West greets East with open arms

Spain’s openly gay Eloy de la Iglesia, who first won international acclaim with “El Diputado” (released in the U.S. in 1978), a satirical take on the undoing of a closeted gay politician running for high office, views with both amusement and compassion the plight of the middle-aged, middle-class gay man whose privileged existence becomes threatened when he becomes attracted to an impoverished youth.

De la Iglesia matches his understanding of the workings of the human heart with acute observation, so that his work is rich in emotional depth and psychological complexity but also unfolds against a broad social canvas. His films, which include “Hidden Pleasures” (released in the U.S. in 1986) and “Colegas” (released here in 1988), are never mere chamber dramas, although they are decidedly intimate. Instead they reverberate with far-ranging implications: moral, social, political, economic, religious and cultural. It’s as if De la Iglesia were trying to show life as fully as possible from a gay perspective. Yet as serious and dark as the undertones of his films become, they are frequently very funny.

This is the case with “Bulgarian Lovers,” De la Iglesia’s first theatrical feature in 15 years. It’s a love story, a romantic comedy and a high adventure with an unsettling commentary on the effect of the crumbling of the communist Eastern bloc on Western Europe. Grim economic conditions have driven countless young Eastern Europeans to immigrate illegally to the West and, as De la Iglesia tells it, working from Eduardo Mendicutti’s novel, a substantial number of hunky Bulgarians have landed in Madrid, prepared to do whatever it takes to survive and to legitimize their immigrant status. This is a boon to the city’s gay community, in which Fernando Guillen Cuervo’s Daniel travels with ease among his affluent pals.

Daniel is a well-tailored 40-ish attorney with soft dark eyes and a slightly effeminate manner, a reflective, intellectual mind and a romantic nature. Although his plump, campy pal Gildo (Pepon Nieto), who throws lavish parties in his loft apartment, never confuses hustler sex with love, Daniel rejects such a realistic view. In truth, the moment he sets eyes on Dritan Biba’s Kyril, he’s lost. Kyril is a tall, muscular 23-year-old and a virile, aggressive yet affectionate lover. From their first encounter, Daniel is transported by sheer sexual ecstasy -- and catapulted into love.

What sustains “Bulgarian Lovers” so effectively is Kyril’s complexity. He’s a big, hearty lug of fiery temperament, yet he seems to care genuinely for Daniel. Although Kyril has a survivor’s steely core, he is a magnetic presence.

“Bulgarian Lovers” is sly, swift, succinct -- and very sexy. De la Iglesia is like George Cukor in his skill with actors -- Biba recalls Aldo Ray in Cukor’s films -- and his ability to bring alive widely varying social milieus with wit and humor. The locales range from Madrid to Sofia, from gay clubs to a hilarious weekend in the country at Daniel’s aristocratic parents’ estate. The sensibility of “Bulgarian Lovers” is unmistakably gay, but its truths are universal.

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‘Bulgarian Lovers’

MPAA rating: Unrated

Times guidelines: Strong sexuality, nudity, language, adult themes

Fernando Guillen Cuervo...Daniel

Dritan Biba...Kyril

Gildo...Pepon Nieto Pepon Nieto...Gildo

Anita Sinkovic...Kalina

Roger Pera...Abogado (Lawyer)

A TLA Releasing presentation. Director Eloy de la Iglesia. Executive producer Oihana Olea. Screenplay Fernando Guillen Cuervo, Eloy de la Iglesia; additional material by Antonio Hens; based on the novel by Eduardo Mendicutti. Cinematographer Nestor Calvo. Editor Jose Salcedo. Music Antonio Meliveo. Art director Julio Torrecillo. In Spanish and Bulgarian, with English subtitles.

Exclusively at the Regent Showcase, 614 N. La Brea Ave., (323) 934-2944; and the Playhouse 7, 673 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 844-6500.