Tres Metros Sobre El Cielo and Tengo Ganas de Ti

I've been watching El Barco, a Spanish drama similar to the American show Lost, with my sister. She has made me promise to only watch the series with her and as we live apart, I have to wait a long time to see it with her. The lead in the drama is Mario Casas and I discovered he is so scorching hot that I had to see some other shows with him in order to get my fix. Enter the movie Tres Metros Sobre El Cielo and its sequel Tengo Ganas de Ti. 


Tres Metros Sobre El Cielo stars Mario Casas as Hugo A.K.A "H", a bad boy with his very own leather jacket and motorcycle. By day he sleeps and by night he races his motorcycle with his best friend Pollo, which means chicken in English. 

BONUS: Luis Fernandez from Los Protegidos is also in these movies.

After coming out of court for assaulting his mother's secret lover, H has a chance meeting with Babi (Maria Valverde), a good girl from the suburbs who happens to stick her head out of the window in traffic as H passes by.  

Babi meets H again as his best friend Pollo starts going out with her best friend. Babi knows he's trouble, but he seduces her with hot looks and soft caresses and she gives in to the attraction. 

Their sweet love is short lived because of H's anger at his mother and how he likes to beat the crap out of everyone who even looks at him sideways.  

In the end a tragedy occurs that rips H and Babi apart as she realizes that he'll drag her down into his dangerous world of alcohol, drugs and sex if she isn't careful. They break up and Babi starts dating someone else while a heart broken H goes to live in London. 

In Tengo Ganas de Ti H is back from London and meets Gin, a wild girl who is a part time photographer and oh yeah....she's stalking him. However, he doesn't know that and she really makes him think that he's the one chasing her. 

After two years in London H has calmed down and actually manages to control his anger. Ok, I'll be honest. It's hit or miss. 

Anyway, H is now somewhat in control and starts to fall for Gin who seems to be able to put a smile on his face even while he yearns to meet Babi again. Meanwhile Babi has changed into this sophisticated woman who dates fancy men, a very far cry from the virgin full of stars in her eyes in the first movie. After she finds out H came back, she also wants to meet him, but they never seem to meet. At least not the way that they thought their meeting would be like. And I mean that in the best way for my addicted- to-Mario-Casas eyes.  


Happily ever after abounds in this one and after reading YouTube comments I got over my anger after I found out H stays with Gin. 

It's true that while watching  Tres Metros Sobre El Cielo I was imagining the typical love story of the good girl taming the bad boy and making him see that it's okay to be angry, sad etc... and ultimately just support him while savoring his badassery. However, the moral of the first movie is in H and Babi's conversation.

Babi: I love you
H: I love you more
Babi: How much more?
H: From here to Barcelona
Babi: I love you from here to heaven
H: I love you more than that
Babi: How much?
H: Three steps above heaven

In the movie the quote "three steps above heaven" (the title translated) means that moment that is so perfect that it is the ultimate moment. Like a fantasy come true. And we all know that fantasies disappear like smoke and all that is left is the harsh reality.

While in Three Steps Above Heaven, the theme was a frozen moment in time. In Tengo Ganas de Ti (I Feel Like Having You) the theme was change. How people change and grow and that ultimate moment is just that, a moment. Fleeting and as solid as smoke. 


This is why H and Babi were not meant to be. She was just a moment and even while the formula was there (good girl and bad boy), she didn't turn out to be the good girl that tames the bad boy. She just turned out to be that judgmental bitch from the right side of town. 

She wasn't supportive. She didn't tell him it would be okay. She really thought their relationship would just be simple and good for the rest of their lives and I'm so brainwashed by romantic comedies that I just went right along with her. 

Then along comes Gin and she's fun and wild. Too wild to tame just like him, but she's also vulnerable and sensitive and realistic. She also says what no one has told him yet. That it's not his fault. That he should forgive himself. That time will heal all wounds. After two years of suffering, this is what H needed to hear and this is why Gin is the one that rides into the sunset with him. 

Acting

Mario Casas is just one of those actors that has chemistry with anyone. As you watch him you can feel him making the chemistry. He elicits emotion with every single word. His big hands caress their skin so slowly. Reverently. And one can't help but melt at his expression.How he looks at them like he cannot believe what a miracle they are. He cannot believe that they are there with him. 

Every time he smiles and screams in frustration. Every time he makes love, desperately or sometimes just savoring, I am in awe. In awe of him and how effortless he makes it look. 

A word on Spain

Spaniards seem to have no shame and I mean with nudity. I think this is why they make making love seem so natural on screen. They are very comfortable with their bodies and I really envy that.

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