Whether it’s a salute to cheap Mexican melodrama, a belated cash-in on the modern Grindhouse’ phenomenon or just an excuse to act like a tit in another language, Will Ferrell’s latest is a weird, sometimes wonderful and often surreal comedy western.
Ferrell stars as a loyal but dumb Mexican ranch hand, Armando, who struggles to gain the respect of his father while struggling to keep the business afloat. When Armando’s successful businessman brother (Diego Luna) returns to the nest with his beautiful new fiancé it seems as though the family’s money worries are over. However, Armando soon learns that his brother’s business dealings haven’t exactly been above board, which has in turn incurred the wrath of renowned mobster, Onza (Gael Garcia Bernal).
With his family in danger and his love for his brother’s fiancé blooming, Armando must man up and take on the bad guys. And all this while speaking pretty good Spanish.
Yep, the biggest surprise for Ferrell fans is that Casa de mi Padre is entirely in Spanish (albeit with a few English lines thrown in and it’s subtitled of course), with Ferrell doing a half decent job of learning the Spanish dialogue (in a month apparently) and delivering his lines in a fairly inoffensive and curiously heartfelt way.
We’re not sure if Will’s Anchorman fanbase will approve (what were the studio execs supposed to do with this film exactly?), but one thing that Casa does share with its Ferrell predecessors is the inane silliness. Cheap sets, ludicrous dialogue, mechanical white tigers and the weirdest bare bottom sex scene provide some solid laughs for Ferrell followers and those tickled by gags of the Mel Brooks variety.
But Casa is a far stranger film than some might expect, less Blazing Saddles and more El Topo: a midnight movie’ you can enjoy in the afternoon. See it to believe.
Overall Verdict: A weird and sometimes wonderful comedy that falls somewhere between satire, spoof and surreal spiritual journey.
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths