Manuela y Manuel

Manuela y Manuel (MyM) is a very funny, upbeat comedy with life lessons given along the way. Though this film is a variation of others before it, most notably the hilarious and iconic 'La Cage Aux Folles', MyM has its own energy and identity that distinguishes it from similar predecessors. Humberto Busto, who plays Manuel and Luz Maria Rondon, who hilariously portrays his uber religious landlady trying desperately to set Manuel 'on the right path', give the best performances. However, the other members of the cast also do well to. Enhance the overall quality of the movie. Raul Marchand Sanchez gives the film the direction it needs to maintain its energy throughout. Overall, Manuela y Manuel has its own uniqueness that allows it to stand on its own from similar themed films preceding it. It's also LGBTQ+ positive, not exploitative at all. Bravo!

I saw the film at the SF LGBT Film Festival and thought it was original, lovely and extremely well done. The characters were very engaging and every now and then even sympathetic.

I'm a HUGE fan of Umberto Busto, so I was sold from the beginning. Hilarious, but with depth and I think the filmmakers did a fantastic job of portraying the lead characters. I always feel like a film is successful when I walk away caring about the characters, and that definitely happened with M y M. My only wish is that it seemed a little long at points.

I wonder if there's a way to get this on DVD? This is a film I'd like to own, but know most of these festival films never really get released.

MANUELA & MANUEL is a bit of fluff from Puerto Rico that is a finely written (José Ignacio Valenzuela), well-directed (Raúl Marchand Sánchez) take off on one of the most popular French farces of the past decades -LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. It is highly entertaining, boasts some very fine performances by a solid cast, and manages to make fun of itself at the same time. This is entertainment without a hidden agenda.

Manuel (Humberto Busto) has always lived as Manuela, a drag queen full of energy and talent whose job in the local nightclub is secure along with his fellow 'lady performer' Fararona (Marian Pabon). But in private his heart is broken because the love of his life Ramon (Johnny Lozada) has left him. His best friend Coca (Elena Iguina) confides in him that she is pregnant by a soldier off to war and wants to keep her child, asking Manuela to act as the father of the child when she confesses her problem to her parents. Challenged by the masculine role he would have to play, Manuela emphasizes the Manuel persona and agrees to help his friend. When, dressed in a men's clothes by his landlady Rosa (Luz María Rondón) whose life is spent waiting for a letter from a man she lost, he presents to Coca's parents German (Sunshine Logroño) and Norma (Marisol Calero) and Coca announces that she and Manuel are to be married! All manner of hilarious mistaken identities occur and secrets are revealed and the 'marriage' opens many doors to the 'superb' finale!

The music an the cinematography are excellent, making the entire story feel as though it were a successful staged musical comedy. MANUELA & MANUEL sparkles.

Grady Harp