As I first starting viewing this film I said to myself "Oh no, not another soppy teanage coming of age story" -- but it did not take me long to realize that it is actually a film about friendship, and more particularly, a friendship that blossoms between two unlikely characters -- the movie's title "a escondidas" (which might be better translated "on the quite, secretly") is not just because of a nascent forbidden homosexuality between the boys -- but perhaps more importantly, because of the mileu in which they find themselves -- which includes xenophobia toward Moroccans by Spaniards, at least within the social class of these kids -- this is a loving movie -- I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The DVD cover which shows the two youth lying next to each other shirtless (with the implication that they are naked) never appears in the movie. The cover also quote "A moving and heartfelt gay first love story." I think it is too early in their lives so say that their love is "gay," an abiding sexual attraction of a male to other males, although they do at one point tentatively kiss, and recognize a sexual component to their relationship.

This is another film where little thought apparently has been given to the captions, which are small and often hard to read. Fortunately, the acting is excellent, and missing some dialogue doesn't detract much.