 KM.0 (Kilometer Zero) TLA-2001 DVD
Review by Cheri Rosenberg
Smack dab in the middle of Madrid, at the Plaza del Sol, also known as
KM.0, the love lives of fourteen strangers are permanently altered.
It’s a very hot summer afternoon in August—a
scorcher—but the weather
isn’t the only aspect of the film that’s steamy.
The characters are
sexy, hot, and sweaty too. Km.0, written and directed by Juan Luis
lborra and Yolanda Garcia Serrano, is a comedy of errors, near
disasters, and quirks of fate. It’s a fun ride, and one for
which the
audience will enjoy tagging along. One hundred and eight minutes of
footage went by in a blink.
Km.0 will appeal to adults of all ages. There’s the older
woman, Marga
(Concha Valasco), whose dismissive uninvolved husband (Roberto Alvarez)
tells her to entertain herself while he’s busy at a business
meeting.
She calls up a hunky male escort, Miguel (Jesus Cabrero) and gets more
than she bargains for in the delightful, yet possibly disastrous
encounter. She suspects she may be related to the happy
hooker…after
the dirty deed is done.
Roma (Cora Tiedra) is an adolescent who hangs out, and is in love with
her sister’s boyfriend, Mario (Tristan Ulloa). She longs for
reciprocal
affection, and wishes he would wait for her to grow up. Mario is a
waiter at a bar in Puerta del Sol and he has ambitions of opening up
his own camera shop. He lacks the funds to start his own business,
while his girlfriend Amor (Silke), has one goal—to get
married. He has
other things on his mind.
A chain of events leads Amor to a police station where she meets a muy
loco cop. Amor and the police officer, (Roberto Alamo), somehow hit it
off. Perhaps they are both crazy. Will the law enforcer usurp
Mario’s
position in Amor’s heart, and be Mario’s savior?
A young and hopeful film director, Pedro (Carlos Fuentes), is all set
to meet his sister’s friend, Silvia (Merce Pons), but
unwittingly ends
up with a prostitute, Tatiana (Elisa Matilla). Pedro takes pity on her
and decides to improve her life and career. He knows just what to do to
make her life better, and her tricking more lucrative. Think Pretty
Woman, but with a twist. Carlos Fuentes is delicious as Pedro.
Meanwhile, the aspiring actress Silvia who planned to meet Pedro at
KM.0, accidentally meets Gerado (Georges Corraface), a famous theater
director. She has no intention of letting him get away before he grants
her an audition and will do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.
Benjamin (Miguel Garcia) is a delightful romantic who believes in love
at first sight and when he gets a gander at Bruno (Victor Ullate Jr.),
an ambitious dancer, he latches on. As much as Benjamin desires a life
partner, Bruno wants to be free to advance his career with equal
intensity. Bruno finds sex buddies on the internet, preferring
anonymous sex. Will Bruno be able to ignore Benjamin’s love
and charm?
Will love win out over career? Miguel Garcia is adorable as Benjamin
and Victor Ullate Jr. is quite the catch.
Last, but not least, is Sergio (Alberto San Juan), a virgin, desperate
not to disappoint his fiancé in bed. He seeks
“lessons” in love
making from a professional prostitute. He plans on meeting her at KM. 0
at precisely six o’clock, but she is nowhere to be found, and
he goes
to a bar instead with a male escort, who teaches him a lesson or two in
climaxing. Never mind that it is probably one hundred degrees outside
and he is wearing a suit, this nervous newbie sweats it out and gets
his sex education from the gay man who befriends him. Sergio is
enlightened…even if it wasn’t quite what he
expected.
The lives of these strangers impact on one another in ways that only
becomes crystal clear at the end of the movie—but the journey
to see
how the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fit together is half the fun.
KM. 0 is a wonderful, light, interesting comedy with plenty of eye
candy, both gay and straight sex, and lots of plot twists and turns.
The actors are all well suited for their roles and create a believable
ensemble cast. I give it five stars and recommend it highly. Es una
película española agradable con
subtítulos
ingleses. KM. 0 is an enjoyable Spanish film with English subtitles.
It’s a great date movie that will leave you smiling. KM. 0 is
a
celebration. ¡La champaña para todos!
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 Until
Soon
by Maya Indigo
ISBN 1-932300-31-7
2004
Review by Cheri Rosenberg
Until Soon by Maya Indigal is a romantic tale about love and friendship
between Andrea “Andi” Marlow and Cara Jane
“CJ” Lipinski. The setting
is Northeast Valley College, a small liberal arts college in New
England.
Andi is a serious, studious, shy, and cautious second year graduate
assistant for the English Department. She has had her heart badly
broken in the past so she’s very reluctant to repeat history.
CJ is the
modest captain and star basketball player who’s quite the
celebrity,
and is frequently written up in the school’s paper.
