Julieta y Ramon

The incantation that magically opens this Juliet's arms (and legs, if not her heart) is not "I love you," but "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Yes, it is the words of the old actor, it the little bob of his head, and it is the presidential timber of Ronald Reagan's voice that brings Julieta to orgasm. Pity the poor men in her life who are forced either to compete or imitate. They lack the patience or they lack the will, or they lack the ability. No wonder they fail with Julieta.

At this hilarious nexus of the personal and the political set in Spain, the personal dominates. While there is certainly a political statement in the symbolism of the manly American outscoring wimpy and effeminate European men, the delight in this short film is that the text remains lighthearted, while the subtext, should one wish to examine it, is available and interesting but not insistent. The ending is perfect and typical of the nuanced moments in the film. Ramon, the Romeo to Julieta, having used Ronald Raegan's magical phrases, lies sated, blissfully speaking of a future filled with love. His Juliet, while also replete with physical satisfaction, does not confuse it with love. "I 'm not even sure I like you," she sighs, knowing it was power that had made her world move, not romance.

Note that this apparently foreign film was shot in New York City.