variety! The cast is superb with special kudos to Loles León and Andrea Occhipinti. This is a light and very entertaining comedy with a message. Recommended. In Spanish with English subtitles. Grady Harp

Kudos to everyone involved in this production. Spain's "amor de hombre" is depicted with great wit, style, humor and compassion. As usual, Andrea Occhipinti as the fickle lawyer Ramon stands out. Loles Leon as the ever hopeful, helpful and aptly named Esperanza is his perfect foil. Throughout the course of the film it becomes evident that even with a basic sexual incompatibility these two people genuinely care for each other so much that it is unlikely that each would ever find a better mate. The sequences where each tries to fix the other up with a lover are hilarious and touching. Even the most minor characters are well drawn including the lowlife Roberto who is such a disappointment to Ramon.

There's very little in this movie that makes you film that you didn't waste your time. While you are seeing it there aren't no surprise elements. A promiscuous gay guy whose best friend is the closest person he has and the relationship that develops between them.