Will Farell’s latest comic invention is the Mexican imbecile, Armando Alvarez, in the Spanish speaking spoof, Casa de mi Padre. A film that will undoubtedly excite the legion of worldwide fans Farell has amassed, playing not too dissimilar roles, but in this instance, Casa de mi Padre will leave many of them more puzzled and deflated at the overall lack of goofy humour from the Anchorman star.
It really should have been left as a wonderful sketch idea on Funny or Die, the film itself is a send up of the telenovelas (Latin American Soap Operas) and the low budget Mexican ‘Westerns’ of the late 60’s. Full of delicous over-the-top histrionics, ropey sets, shoddy editing and the predictable storyline of family feuds, Casa de mi Padre gets these elements spot-on just wildly more exagerrated. Add to the fact that Farrell speaks the entire film in Spanish, albeit with his trademark dead pan- ness, and you are help captive for most of the film reading subtitles. While the prospect of a non-spanish speaking funny man is sort of funny in itself, the missing element is the script itself. It’s disappointingly thin especially from a team who could do much better.
So we find ourselfs somewhere south of the border, as the Ranchero Armando, Farrell plays the lesser dimwitted son to his dashing, younger, more properous brother Raul (Diego Luna) who upon his return receives a hero’s welcome from his father to the indignation of Armado. The annoucement of Raul’s impeding marriage to the gorgeous Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez) calls on the wrath of Drug Boss La Onza (Gael Garcia Bernal) to seek retribution not before Armando, himself falls for the sassy bride. Add some corrupt DEA officials and it quickly descends into the predictable shoot-out. Given the territory we are in it’s all wonderfully and exotically hammed up by all the principals who, probably along with the crew, will have gotten more out of it then we will. The chance to invoke the spirit of magic realism is not lost as well with the appearances of many a fantastic wild cat, some bizarre pschydelic interludes, camp-fire singalongs and some extended close ups of Armando’s bare buttocks. It’s not quite El Topo, but its equally indulgent.
File under experimental comedy.
Director: Matt Piedmont
Writer: Andrew Steele
Stars: Will Ferrell, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna
Runtime: 84 min
Country: USA
Film Rating: 
