This exuberant and highly watchable debut film from
director/writer/editor Eusebio Pastrana is essentially about a gay couple who
struggle to fulfill their dream of having a child, but its actually more a
story about his utopian vision of a world in which all couples, whether gay,
straight, or in between, can live happily within the full spectrum of modern
families.
director/writer/editor Eusebio Pastrana is essentially about a gay couple who
struggle to fulfill their dream of having a child, but its actually more a
story about his utopian vision of a world in which all couples, whether gay,
straight, or in between, can live happily within the full spectrum of modern
families.
For both Garate and Omar it was love at first sight,
and their ridiculously impossible but immensely touching scene when they first meet, sets the pace
for this enchanting wee comic love story. Pastrana sets it in Madrid in 1995 where he
reimagines that cynicism does not exist as it deals with virtually every
life-and-death experience with all the couple’s friends and neighbors. He
peppers it with a running gag of showing 101 different kisses throughout the
course of the story.
and their ridiculously impossible but immensely touching scene when they first meet, sets the pace
for this enchanting wee comic love story. Pastrana sets it in Madrid in 1995 where he
reimagines that cynicism does not exist as it deals with virtually every
life-and-death experience with all the couple’s friends and neighbors. He
peppers it with a running gag of showing 101 different kisses throughout the
course of the story.
Omar and Garate are both totally dedicated football
fans. In Omar’s case it was a passion he picked up from his father who has
never got over his Team losing their big Final or the fact that his only son prefers
a hairy chest over one that can give him a grandson the old fashioned way. The more determined that Omar & Garate
are to become fathers the more obstacles they encounter (most of them hilariously funny) , until they meet
Racquel a pregnant women who’s boyfriend has just died of AIDS. Racquel is the most gentlest of lost souls and
when she marries the couple and they provide two dads for her son it looks like
life could be perfect.
fans. In Omar’s case it was a passion he picked up from his father who has
never got over his Team losing their big Final or the fact that his only son prefers
a hairy chest over one that can give him a grandson the old fashioned way. The more determined that Omar & Garate
are to become fathers the more obstacles they encounter (most of them hilariously funny) , until they meet
Racquel a pregnant women who’s boyfriend has just died of AIDS. Racquel is the most gentlest of lost souls and
when she marries the couple and they provide two dads for her son it looks like
life could be perfect.
Omar firmly belives that the ecstasy of any
moment or the desperation of any situation can be expressed best by just
standing and spinning on the spot. A
theory he is happy to share with anyone who will join him and literally deal with their emotions through the sheer physical realease of just going round and round really fast.
moment or the desperation of any situation can be expressed best by just
standing and spinning on the spot. A
theory he is happy to share with anyone who will join him and literally deal with their emotions through the sheer physical realease of just going round and round really fast.
I firmly believe that Spanish
filmmakers are the masters of this genre of gay romantic comedy dramas. They fill the screen with such fully-rounded
warm really believable and extremely likable characters, odd as they are at
times. They imbue the story with such
vitality and a genuine passion for life that never fails to engage you
fully and has you leaving the theater with a big smile and wishing if only
life was just like that. And that more
movies made you feel this good too.
filmmakers are the masters of this genre of gay romantic comedy dramas. They fill the screen with such fully-rounded
warm really believable and extremely likable characters, odd as they are at
times. They imbue the story with such
vitality and a genuine passion for life that never fails to engage you
fully and has you leaving the theater with a big smile and wishing if only
life was just like that. And that more
movies made you feel this good too.
Great debut Snr Pastrana, I
cannot wait to see what’s next.
cannot wait to see what’s next.
★★★★★★★★
Labels: gay, romantic comedy, Spanish
