Betty, a Feia

Saying that I am RATHER NOT a fan of Latin soap operas is like saying that I am RATHER NOT a pink elephant. Sometimes I just leave my TV on without any special reason, just for having some buzz behind. "Betty" (released as "Ugly girl" in Poland) happened to be that "buzz" and suddenly I found myself turning my head again and again from my computer to my TV. And then I found myself waiting every day for the next chapter of that charming "buzz" :) Maybe this is because "Betty" is more like a comedy than a traditional soap opera. A Cinderella-like story given with a huge dose of humor. Nice characters, funny love story, good dialogues, good music, good actors job - what more do you need when watching a good comedy ? "Betty" did something to me - still being RATHER NOT a fan of soap operas I will always watch at least several episodes before switching my TV off and spreading my opinion about the next stupid opera on TV.

I am not the type of person who sits in front of the TV to watch soap opera all the afternoon, actually I hate with passion soap operas, they are dumb, cheezy and boring, but this one is so different... I started to see it in Ecuador, just because there was nothing on tv that night, I saw the first episode, and I loved it! It's not the typical soap opera when the maid falls in love with the owner, then she has an affair with him and gets pregnant, then she finds out that she is the real owner of everything, then goes crazy and gives away the baby (she got pregnant with the boss) and then she tries to find that baby, and blah blah blah The main characters are Armando Mendoza (Jorge Abello) and Betty (Ana Maria Orozco) the boss and the secretary of a fashion company, they are great in their roles, and so is the supporting cast. We still have the "Cinderella" plot here, but it is so well written that you don't even realize! It's hilarious, sometimes a little sad, and it's always smart, what else can you ask in a soap opera???

OK, as a rule telenovelas are fun to watch, at least for a few minutes, because they are always so bad! There is only one plot from which all telenovelas spring and the acting is almost always completely overblown. Betty La Fea, in contrast, is actually a good novela, which is a rare thing. Most of the actors are pretty good and, above all, Ana Maria Orozco does a brilliant job playing Betty. This is a funny show and I would definitely recommend it. I watch it daily to keep up with the Spanish I learned while living in Peru and I have even managed to hook my roommates on the show, though none of them speak or understand Spanish.

I must confess. I despise soap-operas. I hate their characters, and their plots and over all, I hate the fact that there is only one and one retarded story which have told in a zillion different ways usually ending with the same moronic flair. I hate that stuff. If Mexican or Venezuelan, I hate it even more. It came as a surprise to me then, when I found myself actually enjoying one episode of this Colombian soap-opera. I have seen it a couple of times and although I am not "hooked" per se, I find it charming and witty. But why is it good? Well, that's easy, it's not because it is a good novella, it's because it is a comedy disguised as a novella.

Gotta say it's the best telenovela ever made in the history. The acting, script, cinematography, music, plot, storyline, etc.... All are perfect and I don't find any minus from this phenomenal novela. Ana Maria Orozco as Betty really great. Jorge Abello as Armando Mendoza also amazing. As well as the other casts (Luis Mesa as Daniel, Ricardo Velez as Mario Calderon, Natalia Ramirez as Marcela Valencia, etc). One of the most memorable scene is when Betty present the company's real balance, it's a masterpiece scene that you won't forget for the rest of life. Yes, there are many remakes of this novela, and I can guarantee that no one, and never, can beat the original. Watch the original, not the remakes!

10/10