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Review

Susan Seidelman's latest film mixes Almodovar with a dash of mystery and plops it down in the back alleys, boulevards, parks and stylish apartments of scenic Barcelona. Based on Barbara Wilson's lesbian detective novel, the film stars Judy Davis as Cassandra Reilly, an eccentric dyke American ex-pat who translates Spanish novels for a living. She's struggling with her current project and running quite low on cash when Frankie (Harden) propositions Reilly to spy on her ex-husband Ben and daughter for the sum of $3000. Reilly accepts the proposition but finds out rather quickly that Stevens has lied to her and nothing is as it seems.

The resulting farce is full of gender-bending sexual antics and mistaken identities. Juliette Lewis is hilarious as April Schauer, a hippy-trippy new age mom and Lili Taylor (I Shot Andy Warhol) proves that she can again play tough dyke! The Barcelona locations are extraordinary and the mystery compelling but some of the lesbian elements have been lost in the translation from book to screen. While we love the film, it's too bad they didn't make it more dykey, rather than less so.

Scott Cranin/Eric Moore