Casa de mi padre

"Casa de mi Padre" is a bizarre experiment--the sort of picture that shows that Will Ferrell has made a LOT of money over the years and now he just wants to branch out and have some fun. After all, why else would he agree to star in a Spanish-language comedy?! And, for the most part, the films is played VERY seriously while insanely stupid things happen all around him. It's very surreal and very odd--and the sort of experiment many will find baffling and unfunny. I liked it...but I certainly wouldn't like a steady diet of such films. My attitude is that this is one worth seeing...once.

This film is a cheesy yet stylish send-up of Mexican films. Compared to most Americans, I've seen a ton--but my experience with Mexican films is limited--with mostly el Santo and the Aztec Mummy films of the 50s, 60s and 70s. At times, it looks a bit like a combination of a Sam Peckinpah film, a VERY stylish commercial for cologne and a cheesy mess--complete with VERY unrealistic backgrounds, horses and the Jaguar King--all things you really have to see for yourself! It also is the only film I know of where there is an apology in the middle of the movie--by the second assistant director! Overall, it's VERY dry, very bizarre and a bit funny. But, as I said before, it's certainly NOT the sort of joke most will enjoy--it takes a special person to appreciate this ultra-strange film.

By the way, be sure to watch the making of featurette on the DVD--it makes the movie a lot more interesting to watch.

This sounded like a weird and yet also very interesting project. A Will Ferrell comedy that was different from most of his other work, completely in Spanish and set in Mexico. But let me just say that the idea and concept of this movie sounded better and more interesting than the eventual movie was to watch.

Comedy-wise the movie isn't all that clever or funny to watch. It's mostly recycling the same stuff, over and over again, throughout the entire movie. It's a bit disappointing that this movie wasn't being a big more creative with its comedy at times.

But I have a feeling that this movie is being very referential to Mexican cinema and I have seen basically very little of those movies, so most of the stuff is going over my head. If you're into Mexican cinema, I'm sure this movie would be a far more hilarious one for you to watch. It will probably also help you to understand certain storytelling aspects and techniques behind the movie better than I did.

But still, the movie could had been a real better one for everybody to watch, if it had a more tight script in it. The story in this movie really isn't strong enough and it doesn't get you involved with any of its characters or their story lines.

I still really respect this movie for being different. It still works in some ways and it obviously is also a refreshing one. I was also definitely impressed with Will Ferrell in a Spanish talking role. He did a real great job with it and further more was also holding back a bit more with his usual comical routines, that are starting to annoy more and more people now days.

But the movie has some more great acting and actors in it, mostly REAL Mexican ones. I wish I could see Diego Luna in more big movies, since I have always liked this guy and his acting. He also probably was the best thing about this movie. Also Gael García Bernal plays a really good role in this movie. It actually also made me wonder if I would had perhaps liked this movie better if it got done more as a straight-forward action-drama. It would had suited the actors and its story perhaps a tad bit better all and I do believe it would had made the movie a more compelling one to watch.

An interesting experiment that is not a failure but nothing too impressive or innovative either.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

This movie is getting ripped on left and right, thankfully I decided to give it a shot anyway and was pleasantly surprised. The humor is pretty old-school which you rarely see these days. They don't spoon-feed the audience a lot of obvious HAW and BAHAHAHA moments which is what makes this movie clever. I got the direction and what they were trying to accomplish throughout. Loved the way it was shot, especially the cut scenes where the director really had some fun. For those of you who enjoy comedy on many different levels, this one is a must. Oh, and could Genesis Rodriguez be any hotter? Stunning woman. Very much enjoyed this flick and I hope people give it a chance. Don't believe all the negative hype. Popular opinion is rarely the right opinion.

I have nothing but respect when actors or filmmakers take risks, and this was a risk on Will Ferrell's part. Ferrell is already a hit-or-miss comic actor, with a few great movies under his belt and just as many forgettable. For every ANCHORMAN there's a LAND OF THE LOST. I'm not the biggest fan of his movies but when's he good, he's good. I was happy to see Ferrell had the nerve to release a small movie, low budget with deliberately poor production value, and completely in Spanish. In a time when so many American moviegoers refuse to sit through a movie they'll need to "read", you've got to love what you do to go against the grain with a film like CASA DE MI PADRE. Good for Ferrell and his film buddies for doing the movie, and the best part is…I actually enjoyed it. Well, not at first. The movie is done in the style of Mexican/Spanish telenovelas. It's a feature length soap opera/Spanish western, and I know that alone will turn some people off. It is the tale of Armando Alvarez (Ferrell), a simple ranchero working on his father's land when his beloved brother Raul makes a triumphant return to their homestead with exciting news. Raul (Diego Luna) is to be married to the beautiful Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez) and he has plans to revive his father's dying ranch. But with the dangerous drug lord La Onza (Gael Garcia Bernal) moving in on their land, Armando discovers that his brother might not be as noble as he believed.

