In Bed

"Stripped down” aptly describes this Spanish language examination of a random one-night stand. The film commences with blurry close-ups of naked bodies writhing in passion between the sheets of a hotel room bed. From this bed, the cast of two play every scene either lying in, sitting on or standing beside, when not engaged in one of the highly erotic, but just shy of graphic, sex scenes. During the necessary recharging for Bruno (played with slightly naive charm by Gonzalo Valenzuela), he and Daniela (an affective Blanca Lewin) begin exploring more than each other’s bodies. The clumsy first attempts at discussion seem realistic, as both are a bit embarrassed by their animal nature, realising they didn’t exchange names before bodily fluids. Conversation blossoms, spurred forward by more sex after each round of revelations of the heart by two people coming to terms with the life circumstances that led them to a place where this anonymous confessional is what they needed. They cover the basics of personal taste and philosophy, with Daniela memorably proposing sexual frustration as a reason for excessive shopping. While not as well written, acted or directed as Before Sunrise, to which it bears similarities, In Bed handily trumps Michael Winterbottom’s comparable foray into erotic filmmaking, 9 Songs. Director Matias Bize, instead of tossing in rock band distractions and graphic money shots, opts to pursue a deeper exploration of the characters’ motivations for spending all night in bed and for developing a steamier sensual connection between the sexy actors. The choice of shooting with a handheld camera adds to the voyeuristic intimacy and economic style of moviemaking, with even the wardrobe being limited to three items: a bra and two pairs of underwear. As naked as its cast, the In Bed DVD contains no special features.