Review by GMeleJr

GRITO EN EL CIEL is a light, very Spanish comedy, starring Maria Conchita Alonso and Loles Leon (of Almodovar fame)among others. It is very typical of its gender; that is, it features a large number of different characters brought together by a specific situation. In this case, the sitcom revolves around the TV Variety Show starring Miranda Vega (Alonso), an aging star whose TV program, as well as her personal life and career, need revamping. Her producer proposes an Amateur Hour for her next program. The participants in this program proceed to wreak havoc in preparing for, and carrying out their performances. Enter characters including a mother daughter prostitute duo, female impersonators, a junkie,and another, rival aging star (Loles Leon) and her butch lover, who falls for Miranda. The ensuing mayhem constitutes the bulk of this film. The plot is sometimes hard to follow due to the large number of similarly looking characters, and the different relations amongst themselves, and with Miranda. But if you are a fan of Maria Conchita Alonso and Loles Leon (two of the Hispanic world's best known comediennes), you will enjoy this film providing you pay close attention to the sometimes silly but confusing plot twists. It is available in video with English subtitles, and in 1999 the film has been a regular on the Spanish and gay/lesbian film festival circuits.