This movie needed an extra viewing to really grow on me. I wasn't impressed the first time, believing it to be a one note joke dragged out to feature length (Will Ferrell speaking Spanish…poorly. I can hardly contain my laughter.) But, really, there is a lot of hilarious stuff here. It's just subtler than I was expecting. The best bits are a lot of the little things. Sure, there're some blatantly funny parts, especially with the deliberate poor production value. Painted backdrops, obvious sets, obvious props, rear projection, etc. But then there are the little things. Raul never without a cigarette and drink in his hands, even in the midst of a violent gun battle. Armando can't roll a cigarette to save his life (although the commentary with Ferrell reveals that he can, in fact, roll a cigarette…just not when he's trying to remember his lines in another language). The melodrama, the cheesy line delivery…it's great. The opening of the movie sets the tone perfectly: Ferrell in a field with his fellow rancheros and a herd of cattle. Ferrell stoically dismounts from his horse and approaches a small brown calf…the scene cuts to a new angle as he bends down to pick it up and he rises with a blatantly fake black calf as he stares dramatically into the sun. Boom…cut to the trippy, James Bond-ish opening titles with none other than Christina Aguilera singing. It didn't win me over at first, but I love it now.

I have to give Ferrell credit: there are times when he almost sounds fluent in his Spanish. I love his musical numbers. He's a perfect balance of serious and absurd, though I hate to say we're treated to an abundance of Ferrell butt shots. I could've done without that. The rest of the cast is even better. Diego Luna is solid gold as Raul with swagger and confidence, and Genesis Rodriguez (an actress with an actual history in Spanish soap operas) is both amazingly beautiful and the only one giving her role an honest try. She gives the movie it's biggest dose of dramatic performing, taking her role 100% serious amongst all of the bizarre. And then there's Gael Garcia Bernal….this dude is hilarious. Easily the funniest part of the movie in my opinion. Again, he's not outright goofball in his performance as the movie's villain, La Onza. It's the little quirks here and there that he tosses in. He had me laughing harder than anything else at times. All the more reason it's a shame that a lot of people will probably skip this movie because of it's strange premise and it's use of Spanish with English subtitles. You don't have to be familiar with telenovelas to enjoy it; I certainly wasn't. A passing familiarity with them and an open mind is enough to enjoy CASA DE MI PADRE, one of Ferrell's better films.

"Ill take care of my family, let the devil take care of you." After Armando's (Ferrell) brother Raul (Luna) returns home he is happy is family is whole again. His father is happy that his favorite son is back and they are all impressed with his new girlfriend. After talking to her Armando begins to wonder about his brother's new wealth. When he finds out his brother is a drug dealer he begins to second guess everything. When a family tragedy occurs it is up to Armando to avenge the Alvarez name. I have to preface this by saying that I am a huge Will Ferrell fan and love just about everything he has done (wasn't a fan of "Semi-Pro"). After the masterpiece that was "Anchorman" he did seem to make a few movies where he played that guy over and over. I really liked it but when you saw a movie with him you knew exactly what you were gonna get. Then I saw "Everything Must Go". I gained more respect for him after that because of his stretch to become more of a dramatic actor. Then he does this movie...entirely in Spanish. I was looking forward to it but wasn't sure what to expect. I should have known however. The comedy is definitely Ferrell type comedy...over the top line delivery and totally off the wall things that you can't help but laugh at (such as we walks to a large brown calf to pick it up, when he turns around it is an obviously stuffed black one). Trying his best to make a cheesy 70's style Mexican movie he 100% attains his goal. Cheesy effects and bad editing make it that much funnier. Overall, if you like Will Ferrell you will love this movie. I sure did. Very funny. If you are worried that his humor won't work in another language don't worry. It does and then some. I give it a B+.