Sans nouvelles de Dieu

Augustin Diaz Yates heaven-vs.-earth satire DON'T TEMPT ME is really NOTHING that hasn't been done before, and in better films. An angel from heaven (Victoria Abril) and an angel from hell (some Spanish chick named Penélope Cruz...lol!} fight over the soul of a brutish boxer (Demiån Bichir). The way the plot develops is predictable, as is the ending. But there are laughs around the way, most of them provided by Cruz. I can't begin to comprehend why she's such a dull, tedious, unconvincing actress in American films when she's proved to be such a vibrant, energetic and entertaining actress in Spanish films. And while she's made better films (BELLE EPOQUE, JAMON JAMON, LIVE FLESH, ABRE LOS OJOS and even the American ABRE remake VANILLA SKY), I think this is definitely her best performance yet. Her character is the most interesting and entertaining figure during the entire duration of the film, and one of the reasons she gets the biggest laughs is because the screenwriter gave her most of the best lines. The ridiculously talented and versatile Gael Garcia Bernal is a total hoot as a top CEO in hell who's a mix of Spike from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and Tony Shalhoub's eccentric shyster in THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE. He's so much fun that the movie is hurt because he's a supporting character who only appears in a few scenes, and so many of the lead characters are so one-note and tiring we keep waiting for him to show up more to liven things up. Anyways, this isn't a very good film, certainly one you may not remember for a long, but the good aspects in it kept me entertained...most of the time. B-

Needing a bit of comedy after the Danish film, Craig, I turn to the ever luscious Penelope Cruz who, along with Victoria Abril, are sure to delight.

To say that Cruz is hot is putting it mildly, as she plays an inhabitant of Hell who is sent to Earth to grab the soul of a losing, debt-ridden, boxer (Demián Bichir). Heaven sends their own representative and the battle is on.

Abril, who falls short of her most skintastic performance, nevertheless gives us a glimpse of her heavenly body as she plays the misogynistic boxer's wife. Cruz keeps it hot as she struts and dances, but does keep it on as the boxer's cousin. Why the bum doesn't stray is a big mystery.

Gael García Bernal (The Crime of Father Amaro, Bad Education, babel) plays the administrator of Hell, who becomes concerned about a corporate takeover by the rich, who are working to convince everyone that they are not really bad, but victims of society. Sides become blurred as the need to continue the existence of good and evil, and Heaven and Hell become more important that who gets the soul.

Fanny Ardant (8 Women, Paris, je t'aime), Elena Anaya (Van Helsing), and Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason), and Elsa Pataky (Snakes on a Plane, Romasanta) all add to the fun.

Amusing film which is in four languages! Do your best to get an original copy, not a dubbed one. The language of hell is English, the language of heaven is French, the angels communicate to each other in Latin, and the language of Earth is Spanish. It's worth it just for that. Good acting, creative story and filming.

I saw this movie today and I absolutely adored it!

Originally, I watched it for Gael Garcia Bernal, who was quite good as the operations manager of hell. Victoria Abril played a wonderful Lola and Penelope Cruz, who I'm not very partial to, almost made me like her as the little hellion, Carmen.

The only horrid part of the movie was Manny. I absolutely loathed that character. He was such a pig!

Anyway, even though the movie was a bit confusing and odd at parts, I still found it wonderful.

*** out of ****

When the leaders of Heaven and Hell, Marina D'Angelo (Fanny Ardant) and Davenport (Gael García Bernal) respectively, decide to fight for the soul of the decadent boxer Manny (Demián Bichir), they send their best agents to Earth. The singer Lola Nevado (Victoria Abril) from Heaven and the former gangster Carmen Ramos (Penélope Cruz) from Hell are assigned to get his soul, and they have a tough dispute to accomplish their mission.

"Sin Noticias de Dios" is one of most original comedies I have ever seen. The story is very funny, ironical and charming, with splendid lines and dialogs in the screenplay. The direction is very precise; the wonderful cast, with a very charming and sexy Penélope Cruz; a stunning (as usual) Victoria Abril singing in a perfect Portuguese; an elegant and classy Fanny Ardant; and a very funny Gael García Bernal, has also the participation of Demián Bichir (from "Sexo Pudor Y Lágrimas", "Santitos" and "In the Time of the Butterflies"), Elsa Pataky (from "Beyond Re-Animator" and "Romasanta") and an uncredited last scene with Javier Bardem. The vision of Heaven as Paris, Hell as an American prison (could be a South-American one – certainly they are worse) and the Hell's administrator as an American president in his car with his body-guards are absolutely hilarious. Victoria Abril singing "I'm Evil" and Penélope Cruz dancing an extremely sexy dance are delightful. I highly recommend this movie, which has two (2) wins and seventeen (17) nominations of festivals, for those viewers that like a refreshing and very different comedy. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Sem Notícias de Deus" ("Without News From God")