"Casa De Mi Padre" Review: Mining the telenovela for laughs
Among the comedies that dominate the box-office releases this weekend is a campy, over-the-top spoof starring Will Ferrell.
From the makers of "Anchorman" comes "Casa De Mi Padre," reminiscent of the 1974 Mel Brook's classic "Blazing Saddles."
Directed by "Saturday Night Live" alum Matt Peidmont, "Casa De Mi Padre" is a feature-length version of an Hispanic telenovela, with all its glorious excesses.
Piedmont and Ferrell have no shame in exploiting every cheesy option available to them in this comedy, filmed entirely in Spanish with English subtitles.
Ferrell - replete with mustache - is Armando Alvarez, a big lug who has spent his entire life on his father's ranch as a Mexican sheep hand. Their land has been usurped by local drug lord La Onza (Gael Garcia Bernal) who uses Armando's father's land to smuggle drugs into the United States. When Armando's brother, Raul (Diego Luna) arrives, it seems that the family's fortunes will be reversed. Appearing to be a successful businessman, Raul promises to pay off his father's debts. Instead, as Armando discovers, Raul is tied up with the bad guys.
Adding another layer to an already clich»d plot, Armando falls for Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez), Raul's beautiful fianc»e. The result is humor so outlandish you will find yourself laughing so hard you cry.
There is no compelling storyline here, just some good-natured fun that pushes every button when it comes to hitting every Hispanic stereotype in the book - and then some.
In a fresh departure from his usual hit-or-miss films, Ferrell seems almost funnier in Spanish.
Perhaps the opportunity to act in a non-native language provides him with the opportunity to be completely carefree and take things to the extreme.
Piedmont, you can tell, is in a similar frame of mind. One scene has a character holding a cocktail, which suddenly turns into a fruity drink (complete with an umbrella) for no apparent reason. In another, hysterical scene, Ferrell is interrogated and asked repeatedly if he speaks any English. He responds with a deadpan expression and says he does not.
Leave all your sensibilities behind when you go to see this R-rated crowd pleaser and you will not be disappointed. It delivers the laughs in spades and in Spanish.