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This is a very entertaining film. Bigas Luna (director) loves life and all it's weirdness and beauty, which is rather evident in this wonderful film. Definitely a cure for boredom or sadness. The plot turns gets crazier as the film unfolds. Nothing is too much in this imaginative film. A must for all lovers of black comedy. Do also check out Mr Lunas "Teta y la luna, La (1994).

Jamon Jamon is a daft, grubby, and rather disappointing film out of Spain.

My advice straight off the bat is not to take this film too seriously; it's a quirky send up and OTT ironic social commentary. Think of it more as a comedy of errors style farce and you'll be in the right mood.

The film clearly sets out to be an arty satire, and though it is certainly oddball enough to qualify for the category that is not enough in itself to automatically label this film as brilliant - it really isn't.

The plot? Well, here goes . . . A young Spanish man is in a relationship with a young Spanish girl. She is pregnant, and they are to marry. His controlling and wealthy mother disapproves, and hires a would be bullfighter (and male underwear model) to seduce the girl and trash the relationship. The bullfighter, the girl and her boyfriend, a couple of mums, one dad, uncle Tom Cobley and all become embroiled in a tangle of relationships where just about everybody is copping off with everyone else.

This all plays out in a dusty Spanish backwater where, presumably, there's not much else to do. Weaving its way through the film is constant reference to pigs and ham. That opens the door to an obvious gag about the standard of acting, but I'll pass it up.

There's a fair dose of sex and nudity in the film, but none of it is sexy. It's all a bit grubby, in keeping with the locale and general downbeat vibe of the film. Theres also a liking for regularly showing pearls clattering to the floor; I've looked for a metaphor, but can't see one that makes the effort worthwhile.

None of the characters are likeable (unless you count the Golf gti and Yamaha 600 motorbike). Silvia (the young Spanish girl) is particularly annoying as she flits from man to man for no good reason other than her own pitifulness.

I generally warm to films that are quirky and dare to be different - but not this one. Perhaps because it doesn't go all the way and fully commit to being a completely satirical, completely comical or completely sexy film that it leaves my glass very much half empty.

It's full of cultural references, it's unconventional, it's over the top and absurd - I get all that. But ultimately, it is not half as clever as it tries to be. It's all just a bit naff.

I approached Jamon Jamon with much anticipation, it was recommended by a close friend by whom it was described as an abstract, witty, satirical comedy; a film with ups, downs, and naked bull fights. I had to see this film. However, after an hour and half of sketchy performances, one-dimensional characters, and a barrage of farcical, poorly interwoven sub-plots, i found myself quite disappointed.

Jamon Jamon possesses all the components of what promises to be an entertaining movie: Quirky, abstract dialogue, offbeat humour, and dark yet comic scenarios. During the initial stages of the movie I felt engaged and involved, concerned about the young misguided couple, and the situation in which they find themselves. However as the film progresses seemingly irrelevant scenes of attempted quirkiness grow all too frequent. You get the distinct impression that Luna is simply attempting to emulate a directorial style established by his more experienced, capable predecessors. Not to discredit the movie to harshly. Luna is clearly able to produce scene's that are moving, profound, and original, there is simply insufficient character development so ultimately you begin to feel indifferent about the outcome of their predicaments.

In conclusion, Jamon Jamon is a noble failure, but a failure all the same. It has all the makings of a quality movie but is let down by it's composition, I feel it lacks a certain intimacy and distances the viewer in it's latter stages when we're meant to feel most involved. If you're a Luna's fan a recommend you see it, just don't get your hopes up to high.

Anyone who can laugh at and perversely admire the absurd spectacle of his or her own grotesquely bizarre and fragile (how small a step to go from ecstatic fulfilment to abuse, and gradual dissipation) sexuality, while actually having sex, can be said to have achieved the detachment necessary to maintain a certain controlled pitch of eroticism within its course, which, needless to add, can be quite stimulating and rewarding. Bigas Luna's handling of the sex scenes in `Jamon, Jamon' always makes that 'laughing-in-the-face- and-midst-of-sexuality-in-order-to-transcend-self-defeating-high-brow-or-

sentimental-hang-ups-with-raw-sometimes-moronic-but-more-often-volcanically -exquisite-lust' attitude fully implicit, and that's why they're especially steeped in a rare erotic tension that smolders. Like most great films, Luna's Venice-Silver-Lion-Winner tries to subvert and break down outmoded but deeply ingrained rituals and methods of communication within society that need to die in order to allow the 'not-so-sly but-not-exactly-explicit-and-heavy-handed-either' imposition of its own patterns as suggestions toward new thinking and new answers to take root.

Want to see a hilarious but serious satirical film that mixes and makes superior use of eroticism, surrealism, gross out scenes, and a fantastic music score ? Look no further than these 90 minutes. As far as I know the longest nose to nose lip kiss with a fly on the face of one of the kissers is in this film. Penelope Cruz in at least 4 sex scenes very generously breastfeeding two different and equally hungry lovers (one of whom happens to be this year's oscar nominated actor Javier Barden) is also in this film and should more than serve to turbocharge red-blooded male libidos. A very gross scene involving a very annoyed pig that comes close to being the only appearance of beastiality in an R-rated film is in this flick. And, oh yeah, in case I forget, the scene of the two guys bullfighting buck naked which puts a new spin on, and pays an homage of sorts to the famous schlong-dangling naked wrestling scene in Ken Russell's `Women in Love' is also in this crazy film. Liked it very much. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, especially for further seriously disturbing the mental imbalance of squeamish Americans used to Julia Roberts Soap Operas.

This movie should be a favorite for lovers of black comedy such as "Fargo". The director develops many love triangles, uses dense symbolism and an extremely off-beat yet fast paced editing technique to tell a tale of "ham and passion". It is very funny and Penelope Cruz is terrific. A must see for lovers of satirical black comedies.