Lust auf Fleisch

I approached Jamon Jamon with much anticipation, it was recommended by a close friend by whom it was described as an abstract, witty, satirical comedy; a film with ups, downs, and naked bull fights. I had to see this film. However, after an hour and half of sketchy performances, one-dimensional characters, and a barrage of farcical, poorly interwoven sub-plots, i found myself quite disappointed.

Jamon Jamon possesses all the components of what promises to be an entertaining movie: Quirky, abstract dialogue, offbeat humour, and dark yet comic scenarios. During the initial stages of the movie I felt engaged and involved, concerned about the young misguided couple, and the situation in which they find themselves. However as the film progresses seemingly irrelevant scenes of attempted quirkiness grow all too frequent. You get the distinct impression that Luna is simply attempting to emulate a directorial style established by his more experienced, capable predecessors. Not to discredit the movie to harshly. Luna is clearly able to produce scene's that are moving, profound, and original, there is simply insufficient character development so ultimately you begin to feel indifferent about the outcome of their predicaments.

In conclusion, Jamon Jamon is a noble failure, but a failure all the same. It has all the makings of a quality movie but is let down by it's composition, I feel it lacks a certain intimacy and distances the viewer in it's latter stages when we're meant to feel most involved. If you're a Luna's fan a recommend you see it, just don't get your hopes up to high.

Jamon Jamon is a daft, grubby, and rather disappointing film out of Spain.

My advice straight off the bat is not to take this film too seriously; it's a quirky send up and OTT ironic social commentary. Think of it more as a comedy of errors style farce and you'll be in the right mood.

The film clearly sets out to be an arty satire, and though it is certainly oddball enough to qualify for the category that is not enough in itself to automatically label this film as brilliant - it really isn't.

The plot? Well, here goes . . . A young Spanish man is in a relationship with a young Spanish girl. She is pregnant, and they are to marry. His controlling and wealthy mother disapproves, and hires a would be bullfighter (and male underwear model) to seduce the girl and trash the relationship. The bullfighter, the girl and her boyfriend, a couple of mums, one dad, uncle Tom Cobley and all become embroiled in a tangle of relationships where just about everybody is copping off with everyone else.

This all plays out in a dusty Spanish backwater where, presumably, there's not much else to do. Weaving its way through the film is constant reference to pigs and ham. That opens the door to an obvious gag about the standard of acting, but I'll pass it up.

There's a fair dose of sex and nudity in the film, but none of it is sexy. It's all a bit grubby, in keeping with the locale and general downbeat vibe of the film. Theres also a liking for regularly showing pearls clattering to the floor; I've looked for a metaphor, but can't see one that makes the effort worthwhile.

None of the characters are likeable (unless you count the Golf gti and Yamaha 600 motorbike). Silvia (the young Spanish girl) is particularly annoying as she flits from man to man for no good reason other than her own pitifulness.

I generally warm to films that are quirky and dare to be different - but not this one. Perhaps because it doesn't go all the way and fully commit to being a completely satirical, completely comical or completely sexy film that it leaves my glass very much half empty.

It's full of cultural references, it's unconventional, it's over the top and absurd - I get all that. But ultimately, it is not half as clever as it tries to be. It's all just a bit naff.

A small Spanish town is dominated by two businesses , -an underwear factory and a brothel- both run by strong-minded women . In the factory works as an executive , Manuel (Jordi Mollá) , chief's (Juan Diego) son , and also his girlfriend Sylvia (Penélope Cruz was 16 years old when this movie was made) works on the shop floor making male underwear . The brothel's Carmen (Anna Galiena) and the Factory's Conchita (Stefania Sandrelli) clash when Carmen's daughter becomes pregnant by Manuel . When Sylvia falls pregnant , Jose Luis promises her that he will marry her , most likely against the wishes of his parents ; to be aware Conchita , she is appalled and seeks an extreme solution . As his mother to be opposed to this relationship to a young girl from a lower-class family , and she then hires stud Raul (Javier Bardem) , to seduce Sylvia , only to fall for him himself .

Weird melodrama satirizing various aspects of the Spaniard characters , including machismo , ¨Toros and Toreo¨ , food and sex . The special film title ¨Jamón , Jamón¨ , that's why in Spanish, the word "jamón" means ''ham'', while a ''jamóna'' is a ''dish of a woman" . This is a decent film , being first part of Bigas Luna's "Iberian Trilogy" , it is stylishly photographed and smartly designed . Here Bigas Luna delivers his ordinary and erotic goods in cool sense of style , but including a lot of unkindly characters . Entertaining and modern picture filled with young roles and concerning a beautiful girl who wishes a better life and becomes involved with a passionate triangle . This stirring as well as erotic story is a touching retelling and moving tale about wishes , lies and disappointments , but including strong sex scenes with loads of nudism . This interesting flick results to be a moving tale about ambition , desire , luxury and poorness . As usual in Bigas Luna films , ¨Jamón , Jamon¨ explores the darkest depths of eroticism and Latinos stereotypical , including the Spanish machismo . So-so acting by a very young Penélope Cruz who becomes pregnant , she plays an obstinate girl whose naïve dreams are soon shattered by the ruthlessness and mediocre Jordi Mollá as Jose Luis , an executive at his parents underwear factory who wants to marry Sylvia . The best acting is given by Javier Bardém as a potential underwear model and would-be bullfighter , he represents perfectly the typical ¨Iberian macho¨ who attributes his sexual prowess to a steady diet of garlic and ham . Support cast is frankly extraordinary , such as as Stefania Sandrelli as Conchita , Jose Luis' mother , who is determined to break her son's engagement and Anna Galiena as a mature prostitute who runs a brothel . Furthermore , a colorful and evocative cinematography by Jose Luis Alcaine who was first cinematographer to use fluorescent tube as "key" lightning and deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameramen . Alcaine frequently works with Pedro Almodóvar , Bigas Luna and Vicente Aranda , as he has photographed ¨The skin I live in¨ , The bad education¨ , ¨Volver¨ , ¨Women in the verge of a nervous breakdown¨, among others . And a sensitive musical score by Nicola Paviani , including an enjoyable leitmotif .

