Huevos de oro

Bigas Luna's 1993 film HUEVOS DE ORO ("Golden Balls/Eggs", a title punning on both the goose that laid the golden eggs and a tough guy's balls of steel) depicts the rise and fall of Benito Gonzalez (Javier Bardem), a young Spanish construction worker who becomes an affluent real estate developer on the Mediterranean coast.

After being jilted by his first girlfriend (Elisa Tovati), who leaves him for his best friend, Benito develops a mania for building the tallest building in Benidorm, which may be seen as little more than an enormous phallic symbol flaunting his manhood. Obsessed with this big construction project, his lust for his next woman, Claudia (Maribel Verdú) takes second place to having her sleep with potential investors to win them over. Benito then marries a banker's daughter, Marta (Maria de Medeiros) to have access to her father's funds. Benito lives a life of sexual excess and enormous consumption of food, especially the Alicante sweet known as torron. Like some of the work of Almodovar, Bigas Luna clearly likes riffing on Spanish stereotypes and regional differences.

Ultimately, however, Benito's hubris leads to his downfall. This protagonist is certainly an odious guy, but -- though I won't spoil the ending -- the depths to which he is ultimately sunk inspire a perverse sympathy in the viewer. Years went by between my first viewing of this film and the second, but in the interim I would often look back on this film's plot and ending scenes, thinking of how sad it was to lose everything and end up that way.

HUEVOS DE ORO isn't an especially deep film, but that dramatic arc, hewing very close to classical notions of tragedy, is impressive and I'd say this film is worth a watch.

If the darkly comic tone of this film strikes you as a bit odd for what on the surface is a straight forward young-man-on-the-make drama, welcome to the world of Bigas Luna. What this is really is a satire on supposed masculine virtues in Latino culture. The main character, a wannabe real estate mogul played by Javier Bardem, throughout the film achieves material ambitions and rising to dominate others in classic alpha dog fashion, yet his victories seem hollow and shallow. This is all intended, but Luna was not aiming to create a morality play here. He just wanted to take cheap shots at talentless hacks who succeed on sheer chutzpah, and at cultures who lionize them for their successes however achieved. The main character could have been any ambitious rhymes-with-Rick in any field. One gets the idea that he might even have been based on somebody Luna knew from the film business...

Bigas Luna's film is far from perfect, but I found it a sharp and caustic portrait of a particular lifestyle and a particular time and place in recent Spanish history - the 80's construction boom, the new rich and their unabashed cheesiness, the macho ibérico...Bardem's character is spot on, and he plays the role incredibly well. In fact, all of the performances are very good; it is the directing that occasionally fails the story. It does at times feel like the sex scenes outweigh all others, but I don't feel that they are gratuitous. Other than expensive accessories and a lust for skyscrapers, it is what Bardem's character spends most of his time and energy on. Maria de Medeiros and Maribel Verdú are excellent, especially the latter, who delivers a pretty brave performance. The cinematography is really beautiful and well conceived for each stage of the story. And it contains what must be one of my favorite cinematic moments in a long time...Bardem doing a Julio Iglesias karaoke number in a leopard-print robe, black speedo and Catalan barretina.

Benito González (Javier Bardem) carries out his military service and works construction in Melilla ; he then falls in love with a beautiful Morrocco girl named Rita (Elisa Tovati) . Benito dreams to build huge constructions and big buildings . Later on , he arrives in Benidorm , where he attempts to build the tallest building called González Towers. Over several years, we see Benito to execute his wishes , but lack money no permits to carry out the construction of his tower . Through force of personality, his "Golden Balls" he puts the financing together , taking advantage of girls who love him such as Claudia (Maribel Verdu) , a fashion who tries to be a star, and Marta (Maria De Medeiros) , the US educated daughter of a wealthy man whose loan Benito needs . After that , he goes to Florida where he meets new lovers (Raquel Bianca) and disgraces .

