I have
issues with this movie. Many, many issues.
The book takes place in Argentina in the 60s - the two main characters are Valentín Arregui, a political prisoner, and Luis Molina, who's in for "corrupción de menores". (the standard being-gay charge)
In the book, Molina is obviously gay, but only to the extent that John in the Simpsons episode Homer's Phobia is. (I'm not saying that he has the same mannerisms, but they are carried out to the same degree.) However, in the movie, Molina is a full-blown, exaggerated drag queen.
In the book, he is feminine. In the movie, he is effeminate. In the book, he doesn't talk about sex very much - he lives in Peronist Argentina, for God's sake! Saying those things then was a good way to get yourself killed. In the movie, he talks about it an absurd amount. In the book, he is a real person with gender identity problems who's had a difficult life. In the movie, he's not real. At all.
I think I'm going to go read the book again. I liked the book, it's the best thing I've ever read in Spanish. Everyone should go learn Spanish and read "El beso de la mujer araña", by Manuel Puig.
This, of course, is only my opinion.