The cheap thrill Dr Jano gets from rubbing himself up against a schoolgirl in the street turns out to be an expensive mistake.

Bespectacled Jano (Belloso) - a prime candidate for the Paedophile Register - is in town for a conference of ear, nose and throat specialists (oh, the romance of it).

The object of his grubby desire is Amalia (Alche), the nubile daughter of conference hotel owner Helena (Moran), who was herself once on Jano's romantic list.

But the timing of Jano's dodgy street encounter is wrong. Amalia is fired up with a combination of Catholic religious instruction and blossoming sexuality.

In short, she takes it upon herself to save the errant doctor - a married man with two daughters - from sin. To complicate matters, she also has a bit of a crush on him.

Faced with this lethal combination, the attention of Amalia's attractive mother and the demands of his fellow physicians, the not-so-good doctor is set for an interesting stay.

Argentinian director Lucretia Martel moves the narrative forward slowly, taking time to uncover subtle details of plot and paint a rich background.

There's the battleaxe retainer who actually runs the show, Amalia's sex-obsessed friend Josefina (Zylberberg) and the Filipino maid who wordlessly coats the hotel in a light shower of air freshener.

Painstakingly, Jano's fate falls into place but not before we have the pleasure of seeing the dirty old lech thoroughly disorientated by the headstrong Amalia.

Measured, wryly nuanced and boasting strong performances - particularly from the luminous Moran - this is a hotel yarn you'll want to check out.

Tim Evans