This stirring as well as erotic story is a passionate retelling and an ironical drama about rise and fall ; full of visual images and tragedy , but including strong sex scenes with loads of nudism as female as male . Second part of Bigas Luna's "Iberian Trilogy" also including Jamón, Jamón and La Teta Y La Luna . This is a moving tale about ambition , luxury , desire in which a mean young attempts to build the great phallic symbol of power , at whatever cost ; as undercapitalization , debts , shoddy building materials don't avoid to follow his impossible dream . This Spanish picture is an enjoyable tale with a thought-provoking characterizing about a few characters , tragic drama and colorful outdoors . It is an overblown tragic drama , being screen-written by the same filmmaker along with his usual screen-writer Cuca Canals . Director Bigas Luna also writes the script filmed in his usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the brooding issues , in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement . The storyline relies heavily on the continued ambition of the starring , including a lot of sexual scenes , almost softcore , but it doesn't make boring , however the film is entertaining . In spite of , the movie results to be acceptable and compellingly realized . Bigas carries out a perfect imaginary , a willingness almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence, every space . Good acting by trio protagonist , all of them give fine performances , such as Javier Bardem as an ambitious but unfortunate young ; a beautiful Maribel as sex-crazed Claudia , and Maria De Medeiros is marvelous and charming with her sweet and enjoyable countenance . Sensitive as well as evocative musical score by Nicola Piovani who won Academy Award for ¨Life is beautiful¨. 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 cameraman . 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 . Here he shows splendidly the impressive landscapes from Benidorm , surroundings, and Miami .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Bigas Luna , following his particular style , plenty of sex , food references and Salvador Dali homages including some surrealist dream sequences . Bigas Luna was born on March 19, 1946 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain as Josep Joan Bigas Luna . He was a Bon Vivant who along with his wife, produced wine, ham, and organic products ; they are well shown in his films . He was a writer and director, known for ¨Jamón, Jamón¨ (1992), ¨Huevos de Oro¨ or ¨Golden eggs¨ (1993) "The Chambermaid on the Titanic" , ¨Angustia¨ or ¨Anguish¨ (1987) , ¨The tit and the moon¨ , ¨Volaverunt¨ , ¨Yo soy La Juani¨, ¨Di , Di Hollywwod¨ among others . He's also an expert on murky atmosphere such as proved in ¨Caniche¨ , ¨Tatuaje¨, ¨Bilbao¨ , ¨Anguish¨ and ¨Reborn¨. Luna discovered actors Ariadna Gil, Leonor Watling , Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz . He sadly died recently on April 6, 2013 in Tarragona, Catalonia . This film ¨Golden Eggs¨ is stylishly photographed and smartly designed and here Bigas Luna delivers his ordinary and erotic goods with nice sense of style . The picture will appeal to Javier Bardem , Maribel Verdu fans and Bigas Luna buffs.

Either you like Bigas Luna, or you don't. Huevos de Oro is the middle picture in his trilogy of weird romance films, the other two being the more noted Jamon Jamon and the truly bizarre La Teta y La Luna. All films have breast-obsessed Spanish macho men, sexy young women, love starved 40-ish women, love triangles wrapped around the oddest plots, and the most eyebrow raising sex conversations. All of these films seem to parody the Javier Bardem Spanish macho man character and how he is ultimately ruled by his libido. (The same can be said for most males).

Luna as a director introduced to me to three spectacular, stunning actresses in his films, namely Maria de Mederios, the now famous Penelope Cruz and Mathilda May. He also uses recent Oscar nominee Javier Bardem with great frequency.

In this film, there is a loose plot of a man (Bardem) who wishes to obtain financing for his construction business, and marries a woman he does not love (the wide-eyed Maria de Medieros) in the process. He maintains his passionate relationship with his first and true love, and ultimately gets entangled in his own romantic web. He never gives up his juggling act, until the three main characters come face to face.

What Luna does as a director is take these simple plots and wrap wonderfully strange characters with bizarre obsessions and mannerisms.

This movie has lots of passion, sex, conversation, and twisted romance, all bundled into an enjoyable and unique film. Many will be offended by Luna's unabashed approach to film-making, but this is still a fresh and unique picture. I recommend the three in this series highly. I can not guarantee you will like them, but I can guarantee that you will remember them. ***1/2

out of ****.