![]() The film's script is very nearly brilliant, stuffed full of bon mots and witty asides, from the Padre describing his new speaker system as 'omnipresent' to Juan Carlos' Jesus-Christ-as- Maradonna joke. It may sound kind of soppy, and at moments 'Son of the Bride' does teeter into sentimentality, but on the whole this is a consistently entertaining movie, the best of its kind I've seen in a long time. Played with memorable comic energy by Eduardo Blanco (a kind of Argentine Roberto Benigni), Juan Carlos' loyalty and friendship - and the story of his own triumph over tragic life circumstances - helps Rafael understand the treasure he possesses without appreciating it: family. Rafael is assisted in meeting these challenges by the appearance of an old friend, Juan Carlos. Gorgeous younger girlfriend Nat wants commitment, ex-wife Sandra heaps scorn on his neuroses and his dapper father wants financial help in enacting a touching gesture to his wife of 44 years: a proper wedding ceremony. Lying in his hospital bed he resolves to start 'a new cycle', simplifying his life. Darin plays Rafael, a driven restaurant owner who's stressed lifestyle and continuous intake of ristrettos and cigarettes earns him a heart attack. Very sweet mid-life crisis movie from Argentina starring the brilliant Ricardo DarĂn from 'Nine Queens'. Thanks you Argentina, and I hope to see much more of Senor Darin before long. I also agree that while if this product had been American with J Nicholson, etc it would have been a surefire Oscar winner, it would actually have been ruined by the Hollywood treatment. I totally agree with one of the reviewers who compared and contrasted to the dreadful film travesty made of 'The Notebook'recently which missed all the buttons around Alzheimers and real people with real believable feelings and reactions. But that is nitpicking in one of the most memorable romantic films I've ever seen. The other principal actors were also brilliant, although in my opinion Eduardo Blanco as the comedic interest overegged and hammed a little too much in a couple of scenes, eg as bogus priest. He was so believable as the 'godfather' neighbourhood restaurateur. The central performance of Rafael was a tour de force - this actor stands very strong beside the likes of Pacino, and I can imagine him in many of the earlier 'gangster with hidden depth' roles the latter excelled in. ![]() ![]() My wife 'found' this film, of which I hadn't heard, in our local video shop and I'm so delighted she did. ![]()
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