E-Mail This Article to a Friend EL OTRO LADO DE LA CAMA/THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BED

This Spanish musical comecdy in which couples secretly swap partners isn’t sure whether it wants to be Pedro Almodóvar or Neil Simon. It blends hip and corny, with sexy young stars in contrived comic situations and battle-of-the-sexes jokes that are sometimes uncomfortably dumb: a macho oaf verbally abusing his girlfriend, or a bunch of guys exacting revenge in the gender war by spray-painting anti-gay graffiti. The musical interludes — guys dancing with cues in a pool hall as they sing about women as warriors; a ballad about unrequited love — are fun in a quirky, retro way, with each star getting a solo showcase. Is this homage, ironic commentary, or camp entertainment meant to put tongue in low-comedy cheek? Despite the ambiguous intentions, the cast is winning, especially Guillermo Toledo as sad sack Pedro, who gets dumped at the start of the movie, and sultry Paz Vega (from Lucía y el sexo), who should win the Elizabeth Hurley award as the woman least likely to find herself cheated on. In Spanish with English subtitles. (114 minutes)