Mort de rire

Not among Spanish cult director Alex de la Iglesia's best movies, this film tells the tale, through almost two decades, of two TV comedians who are a very famous and successful duo (though their act is nothing else than one of the guys slapping the face of the other guy) but who grew to hate (and really hate) each other to death. The duo is played by Santiago Segura and El Gran Wyoming, two famous comedians in Spain. Segura, the fat guy in the duo and the one who gets slapped, is famous there for the Torrente films, in which he plays an hilariously corrupt cop. This movie is only mildly funny, and I'm not sure it would travel well outside Spanish speaking countries.

I enjoyed this film, if not for its comprehension, then at least for its outrageous, odd characters and plot. I love the surreal imagery, and although it has some dirty, disturbing scenes, the point of view is so unaffected and indifferent that its even humorous. This movie is a dark comedy, because it deals with many issues that in reality would be disturbing: death, insanity, loneliness, envy, hatred, etc....And yet the film attempts quite indifferently to use these motifs in its humor.

There are also many subtle details in the movie that catch you by surprise, disgust, or shock. For example in one scene when nino is talking to his manager in prison, in the background you will see a woman with her top open and....well, you get it.

I don't think this movie is perfect, but I appreciate the artistic freedom it took to make it, and the violent, absurd, insane, vile shocks from its twists and turns that leave you strangely and happily confused.

The idea was very clever; the director was one of the best in Spain; the cast was stellar, putting together some of the most famous comedians in the country; even the song that came with it was a huge hit in the Spanish charts! It couldn't fail, could it? Yet it did.

Because this was supposed to be a comedy, but it doesn't have a single laugh-worthy joke. Seriously. I really wanted to enjoy it, because I'm a fan of all the main players involved (de la Iglesia, Segura, Wyoming, Angulo), but I found myself staying silent throughout the whole thing. The problem is probably that the comedy is so black, that it's not comedy any more. It just isn't funny. But it doesn't work as a tragic drama either, because the story is so exaggerated and so absurd, that it's impossible to take it seriously. So it simply doesn't work at all. A pity of wasted talent.

I just saw this film at the Fantasia festival here in Montreal. The festival mostly shows action/kung-fu movies, but this is definitely not in that category. This film makes you want to get up and scream...but what would you say?

I don't know how this film got made, as I don't know much about the Spanish film industry, but I'm suddenly really intrigued. This film delivers!

The acting, directing, music and costumes are all great, but the writing is off the charts. I want to see more films like this. It made me laugh so hard and made take a serious look at how I perceive celebrities-I was in good hands during this film.

DON'T MISS IT

4/4

This is a great comedy, I really don't know a thing about Spanish TV, but it doesn't matter, for this movie speaks a universal language, the language of comedy.

Packed with scenes of absurd nature, this movie is a fantastic farce, as we follow the ridiculous careers of a pair of comedians who's fate is dictated by the public, rather than by their own decisions.

Its exaggerated drama gives the perfect tone through the entire movie, you can either follow it or just wander about the ridiculousness of every single minute. Some may regard this kind of comedy dull or dumb, but the truth is its the most simple, minimalistic, rawest, unpretentious comedy you will ever see.

Ridicule, absurdity, nonsense, drama.... you can find everything in this movie.