Spain
2005
113 minutes
Director: Ramon Salazar

An Almodóvarian musical with the flair and attitude of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and the catchy music of Queen, Madonna and Dusty Springfield; this Spanish confection is one of the most inventive and entertaining movies of the year.

Enter the world of Marieta/Adolfo (Mónica Cervera) -- a narcoleptic, pre-op transsexual prostitute who longs to get rid of eight inches of equipment that separates her from being the glamorous person she longs to be. When she accidentally falls asleep, usually during the most inopportune moments, Marieta’s dreams become lavish and colorful musical numbers, where -- as a “real woman” -- she can sing in Spanish and English. Surrounded by her “family,” which includes Ice Box (Rossy de Palma of Almodóvar fame) and Tomás, an aspiring cellist who happens to be a dwarf, Marieta finds support among her chaotic and often comical street life. But when she meets a man known only as “the fruit stocker,” (the hunky Spanish pop singer Pablo Puyol) whose buttocks are compared to a “ripe peach,” it’s love at first sight and spunky Marieta is caught between a rock and a hard place: true love or her true self. Shot in eye-popping Cinemascope and taking inspiration from Bob Fosse, Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers and even pop diva Madonna, director Ramón Salazar has crafted a film that will leave you humming as you exit the theater and contemplating your next costume for Halloween. (Spanish with English subtitles)
– Lewis Tice