Casa De Mi Padre – movie review

Release date: 8 June 2012
Certificate: 15
Director: Matt Piedmont
Starring: Will Ferrell, Diego Luna, Genesis Rodriguez

What's the story?
The care-free life of Mexican rancher's son Armando Alvarez (Ferrell) is thrown for a loop when his younger brother Raul (Luna) shows up with his voluptuous new fiancée Sonia (Rodriguez).

What did we think?
What would have made a hilarious skit shows signs of strain when extended to feature length. Ultimately, though, the sheer barking lunacy of the enterprise takes it over the finish line, thanks to an admirably straight-faced turn from Ferrell and some amusing gags at the expense of Latin American telenovelas.

The faces of the studio execs who first heard the pitch for Will Ferrell's latest comedy must have been a picture. "You want to make a Spaghetti Western? In Spanish? With English subtitles? Tu es loco, hombre!"

Somehow, though, Casa De Mi Padre (which means The House of My Father, in case you were wondering) made it into production - a testament perhaps to the weight that Ferrell carries in Hollywood, both literally and figuratively. And the crazy thing is it's not half bad, helmer Matt Piedmont squandering no opportunity to pillory the wooden acting, cardboard sets and non-existent production values of the Spanish-language TV soaps the film is modelled on.

The plot is pure manchego, featuring as it does a sultry femme fatale, a dastardly drug lord played to the hilt by Gael Garcia Bernal and a climactic shoot-out reminiscent of Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch. Even if you are not exactly sure what's being parodied, though, the conviction of the players, the deliberately naff staging and the undeniably fascinating sight that is Will speaking Spanish will keep you chuckling throughout the commendably brief running time. Don't arrive late either, or you'll miss Christina Aguilera belting out the Bondian title tune.

Verdict: The gringo done good.