Product Description

After ten years of marriage a bored and beautiful young wife has an affair with her husband's brother.
Genre: Foreign Film - Spanish/misc SA
Rating: R
Release Date: 9-JAN-2007
Media Type: DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31603 in DVD
• Brand: MORI,BARBARA
• Released on: 2006-07-25
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 89 minutes

Amazon.com
Based on the novel by Jaime Bayly, La Mujer de Mi Hermano is as juicy and melodramatic as a television soap opera. Director Ricardo de Montreuil opens the film depicting the dull marriage between young, gorgeous Zoe (Barbara Mori) and wealthy entrepreneur, Ignacio (Christian Meier). Their modernist home and glamorous lifestyle appeals to the sensibility of their hip Mexico City friends, but their non-existent sex life forces Zoe to seek friendship in Ignacio's poor, artistic brother, Gonzalo (Manolo Cardona). As Gonzalo and Zoe grow closer, Ignacio, enraged by jealousy, tries in vain to cover up his latent homosexuality, which is the root of his marital problems. When Ignacio discovers that Zoe is pregnant as a result of her infidelity, they all call a truce: Ignacio agrees to father the child, Gonzalo agrees to stay away from Zoe, and Zoe agrees to allow Ignacio to sleep with men. Far from realistic, La Mujer de Mi Hermano's shallow characters' sexual escapades are the only interesting aspect of the film. The movie's sensationalistic glimpse into a wealthy Mexican family's business, at its best, harkens back to the inherent decadence of Dangerous Liasons or any other story about a love triangle between family members. With clean, crisp cinematography, this modern rendition of a strict taboo provides temporary entertainment but lacks sustenance.-- Trinie Dalton

Stills from La Mujer de Mi Hermano (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews

The Bold and Beautiful
Barely a step above a Soap Opera, "La Mujer de Mi Hermano" lacks the weight and sincerity to support its heavy duty themes of child molestation and latent homosexuality. Bewilderingly, these major themes are raised by the characters and just as bewilderingly dropped: neither explained nor resolved.
Though the film itself is quite beautifully photographed, it nonetheless is oftentimes vapid and silly and lacking in intelligent, sincere and psychologically cogent motivation.
Zoe' (a gorgeous Barbara Mori) and Ignacio (a sturdy and icy Christian Meier) are married and unhappy: Ignacio is physically beautiful but cold and Zoe' is both physically beautiful, psychologically aware and in possession of a warm, inviting personality....a situation fraught with difficulties
Ignacio's brother Gonzalo (Manolo Cardona looking like nothing if not a throwback to the 70's with his anglo-afro and full beard), though warm and puppy-like on the outside is even more of a viper than his brother: his relationships with women border on the cruel and certainly lack any kind of commitment on Gonzalo's part.
Combine Ignacio, Gonzalo and Zoe' together and you have one hell of a spicy stew. Unfortunately Director Ricardo de Montreuil, is not the cook to stir this pot in the right direction. His mise en scene is icy-cold, filled with hard surfaces like the concrete and glass of Ignacio and Zoe's house: could anything approximating Love exist in these surroundings?

A Stylish, Visually Stunning, Memorable Film from Latin America
LA MUJER DE MI HERMANO seems to have polarized viewers between those who classify it as a television novela and those who see it as a stylish Latin American drama. Written by Peruvian author Jaime Bayly, adapted by María Eugenia Argomedo, and directed by Peruvian director Ricardo de Montreuil, the cast boasts actors from Peru (Christian Meier), Colombia (Manolo Cardona), Uruguay (Bárbara Mori), Venezuela (Gaby Espino), Chile (Beto Cuevas), and Mexico (Angélica Aragón, Bruno Bichir). It is a fine showcase for some of the fine talent from Latin America that is gaining a strong influence on theatrical films released in the USA. It offers a story embracing many current dilemmas in society (relationship to church, infidelity, illegitimate pregnancy, homosexuality, childhood sexual abuse) and blends them into a film acted by a fine cast of beautiful and talented actors and artists behind the camera, and the result is a luminous piece of cinema that deserves a second look.

Ignacio (Meier) is a handsome, wealthy, emotionally cool man who is married to a sensuous, beautiful, sexually frustrated Zoe (Mori), The couple may appear to have it all - splendid house, wealth, expensive tastes - but they have been unable to have children in their ten year marriage. The disparity between their sexual needs results in Zoe finding solace in the arms of Ignacio's bohemian artist brother Gonzalo and they begin an affair that results in a surprise pregnancy. This crisis unveils the truth about the characters: Gonzalo, still reeling from the childhood sexual abuse by his older brother Ignacio, doesn't want fatherhood and marriage, and in the peak of the tremor the pregnancy creates Gonzalo shares Ignacio's homosexuality with Zoe. How the three confront their needs and fears pulls the story to a close, an ending that addresses fully the characteristic traits that have shaped the lives of the three.

In addition to the trio of stars there are excellent cameos by Bruno Bichir as Zoe's gay confidant, Angélica Aragón as the mother of the men whose greatest need is for grandchildren, Gaby Espino as the housekeeper Laura, and Beto Cuevas as the priest who is not only a friend of the family but hears the secrets of each in the confessional. The cinematography is lush and evocative in the competent hands of Andrés Sánchez and the tension of the story is well underscored by the music of Angelo Milli. For this viewer LA MUJER DE MI HERMANO is a classy film that brings attention to the many fine new works coming from Latin American cinema. It is well worth revisiting. Grady Harp, October 07

Dissapointing
First off let's say this film was dissapointing. I heard the music "inspired" by the film disc, which some people might mistake for the soundtrack(it is not) and loved the CD but was less than inspired by the movie. Read the editorials and a few reviews to get the jest of the movie,than imagine yourself skipping this one. Really, it was a big diaappointment. I expected something like "Amorres Perros" based on the theme and music but instead found myself seeing a dull novela(soap opera). To the films credit,the cinematic visuals are very good,in fact stunning at times, beginning with the opening shot of Christian Meier as Ignacio retrieving a bug from a colorful leaf in the pool. With this opening shot I felt promise but instead later felt duped. The modern residence is beautiful in it's own icy, cold way( a metaphor for Zoe and Ignacio's relationship?)and creates a chill factor visually that never lets you warm up to the movie. Some of the actors and characters seem to be harnessed from cutting loose, the exceptions are the violent confrontations between the brothers, especially the hostility of Gonzalo as portrayed by Manolo Cardona. Bruno(Zoe's BGF)is believeable but would have been more fun if he were more over the top but instead comes across as just another confidant. The lovely Barbara Mori, who is Zoe, is a visual delight and saves the dullest moments with her attractiveness and wakes you up in anticipation of more glimpses of her. A little more steamy sex or sexiness might have saved this movie but instead it is a vapid film lacking in substance. Actually the substance is there it is just not utilized enough. The contrast between brothers could have played out more just by contrasting musical tastes and lifestyles. If you liked the music "inspired" by the film than stick with the music because the film was not inspirational by any means. By the time Beto Cuevas's "Mentira" was playing, as the credits rolled signalling the end of this sordid tale, I felt like taking a shower. After all is said and done it does have a few redeeming qualities, just not enough to make this a keeper; in other words, if you are interested, rent it.