Antonio Mercero's film is a wacky, upbeat, slapstick comedy that is funnier than one would have anticipated. Its lowbrow humor may catch the highbrow art-house crowd a bit off-guard, but it will most likely find them laughing despite themselves. The film's broadness should appeal to even the non-foreign filmgoer.
Don Juan is more like Don Two as the story involves a case of mistaken identity between the real Don Juan and Juan Marquina (both played by Juan Luis Galiardo), an actor portraying the legendary lover in an upcoming play.
It is the eve of Oct. 31, 1990, and the ghost of Don Juan arises from his grave in Seville, Spain. For 450 years his soul has been trapped in purgatory and he is now once again attempting to perform some good deed that will free him from this limbo.
At this same moment and unbeknownst to him, across town an acting troupe is preparing for a production of "Don Juan Tenorio.'' The lead actor, Juan Marquina, is an arrogant, womanizing, egotistical bag of wind who has virtually antagonized every cast and crew member.
In an "artistic'' rage, after losing his wig, he storms off and rendezvouses with a drug kingpin arranging for a big drug exchange. This guy is bad news.
Meanwhile, Marquina's assistant, Ciutti (Vicente Diez), accidentally retrieves the real Don Juan and brings him back to the theater. Once there, the great romancer tries his charms on the leading lady, Dona Ines (Maria Barranco), only to discover that she too mistakes him for Marquina. She suggests Don Juan do something to himself that is anatomically impossible.
The case of the two Don Juans leads to a wildly comic series of misunderstandings that find both of them in trouble, in bed with the same women and in each other's way.
There is also a bunch of supporting players that hilariously add to the chaos. One acrobatic woman (Rossy de Palma) bumblingly tries to somersault her way into Don Juan's bed, while another with similar intentions does all her talking with castanets.
Then there is Police Commissioner Ulloa (Jose Sazatornil) who struggles to catch Marquina in a drug transaction, but can't understand it when Don Juan's image fails to appear on the video surveillance. It's a ghost thing.
Plus there is slapstick aplenty as we find a naked Marquina rolling blindly down a street while trapped in a garbage can on wheels. Or when mistakenly placed in an insane asylum, Marquina has a fight with an inmate who thinks he's a dog.
It all adds up to a laugh-filled, fun-filled ribald romp that is pure unpretentious entertainment. It is with affection that we greet "Don Juan, My Love.''
DON JUAN, MY LOVE
An International Film Exchange Release
DirectorAntonio Mercero
Writers Joaquin Oristrell, Antonio Mercero
Director of photography Carlos Suarez
Editor Rosa Graceli-Salgado
MusicBernardo Bonezzi
Color
In Spanish with subtitles
Cast:
Don Juan/Juan MarquinaJuan Luis Galiardo
Dona InesMaria Barranco
Ana(woman with castanets) Loles Leon
Vuida Prodini (acrobat) Rossy de Palma
Police Commissioner UlloaJose Sazatornil
CiuttiVicente Diez
Ruben (theatre director) Pedro Reyes
Running time ---96 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Don Juan is more like Don Two as the story involves a case of mistaken identity between the real Don Juan and Juan Marquina (both played by Juan Luis Galiardo), an actor portraying the legendary lover in an upcoming play.
It is the eve of Oct. 31, 1990, and the ghost of Don Juan arises from his grave in Seville, Spain. For 450 years his soul has been trapped in purgatory and he is now once again attempting to perform some good deed that will free him from this limbo.
At this same moment and unbeknownst to him, across town an acting troupe is preparing for a production of "Don Juan Tenorio.'' The lead actor, Juan Marquina, is an arrogant, womanizing, egotistical bag of wind who has virtually antagonized every cast and crew member.
In an "artistic'' rage, after losing his wig, he storms off and rendezvouses with a drug kingpin arranging for a big drug exchange. This guy is bad news.
Meanwhile, Marquina's assistant, Ciutti (Vicente Diez), accidentally retrieves the real Don Juan and brings him back to the theater. Once there, the great romancer tries his charms on the leading lady, Dona Ines (Maria Barranco), only to discover that she too mistakes him for Marquina. She suggests Don Juan do something to himself that is anatomically impossible.
The case of the two Don Juans leads to a wildly comic series of misunderstandings that find both of them in trouble, in bed with the same women and in each other's way.
There is also a bunch of supporting players that hilariously add to the chaos. One acrobatic woman (Rossy de Palma) bumblingly tries to somersault her way into Don Juan's bed, while another with similar intentions does all her talking with castanets.
Then there is Police Commissioner Ulloa (Jose Sazatornil) who struggles to catch Marquina in a drug transaction, but can't understand it when Don Juan's image fails to appear on the video surveillance. It's a ghost thing.
Plus there is slapstick aplenty as we find a naked Marquina rolling blindly down a street while trapped in a garbage can on wheels. Or when mistakenly placed in an insane asylum, Marquina has a fight with an inmate who thinks he's a dog.
It all adds up to a laugh-filled, fun-filled ribald romp that is pure unpretentious entertainment. It is with affection that we greet "Don Juan, My Love.''
DON JUAN, MY LOVE
An International Film Exchange Release
DirectorAntonio Mercero
Writers Joaquin Oristrell, Antonio Mercero
Director of photography Carlos Suarez
Editor Rosa Graceli-Salgado
MusicBernardo Bonezzi
Color
In Spanish with subtitles
Cast:
Don Juan/Juan MarquinaJuan Luis Galiardo
Dona InesMaria Barranco
Ana(woman with castanets) Loles Leon
Vuida Prodini (acrobat) Rossy de Palma
Police Commissioner UlloaJose Sazatornil
CiuttiVicente Diez
Ruben (theatre director) Pedro Reyes
Running time ---96 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
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