Hoy como ayer

Being known as the gross, commercial and unscrupulous director who made such Spanish blockbusters like "Los Bingueros", it is a big surprise to watch this singular early film from the usually under-rated Mariano Ozores.

The film is a reflection on time: which things keep on chanching forever and which ones seem to stand still. The interesting thing about this is the way of carrying this task: The films starts with a person watching slides which portray Spain in the past. Then, all of the sudden, like in Woody Allen´s "Purple Rose of Cairo", a character in one of the slides - the great Antonio Ozores - comes to life. He steps out of the slide and starts talking to the perplexed man. What comes next is a long walk through various parts of Spain with Antonio Ozores explaining how things were in the past. This is illustrated by vintage footage that the experienced editor Pedro del Rey (a man who worked with Buñuel, Saura and Ferreri) blends beautifully with present-time images with an all-star Spanish cast rarely seen together on any film made during that period. Curious film, wouldn´t you say?

Don´t expect me to criticise the rest of Ozores´ work. I think most of his films are really funny and are perfect in the sense that they fully achieve their goals. But I feel it is important to know that this director had his ambitions and a knowledge of film techniques that, in a way, appear in his later, always underrated movies.

It deals with Jose Luis Ozores who remembers past events by watching old slides , films and documentaries , then one of the characters : Antonio Ozores out of screen and comes to life to talk to Jose Luis Ozores . Later on , both of whom begin talking about Spanish traditions by comparing them with actual life . And adding Antonio Mingote's drawings to describe the diverse episodes that develop throughout the movie .

As the character played by Antonio Ozores who steps out of shots explaining how Spanish people lived in the past. Concerning the old Spanish events as the Bullfighting , Football sports with famous footballers , adding flamenco music at a Tablao with Tony Leblanc as a guitarrist and subsequently Alfredo Landa and Concha Velasco dancing in her ordinary role as a Ye-Ye Girl . As well as showing the social developing , Spaniard habits with Sierra of Madrid where citizens rest at weekend , families with several children and how to get their hard existence , social states , down-classes and upper-classes with the usual servants, including , of course , Rafaela Aparicio and Gracita Morales. Adding stock footage and documentary in "Nodo" style as the rapid trains , the aerial feat regarding the long voyage from Palos de Moguer , Huelva, to Buenos Aires in Plus Ultra plane and invention of the AutoGiro by Juan De La Cierva, among others . Stars the notorious comical actor Jose Luis Ozores who appears usually on a chair , that's why he was seriously ill and in his last final feature, along with the always sympathetic Antonio Ozores . They are well accompanied by the the greatest Spanish actors , all-star-cast in brief appearances and cameos , such as : Alfredo Landa , Jose Luis López Vázquez, Francisco Rabal, , Manolo Gómez Bur , Juan Luis Galiardo, Jose Bodalo, Manuel Alexandre , Manuel Galiana , Agustín González, and many others .

It contains atmospheric and adequate cinematography by Vicente Minaya , assisted by future great cameraman Teo Escamilla . Evocative musical score by Miguel Asins Arbo and a song : Hoy Como Ayer performed by Los Indonesios with lyrics by Antonio Guijarro and music by Augusto Alguero himself .This almost documentary film was professionally directed by prolific Mariano Ozores , though with no much interest and failed at the box office . This is a family movie , in fact , most of the main roles are performed by members of the Ozores family , as Antonio Ozores and Jose Luis Ozores are siblings. Mariano Ozores directed 93 films , most of them were comedies , though he also made some dramas as "Las diez y media y veneno" , "Alegre Juventud", both of them starred by Jose Luis Ozores . He even directed a Sci-Fi movie titled "La Hora Incognita" that was a real flop and following Mariano promised to direct only comedies . Rating 4,5/10. Regular but passable and acceptable .