Malaga-born actress Mónica Cervera has to be one of the most fearless actresses in Spain, perhaps even the world. After her ugly-duckling role in Álex de la Iglesia’s Crimen Ferpecto (The Ferpect Crime), she continues her winning streak with another role in which her womanly looks are trampled on: she stars as Adolfo/Marieta, a transvestite who wants to get rid of the titular 20 centímetros or 20 centimetres between her legs that separate her from transsexualhood. To make things worse for her -- and more hilarious for the audience -- the heroine of Ramón Salazar’s film is also a narcoleptic, dozing off and leaving the menial tasks of this world behind her to star in her very own dreamed-up Technicolor musical spectaculars. 

"La vida es una tombola" (Life is a Lottery) she sings in the first production number that sets the tone for the rest of the film straight away: here is a girl who is willing to gamble and win, or possibly play and loose. In the wobbly story that is supposed to connect the dots between the musical numbers, Marieta gets by as a prostitute in Madrid’s underbelly, saving up for her big operation. In between involuntary bouts of sleep, she works hard in order to rid herself of the 20 centimetres that separate her from happiness as soon as possible. As befits anyone of this profession in a Spanish comedy, Marieta shares her apartment with a dwarf (Miguel O'Dogherty) and his cello -- is he compensating for something? -- and the bespectacled little black kid (Richard Shaw) from the upstairs neighbour (Concha Galán). Between them, the trio definitely has most minorities covered. 

In a typical case of bad timing, she runs into the man of her dreams (Pablo Puyol) before her operation has taken place. This hunky macho works at the local vegetable market -- the perfect setting for, you guessed it, a song and dance number -- and he falls completely and utterly in love with her. You read that right: completely, with all the centimetres that that might entail. Can they reconcile their different desires in one healthy relationship? Let’s sit back for a musical show stopper while our leads give it a thought. 

Salazar sure knows how to get a lot of mileage out his wacky premise, and his all-out sing and dance numbers never bore, even if Cervera is not the world’s best singer. Except for Queen’s I Want to Break Free, the choice of cover songs seems only loosely related to the story, and the two songs sung by Spanish artist Najwa Nimri rather than Cervera seem only justified by the fact that Nimri arranged most of the film’s music, a job she has done respectably but pales when compared to the work done on old songs in Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge.

Cervera clearly enjoys literally being the star of the show and pulls out all the stops when necessary but is appropriately subdued in the more melodramatic story moments, even lending her character something akin to pathos. As her lover, Puyol does what he can with what is essentially a one-note role. Former Almodóvar regular Rossy de Palma impresses in a cameo appearance as a street-working colleague of Marieta, while Lola Dueñas (Volver, Mar adentro) is largely wasted as a vegetable seller on the local market. Salazar might not have created a completely satisfying film, but if you are looking for a cinematic curiosity way out of the ordinary, 20 centímetros will definitely do the trick.

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