Soap masquerades as high art in the south-of-the-border romantic drama La Mujer de Mi Hermano. Essentially a gussied-up telenovela, this love triangle is predictable and thin, even though the actors are polished and cinematographer Andres Sanchez provides the film with a handsome look. Ricardo de Montreuil directs with a sure hand, although heÃ??s unable to turn any of the three central characters into likable personalities.
After 10 years of marriage, Zoe (telenovela star BÃ?¡rbara Mori) has grown bored with her husband, Ignacio (Christian Meier), and their glass-walled designer house. She gets involved in an illicit affair with IgnacioÃ??s brother Gonzalo (Manolo Cardona), a painter who lives off the money Ignacio gives him while thumbing his nose at the bourgeoisie.
La Mujer de Mi Hermano proved a huge hit during its Latin American release. The likelihood of U.S. crossover success will rest primarily with Spanish-speaking audiences here that spark to its familiar melodramatic patterns and third-act introduction of plot developments involving abortion and homosexuality. The movie becomes more involving at this point, but the characters never come across as anything more than self-interested parties. ItÃ??s hard to care about their fates, and even harder to care about the outcome of this movie.