The motion picture was compellingly directed by Bigas Luna , following his particular style , though is is full of nudism , intercourses and Softcore . He often uses in his films twisted events , erotic scenes and surrealist images , here including Goya/Luis Buñuel frames-alike . He was a Bon Vivant who along with his wife , produced wine , ham , and organic products ; they are well shown in his films . For 39 years, under General Francisco Franco's repressive regime , it was almost impossible for Spain to create a vibrant film industry and for talented film-makers to express themselves freely . However, after the death of the Generalissimo in 1975, there was a burst of creativity, with Pedro Almodóvar paving the way for directors such as Bigas Luna , who has died of cancer aged 67 . In 1990 the producer Andrés Vicente Gómez persuaded him to return to cinema and entrusted to him the direction of Las Edades De Lulú (The Ages of Lulu) , an erotic drama about a young woman exploring extreme sexual practices , this was a commercial hit . Without abandoning his dedication to painting and photography , reflected in numerous exhibitions , he began the well-known "Iberian Trilogy" with Jamón Jamón ("Ham, Ham", 1992) , Huevos de Oro ("Golden Balls", 1993) and La Teta y La Luna ("The Tit and the Moon", 1994) which explored the darkest depths of eroticism and stereotypical Spanish machismo . Jamón Jamón, which launched the careers of both Javier Bardem and the 16-year-old Penélope Cruz was a major international success and won the Silver Lion at Venice in 1992 . The latter introduced Penélope Cruz to audiences and launched Javier Bardem as the embodiment of the Spanish stud . "I owe my career to Bigas Luna" , Bardem said in 2001 . Cruz returned in ¨Volavérunt¨ (1999), a film about the relationship between Francisco Goya and the Duchess of Alba . His last film was ¨Di Di Hollywood¨ with Elsa Pataki that failed at box office until his recent death .

Bigas Luna's most noted work in North America, Jamon Jamon is a film that teeters on offensive, but does so with such sweetness and charm that it is hard to resist.

In a plot that only Luna could bring to life, young, sexy Silvia (Penelope Cruz) is engaged to and pregnant by Jose Luis, the son of underwear merchants. Silvia is too lower class for Jose Luis' meddling mother, Conchita, so she hires the young, handsome Raul (Javier Bardem) a worker in a ham factory and wannabe underwear model and bull fighter, to romance her away. But the love starved and still sexy Conchita falls for Raul, while Jose Luis frequents the bordello owned by Silvia's mother. Eventually, the two men duke it out in one of the most unique and bizarre fight scenes ever, beating each other with hams.

This is a dark and weird R-rated soap opera, in which every scene is over the top melodrama, and all characters deliver their lines like they were their last. But it works scene after scene, largely due to the directing and casting. For physical appearance, you won't find a better looking cast anywhere.

Jamon Jamon is challenging because it is so unconventional, but is also enjoyable because of its romance and passion. I enjoy Luna movies immensely and highly recommend this film along with the two that follow, Heuvos de Oro and La teta y la Luna. ***1/2 out of ****.

However bad things may get, however your spin of Fortune's wheel may grind you into the dust, at least, if you've seen Jamon Jamon, you may be able to say, 'At least I didn't mess up like that lot!'

A funny sex comedy with real dollops, or should that be pinchos, of eroticism. How often does one get to use those words today, in our prudish, uptight, prurient 21st century? Sex. Comedy. Eroticism. Dollops.

Eggs and ham, however you may like them, they are important staples of a fulfilling diet. Jamon Jamon is a movie about people ruled by their impulses. Even the actors, to an extent. Didn't Cruz lie about her age in order to get the part of Silvia? Silvia is pregnant by Jose, but Jose's mum pays Raul (Javier Bardem) to seduce the young trollop. Jose is also seeing Silvia's mother (yes, really), and pretty soon something more than business is going down/up/down between Raul and Jose's mum. Expect nipples, parrots, nude bullfighting, and a literally hamfisted duel.

If this was an opera it would be verismo. A verismo comedy.

Remarkable, seeing Cruz and Bardem together for the first time, and such a long time before they got together in real life. Jamon Jamon is as much a cautionary tale as it is a highly entertaining, adult comedy, but quite honestly I think it ought to be seen by an audience younger than 18, for there is much to learn from this absurd-yet-plausible confusion of competing desires. A laughable, lusty, cautionary tale.