La fortuna della vita

If some demented soul decided to remake the old Kirk Douglas classic "Ace in the Hole" as a modern comedy, this would be it. unfortunately it is neither funny nor tragic. You'd be much better off watching the classic film, even if it seems a little dated. Probably the best part of As Luck Would Have It, originally entitled "La Chinga de la Vida", is the set, which is a Roman ruin. The actors generally do a credible job considering how weak the story is and how unfunny the humor. Everyone ends up playing a caricature or a stereotype, with the son of the leading couple falling more deeply into this trap than anyone can imagine. If you need a comedy about the flight of being an unemployed family man during a recession, you can always fall back on the Full Monty.

The embarrassment of the clerks is in sharp contrast to that of the wealthy. It reflects the injustice of the society and the pursuit of the interests of the wealthy regardless of the lives and deaths of others.

Gangbusters De la Iglesia movie which defies expectations of taste and form to become extraordinarily involving.

Working from a script by a Hollywood writer, who did Stallone and Van Damme movies and mixing elements we recognize from work like NIGHT & the CITY and DEATH of a SALESMAN, we end up with something that it would be hard to imagine anyone else trying. De La Iglesia is a much better craftsman than Pedro Almodovar to whom he's frequently adversely compared. He brings a feeling of scale to what is a quite intimate subject, a blaring score, the Cartegena Roman circus setting, broad media and promotion satire and particularly a full blooded performance from Hayek, who wins over the audience in her first scene, encouraging Mota not to think of himself as a failure by saying "Look what a hot wife you have!"

As Mota finds himself life imperiled, with a steel spike in his head, the film sneaks up on the spectator till the scene between Hayek and Bang and her last gesture become unexpectedly moving.

The critical response and non response to De Iglesia's movies continues to amaze me.

Throw in another of Santo Segura's endorsement walk-ons - like GROWN UPS.

My Summary phrase came to mind after watching this 2011 Álex de la Iglesia masterwork. It was, as a string of pearls, a string of scenes, so perfect, so smooth in their sequencing, that, with the help of an impeccable photography and admirable soundtrack we got spell bounded from the beginning of this splendid movie to its brilliant ending, a pathetic story almost unbearable to watch.

Unbearable to watch thanks to the forceful interpretation of our protagonist couple, Luisa (Salma Hayek) and Roberto (José Mota) who, all of a sudden, find out how tough and painful life can become in a matter of seconds.

Roberto's desperation to find a job, after months of fruitless interviews is the Gordian knot that plunges him (and us) into what will become a major film. The script construction is peerless, as is the interpretation of every actor involved in the complicated choreography, very difficult to film, of this gem of a movie, all encompassed by the hand of this genius, Alex de la Iglesia.

Only at the end of the projection we get the subliminal message given at the start of the movie, behind the cast names and credits, with takes that seem to be only background texture..., and they tell you the whole story.

Our string of pearls has a gorgeous diamond clasp. It loops the string with a superb finale, showing us how deep is Luisa's love for her husband Roberto. It couldn't have had a better ending.

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT (dir. Álex de la Iglesia) A weak Spanish satirical comedy about an unemployed advertising executive who suffers a horrific accident in which he falls at a construction site and is pierced through the skull by a piece of iron rebar, yet remains conscious during the entire ordeal. In the process of getting help he engages the service of a publicity agent, and attempts to exploit the situation for all it's worth. The film tries to make a philosophical statement about the nature of a society that would encourage or support such self-serving behavior, but the film doesn't take it far enough. This could have really been a powerful drama or a scathing black comedy, but just came off as a lackluster effort.