The long delayed directing debut of veteran novelist and film critic Vincente Molina Foix, Sagittarius interweaves the stories of a handful of city dwellers in search of romance. Rosa (the excellent Angela Molina) is an artist in her early forties who is recently divorced and looking for a new relationship. Unfortunately, few immediate prospects are on the horizon and Rosa spends much of her free time commiserating with close friend Jaime (Eusebio Poncela), a gay actor who shares the same star sign. After consulting a fortune teller, Rosa is told that relationships with three different men are on the horizon, and soon she has more suitors than she can handle.
A mature and intelligently scripted romantic drama, Sagittarius reveals the illusory nature of desire in a society that promises much and delivers little. Foix’s talents as a writer are very evident in the film’s sparkling dialogue and its deft handling of a large cast of characters whose changing fortunes are tracked over a number of years. There are also excellent performances from a cast that combines stellar veterans with outstanding newcomers.

2001. English subtitles. Colour. Dolby stereo. 110 mins