Movie review: A cardiologist’s broken heart in ‘No Eres Tú, Soy Yo’

Eugenio Derbez brings to mind the late Dudley Moore. He’s diminutive, not classically handsome but attractive with a wistful air that’s crucial to the success of “No Eres Tú, Soy Yo” (It’s Not You, It’s Me), a jaunty, clever comedy that is as rueful as it is romantic. Its distributor is targeting Spanish-speaking audiences at selected theaters throughout Southern California, but the film’s appeal is universal.

It has a much lighter, breezier touch than most of its Hollywood counterparts; it’s sexy without being crass, easy and relaxed rather than slick.

Derbez’s Javier is a Mexico City cardiologist in the midst of a passionate relationship with the gorgeous Maria (Alejandra Barros) when he receives a tempting offer in Miami. Javier doesn’t even have to wait for a visa; all he has to do is marry Maria, who apparently holds American citizenship. She goes to the States in advance of Javier but almost immediately calls him to confess that she has had a fling with a Palm Beach doctor. The devastated Javier asks where he has gone wrong, and Maria makes the timeless reply that is the film’s title.

Director Alejandro Springall and his co-scripter Luis Aura chart the coming apart of Javier’s life and career with compassionate humor. Not only is the poor guy, once past the initial shock, looking for a new romance but also a new job. He pursues all the wrong women while overlooking the exquisite, self-possessed pet shop clerk (Martina Garcia). Eventually, of course, he takes notice of her, and his life takes a turn for the much better — but then…

What could so easily seem slight “No Eres Tú, Soy Yo” skillfully makes surprisingly poignant.

“No Eres Tú, Soy Yo.” Rated PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity and language. In Spanish with English subtitles. Running time: 2 hours, 19 minutes. In limited release.