Solid but downbeat drama by Gerardo Vera , being well photographed and compellingly shot . Diego (Javier Bardem) is a surgeon who has fallen in love with a married man (Jordi Molla) to Elena (Ariadna Gil) and with a son . Against the advice of his chief (Cecilia Roth) and best friend , he goes on his affair with Alberto . Then, it takes place doubts , mistrusts , jealousy , standing between the three lovers . The consequences of this twisted love story profoundly alter not only the two men's lives , but also that of Alberto's spouse . Alberto is a man now broke and ill who has sentimental problems of his own . But Elena is not willing to cede more and Alberto is torn between the two sides of love . Events go wrong , confrontation is inevitable, and the breakdown is accelerated until an unexpected ending with tragic consequences .

Intense and heart-rending melodrama about a peculiar and suffering trio . This interesting as well as intimate story is a passionate retelling and a touching melodrama , including strong sex scenes and nudism . The film relies heavily on the relationships among the main characters , a complex loving cobweb plenty of deceptions , pain , mistrust and lies . The main problem has to face "Segunda Piel" , beyond not being able to avoid falling into a claustrophobic drama is precisely derived from the coldness of its staging , which eventually become monotonous and excessive heart-breaking over one hundred minutes and some of footage . Very good acting from trio protagonist , as Javier Bardem as Diego, orthopedic doctor at a private clinic , he is a man without folds or prejudices who is pulled to the pool of loving risks with their professional and emotional stability ; Jordi Molla as a young and prestigious aeronautical engineer and Ariadana Gil as his zealous wife who wants to be in love with him , in spite of the hard circumstances . They are supported by a magnificent secondary cast such as Cecilia Roth , Mercedes Sampietro , Javier Albalá , Pilar Castro , among others . Colorful and brilliant cinematography by Julio Madurga . Special mention for excellent musical score , marvelously composed by Roque Baños . He composes a wonderful soundtrack full of sensitivity and good feeling . Roque Baños is considered to be one of the best Spanish musicians with successes such as Fragiles , Machinist , Sexy beast , 800 bullets and El Niño .

The motion picture was well shot by Gerardo Vera , being filmed in his usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the thought-provoking issues , in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement . It was notorious screen-writer Rafael Azcona who encouraged director Gerardo Vera to make this movie . Gerardo Vera was born in Madrid , where he often shoots his films . He is a good filmmaker , production designer and costume designer , known for Deseo (2002) , Tattoo (1999) , La Celestina (1996) and especially this , Segunda Piel (1999) . Gerardo Vera is particularly famous as a prestigious Production designer , being known for El Pecador Impeccable , Fuego Eterno , Mitad del Cielo , Tasio , Feroz and La Niña De Tus Ojos (1998).

his Spanish exploration of love and family centers on Alberto (Jordi Molla from Blow and Bad Boys II). A successful family man at an aeronautics firm, he finds himself in a passionate love affair with Diego (Javier Bardem), a confident physician. Diego is comfortable with his homosexuality and is madly in love with Alberto. Alberto, who can't deny his love for Diego, doesn't want to admit that he is gay and struggles with his desires. Alberto's wife Elena (Ariadna Gil) tries to understand the reservedness and lack of sexual interest in her husband. When she finds out, she's not very happy about it, he is her true love and what will she do? A sudden event alters all three lives, leading to compassionate conclusion.

I really like Adriana Gil, known in Spain for taking new, difficult roles, but Javier Bardem carries the show, I've never seen an actor express so much with his face and hands. Truly an amazing actor. Jordi Molla did a good job, but since he always plays a slimeball in American movies, it is hard to move past that character.

This movie is like a pear. I've got a pear right now sitting on my desk, trying to ripen. I'm looking forward to the juicy, grainy pulp that will hopefully develop as it sits there. Often though, it doesn't fully ripen before some parts start to spoil, so you eat it a little underdone. That's how this movie felt. Some good situations pregnant with emotion, but not developed to the extent I would have liked. 6/10

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A classic triangle movie with a married couple and a male lover in-between, only this time it's not the wife but the husband who's cheating with another man. Hot sexual male scenes makes this film a must by gay viewers when Spanish cinema is currently leading this matter. Though, it is a bit TV plot based on a true story, and it has rarely been seen on cinema, doesn't necessarily mean that it cannot be done. In fact, the quality that makes this particular movie a good piece of art and so worth watch it, is that it's portrayed as an archetype of a modern life situation that happen to occur more often than one could suspect. The husband's unwillingness and incapableness to find his true nature, constantly lying to his wife and his lover, has driven those last characters to despair in understanding and helping the man they love but who they don't know. The wife, never suspected that her lack of involvement in their relationship could endanger her marriage at the point of seeing her husband seeking for an affair. As for the gay lover, the fact that his present companion has afraid to be seen in public with him, like two lovers rather than two friends, hurts him badly because he accepts his own nature. The intriguing excuses of Alberto, the husband, makes them reacting towards him trying to solve the puzzle that he consists, when the easy way out of the situation is right near them (like when the wife cannot enjoy being with another man when she has the opportunity or the lover won't accept his female colleague to help getting over him). Three persons portrayed in their interior (the opening credits with the x-rays is one of the most beautiful openings I've seen lately) with their emotions thickening as the film passes. The players of this movie are excellent, particularly Ariadna Gil, the wife. What disappointed me were the last fifteen minutes in which seems that the writer and director of this movie were replaced by others who didn't know what was done before, leaving the ending so pathetic and inconclusive. Still, it is good to watch it.