She’s outgoing, fun
loving, and willing to take risks both on the court and in life. She
has a voracious appetite for life…and food, but
she’s not just another
“dumb jock.” A history major, CJ has a lot on her
plate, including
finishing her senior course load, basketball championships, and
deciding what to do with her future. She gives one hundred percent to
everything she does from winning a basketball game to winning the love
of her life. Opposites attract as graduate assistant and student meet
by chance at a mandatory donor reception for the college. Sparks fly.
Andi offers CJ help on a research project she is having trouble with,
and CJ takes the English teacher up on her offer. She visits Andi
during her office hours, which marks the beginning of a possible
relationship. The women clearly enjoy each other’s company
and quickly
develop a deep friendship and affection for one another. Are they
destined to be lovers or just friends? Andi ponders the dilemma of CJ
being a student, even though she isn’t her student. She also
doesn’t
want to risk getting hurt again. What if the object of Andi’s
desire is
within her reach, but she is too afraid to risk her heart? What if
CJ’s
“the one,” but Andi has so much at stake, both
professionally and
personally, that it almost paralyzes her? Read Until Soon to see if
their relationship morphs from teacher/student, to friends, to
hopefully, so much more. The author tortures and tantalizes. The reader
wants Andi and CJ to wake up and realize that they are perfect for each
other. It is the desire and longing that keeps the reader glued to the
pages of Indigal’s, Until Soon.
The academic setting, believable characters, and interesting story
captivate the reader who can imagine the smells of food cooking, hearts
beating, bodies tingling, stomachs growling, and
“hear” the captivating
music of the Indigo Girls. Events occur which bring the gals even
closer together, but will it keep them together?
Indigal writes, “She [Andi] debated about removing her
collection of
lesbian books by Katherine V. Forrest, Radclyffe, Lori L. Lake, and the
rest of the “writin’ gals,” as she called
them…,” when she wasn’t yet
“out” to CJ. Andi had invited the student over to
her apartment to work
on the research project because her office was too cramped to spread
out. Could there be ulterior motives at work here?
Maya Indigal proves that she too is one of the
“writin’ gals.” I
believe Until Soon earns her the right to be mentioned in the same
sentence as Forrest, Radclyffe, and Lake. Once I picked up Until Soon,
I could not put it down. Indigal is so adept at engaging her readers
that it’s hard to believe this is her first novel. Until Soon is not
soon enough for a
sequel. You’ll see what I mean after you read this five star
book
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 Dancing
in the Arms of Orion
by Stephen R. Moore
Paper: $20.95
366 pages
iUniverse 2004
ISBN: 0595315593
Review by Cheri Rosenberg
Daniel Peterson is a typical teenager entering his senior year of high
school in Stephen R. Moore’s debut novel, Dancing in the Arms
of Orion.
He has more to deal with than decide what he’s going to do in
the
future—he also has to acclimate to a new school, make new
friends, and
come to terms with being gay. We meet him during the summer his family
plans to move to Whaler’s Cove in the historic Towne of Ulm.
At first, Daniel is apprehensive about the move, but his newfound
friends and possible love interests quickly alleviates that feeling.
Ever the optimist, Daniel makes the best of every situation and even
likes his new school. He particularly likes Whaler’s Cove
when he spots
the boy of his dreams—a lifeguard at the town
pool—and discovers they
are neighbors.
Daniel’s senior year turns out to be chockfull of highs and
lows, first
times, and new experiences as Daniel comes to terms with being gay,
helps friends in need, and matures into a fine young man. He forms a
fast and lasting friendship with his neighbor, Cristal, and the two
help each other through tough situations. They are both way more mature
than their years. All of Moore’s characters are noteworthy
and add to
the story about a group of friends who manage to make it through,
unscathed, on their way to adulthood.
Moore writes a charming coming of age novel about a wonderful boy any
mother would love to call her son. He not only gets along well with his
parents and adorable younger sister Melissa, but he even cleans his own
room and does his own laundry. He is a mother’s dream come
true. Daniel
also has a terrific relationship with his father who he cherishes. He
is wise enough to know he risks destroying their relationship if his
father cannot accept that he’s gay.
I recommend that impressionable teenagers read Dancing in the Arms of
Orion because it deals with prevalent gay/straight teen issues
realistically, honestly, and offers sound advice and solutions. Parents
of teenagers would benefit from it as they deal with raising their
children in today’s world. Adults, who enjoy reliving their
youth
through reading, will enjoy this book too. Stephen R. Moore’s
book
offers something for everyone. He successfully tells Daniel’s
story in
the first person and ends up making the reader feel much closer to him.
Daniel is a person anyone would be happy to call a friend. I hope
Dancing in the Arms of Orion is the first of many love stories to be
written by talented author Stephen R. Moore. A terrific first effort, I
give it five stars.
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Cheri Rosenberg,
one of IGW's most prolific book and film reviewers, gives us reviews of
two books and a film this issue...