El hijo de la novia

Son of the Bride

When I read the short description of this Argentinean film, "Son with broken marriage deals with his dads desire to renew marriage vows with his wife with Alzheimer's" I hesitated to watch it. I down loaded it to my Tivo because of it's three star rating, but had no great desire to re--live my mothers long decline into that particular abyss.

We had just started to watch "Out of Sight" a Hollywood product that had George Clooney meeting his co-star "cute" in the trunk of a getaway car. A contrived vehicle for brand name stars that delivered the audience and made a buck for the investors. That's the American way. We cut it off after twenty minutes and decided we may as well give this one a try.

Nobody met "cute" in this film. There is a son with a broken marriage and barely tolerable relations with his ex whom he kept in contact with over the shared love of their daughter. The demented mother, was depicted with just enough realism to give a taste of the true sadness of this disease, while not overwhelming the film with despair. Maybe it was extra meaningful to me, since my Mother was like her, the rare person who did not suffer from her illness, but bathed in some blessed contentment.

I will not try to go into detail why this film was so beautiful. When everything works perfectly, the writing, directing and the acting; all you have is the unfolding of the story on the screen. There is nothing to say about the people or their interactions--- they are just being themselves. In real life, we don't have heroes. The strongest people are those who can make the people around them feel good about themselves. If they are gorgeous they don't wear makeup to accentuate it. If they are rich they talk about a cheap meal they had a restaurant. And if they are very smart, they talk sports.

So, by watching this film, you get to spend a couple hours with these people. Nothing will be more enjoyable. And stay through the titles that roll at the end, there is one final joke that completes the experience.

Great performers in an expertly mounted A feature. This one goes on too long but deserves to edge out the glossy English speaking movies which play to the same audience in the multiplexes.

The film is full of great players given the chance to do their stuff. Darin has the authority of a major leading man and it's a great pleasure to see already familiar veterans like Alterio and Aleandro in strong roles. Her spin on senility is a beautifully judged mix of touching and funny that the film needs to grab the broad public. Verbeke registers as an exceptionally vivid version of the sexy, winning fantasy girl that we keep on seeing in films.

If you want to argue that these characters are a distortion of real life you're in a different mind set to the makers and the fourteen dollars a seat customers they are playing to.

I enjoyed seeing this recognisable world of cell 'phones, old friends, resolved family tensions and gourmet food put across in an unfamiliar setting with superior film know how. It's like a good overseas holiday. The old Sascha Guitry gag of the security system picture or the finding the priest at the final wedding were worth the cheer they got at the performance I saw.

This is a very good film from Argentina. It would be a shame if more people fail to see this beautiful tale set in the Buenos Aires of the beginning of the century when times were better and the porteños felt on top of the world.

Director Juan Jose Campanella knows these people. He is really on their side, for they have struggled all their lives to get the family restaurant to be successful. The son, Rafael, has problems making ends meet and his life is a mess. Not only his whole world comes crashing around him, but he cannot cope with the only person that really loves him for what he is, Naty.

His father, Nino, loves Norma, even though her mind is not here any more. He doesn't miss seeing her one day. He finally realizes, too late, that secretly Norma's desire was to have been married in the church, he didn't believe in during his youth. Now he wants to make amends by marrying the wife who cannot appreciate it because of her wandering mind.

The acting is superb. Ricardo Darin gives a fine performance as Rafael. Norma Aleandro proves once more why she's a great actress and Hector Alterio is very effective in a very subtle performance. Natalia Verbeke was a revelation as she stands by her man.

All in all, this was an enjoyable time at the movies.

My wife 'found' this film, of which I hadn't heard, in our local video shop and I'm so delighted she did.

The central performance of Rafael was a tour de force - this actor stands very strong beside the likes of Pacino, and I can imagine him in many of the earlier 'gangster with hidden depth' roles the latter excelled in. He was so believable as the 'godfather' neighbourhood restaurateur. The other principal actors were also brilliant, although in my opinion Eduardo Blanco as the comedic interest overegged and hammed a little too much in a couple of scenes, eg as bogus priest. But that is nitpicking in one of the most memorable romantic films I've ever seen.

I totally agree with one of the reviewers who compared and contrasted to the dreadful film travesty made of 'The Notebook'recently which missed all the buttons around Alzheimers and real people with real believable feelings and reactions. I also agree that while if this product had been American with J Nicholson, etc it would have been a surefire Oscar winner, it would actually have been ruined by the Hollywood treatment...

Thanks you Argentina, and I hope to see much more of Senor Darin before long.

This is a real jewel from Argentina... at a time when some viewers are knowing Latin American film making through tasteless stories, I highly recommend "El hijo de la novia". The story is full of discovery and emotions. It touches the importance of the family and the values, it deals with serious issues with a touch of humor, and a lot of class. The rhythm of the story is well balanced and the characters are very real and likeable. Don't miss it! (9/10)