Otilia

Running time: N/A

Otilia is a sensuous woman with a gorgeous body. An enormous birthmark, however, mars her face-leading to scorn and rejection by all the men in her small village. That is, all except for Melquiades, her one true friend, a slow hulk of a man, employed by her family, who has always loved Otilia just the way she is. Embarrassed by the attention paid to his daughter's body and the ridicule given to her face, Otilia's father arranges for her to marry the local police chief. But after being infected with VD by her husband (which renders her sterile), Otilia takes a series of lovers, both for pleasure and to spite her husband. Meeting the outlaw, Ruben, Otilia falls deeply in love for the first time and helps Ruben to evade capture by bounty hunters-including her own husband. All the while, Melquiades helplessly and jealously watches Otilia destroy his dreams but not his love for her. Set in the early 20th century, Gabriela Canudas gives a searing performance as a woman who is unrepentant in her sexual desires. Director Dana Rotberg takes us to Old Mexico but tells her story in a contemporary tone that is universal in its tale of tragic longing and acceptance. Reviewed by Sandy Wolf