Boca a boca

I watched Boca a Boca four times in one weekend! I kept inviting people over to see this hilarious Spanish comedy. Javier Bardem (previously of Jamon, Jamon and Carne Tremula) gives an outstanding performance as Victor, a struggling Spanish actor trying to find the road to stardom and making ends meet inbetween. His character seems something akin to T.V.'s Ally McBeal: melodramatic, desperate for love, finding love in all the wrong places, and tripping over himself (literally) constantly.

The plot seems to unfold and unfold relentlessly, completely unpredictable and original: the movie never drags! All the characters are full of life and no scene seems to end without something to make you roar with laughter. All mocking of stereotypes in this movie is done without any sense of hostility, allowing for scene after scene of endless wit, without offending anyone.

My highest recommendation for Boca a Boca!!

I missed the opening credits, so I didn't know whose film this was. But by the end I was convinced it must be Pedro Almodovar's. The film has the pace and plot twists typical of Almodovar. The dialogue sounded like something out of "Women on the Verge...". Sort of Billy Wilder on speed. The only thing that was different from an Almodovar film was the look of the sets, especially the lighting and the colors. But still, I was very surprised to find it wasn't Almodovar's. I enjoyed it very much and plan to watch it again, this time from beginning to end.

This movie is a fun, sexy and interesting comedy. Javier Bardem is adorable, gullible, funny and loving. What an actor! In this movie Bardem plays an actor who is required to test his acting talents out on everyone he meets. I picked this movie on a whim, and I am pleased that I did.

Boca a Boca is one of those rare films that is able to satisfy the viewer on all fronts. Film buffs will be amused with its satire of Hollywood. The film follows an aspiring actor who is forced to take a job as a phone-sex operator. From there the movie becomes a mystery/romance/comedy that will leave audiences satisfied. 10/10, I highly recommend this film!

The director tries for an outrageous sex comedy in the manner of Almavodar, but comes up with a mild screwball amusement. Javier Bardem is neither sexy nor amusing, although he tries very hard. He's not a funny guy. One central plot line revolves around a closeted gay man whose wife is having an affair with his business partner. The character is a sad reminder of the tormented closet homosexuals from movies of the 60s (e.g., William Windom in "The Detective"). Even in a farce, the character must be remotely believable. Is it possible that in the enlightened Spain of the 1990s, such a pitiful creature could still exist? Even in a farce, the premise must be believable.

Another plot line involves Bardem trying to get a part in an American movie and become an international superstar. The satire regarding the American view of Spanish men is obvious and puerile. It's meant for hip Spanish twenty-somethings so they can knowingly smirk about the superiority of Spanish culture to that of Hollywood. But the slapstick is mere juvenilia, without much genuine humor. The American view of Spanish men as hot Latin lovers went out with the death of Valentino (yes, I know, he was Italian, but Americans don't know the difference--therein lies something to satirize).