As we started watching the film, we had a feeling of "deja vu". "Bella Martha" and its remake, "No Reservations", come to mind. Both films dealt with a cook whose comfortable world begins to collapse by the arrival of a young girl that changes everything. While we were thinking about a rip off of both the above mentioned pictures, this Spanish Argentine film elaborates on that theme without being a carbon copy of neither.
At the heart of the story is Francisco, or Pancho, to his friends, a cook that is about to be the star of a new chi chi restaurant in Buenos Aires. Pancho has a surprise coming to him in the way of a granddaughter, he never knew existed, when she is sent to him by his estranged daughter, Lucia, in Spain. The girl, Amparo, pretends to be mute, something that makes Pancho go a bit crazy. Rita, the co-owner of the eatery, is shocked when she hears about the news and her father, a mafioso like figure, throws Pancho out of the apartment he shares with his daughter.
Pancho and Amparo go back to Madrid in search of Lucia. She proves to be an illusive person to find. To make matters worse, Lucia's roommate, Consuelo, a stripper, is not too cooperative. Pancho who only gets a few clues finally figures where Lucia is living. Unfortunately, he arrives at the seaside town too late for a family reunion, but he finds peace with himself and the new situation with Amparo.
Boda Docampo Feijoo, the director, also collaborated with the screenplay, doesn't seem to have been too inspired when he undertook the helm of this movie. There are things that are left up in the air without making much sense. Although the film tries, we find it hard to relate to the situation, or the characters. Consuelo is a puzzle all th way to the end of the story and the same can be said of Lucia, the disturbed daughter, who had Amparo with a loser that shows no redeeming qualities. We don't believe for a moment about Pancho's relationship with Rita; it doesn't ring true.
Our only interest in watching the film when it was shown on cable recently was Dario Grandinetti, a talented Argentine actor who is bogged down by the screenplay. Mr. Grandinetti is about the best thing in the film. Little Cristina Valdivieso is a beautiful girl that shows promise with her take of Amparo. Ariadna Gil's Consuelo is not one of her best efforts in front of the camera.
At the heart of the story is Francisco, or Pancho, to his friends, a cook that is about to be the star of a new chi chi restaurant in Buenos Aires. Pancho has a surprise coming to him in the way of a granddaughter, he never knew existed, when she is sent to him by his estranged daughter, Lucia, in Spain. The girl, Amparo, pretends to be mute, something that makes Pancho go a bit crazy. Rita, the co-owner of the eatery, is shocked when she hears about the news and her father, a mafioso like figure, throws Pancho out of the apartment he shares with his daughter.
Pancho and Amparo go back to Madrid in search of Lucia. She proves to be an illusive person to find. To make matters worse, Lucia's roommate, Consuelo, a stripper, is not too cooperative. Pancho who only gets a few clues finally figures where Lucia is living. Unfortunately, he arrives at the seaside town too late for a family reunion, but he finds peace with himself and the new situation with Amparo.
Boda Docampo Feijoo, the director, also collaborated with the screenplay, doesn't seem to have been too inspired when he undertook the helm of this movie. There are things that are left up in the air without making much sense. Although the film tries, we find it hard to relate to the situation, or the characters. Consuelo is a puzzle all th way to the end of the story and the same can be said of Lucia, the disturbed daughter, who had Amparo with a loser that shows no redeeming qualities. We don't believe for a moment about Pancho's relationship with Rita; it doesn't ring true.
Our only interest in watching the film when it was shown on cable recently was Dario Grandinetti, a talented Argentine actor who is bogged down by the screenplay. Mr. Grandinetti is about the best thing in the film. Little Cristina Valdivieso is a beautiful girl that shows promise with her take of Amparo. Ariadna Gil's Consuelo is not one of her best efforts in front of the camera.
