Uno splendido angelo, nu bellissimo diavolo si contendono l'anima di un ex pugile dal passato turbolento. Molto presto, quella che sembrava una missione ordinaria si rileva un affare ben più... Leggi tuttoUno splendido angelo, nu bellissimo diavolo si contendono l'anima di un ex pugile dal passato turbolento. Molto presto, quella che sembrava una missione ordinaria si rileva un affare ben più complicato, complice anche l'insolita attrazione che le due donne scopriranno l'una per l... Leggi tuttoUno splendido angelo, nu bellissimo diavolo si contendono l'anima di un ex pugile dal passato turbolento. Molto presto, quella che sembrava una missione ordinaria si rileva un affare ben più complicato, complice anche l'insolita attrazione che le due donne scopriranno l'una per l'altra.
- Premi
- 4 vittorie e 18 candidature totali
- Carmen Ramos
- (as Penelope Cruz)
- Cajera Embarazada
- (as Montse Garcia Romeu)
- Cajera Joven
- (as Paz Gomez)
- Cajera 2
- (as Vicenta NDongo)
- Boy in Supermarket
- (as Pablo Olewsky)
Recensioni in evidenza
To say that Cruz is hot is putting it mildly, as she plays an inhabitant of Hell who is sent to Earth to grab the soul of a losing, debt-ridden, boxer (Demián Bichir). Heaven sends their own representative and the battle is on.
Abril, who falls short of her most skintastic performance, nevertheless gives us a glimpse of her heavenly body as she plays the misogynistic boxer's wife. Cruz keeps it hot as she struts and dances, but does keep it on as the boxer's cousin. Why the bum doesn't stray is a big mystery.
Gael García Bernal (The Crime of Father Amaro, Bad Education, babel) plays the administrator of Hell, who becomes concerned about a corporate takeover by the rich, who are working to convince everyone that they are not really bad, but victims of society. Sides become blurred as the need to continue the existence of good and evil, and Heaven and Hell become more important that who gets the soul.
Fanny Ardant (8 Women, Paris, je t'aime), Elena Anaya (Van Helsing), and Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason), and Elsa Pataky (Snakes on a Plane, Romasanta) all add to the fun.
Penelope's role in this film is more of a far cry than in her previous roles. Normally, she is cast as a beautiful object of desire, as in Vanilla Sky, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, All the Pretty Horses and Woman on Top. She has even been cast as a slightly less-than-attractive, but still desired woman, as in Blow and Gothika. For the first time, Penelope Cruz is actually shot in an almost undesirable way in this film - even letting herself get beat up a couple of times. She does pull it off, and the film succeeds as an off-kilter dark comedy with that Hollywood "Heaven vs. Hell" factor added in.
It is worth it, if for nothing else, to see Penelope dance around her room "Travolta style" to the song "Kung-Fu Fighting".
Cruz (devil) and Abril (angel) are cast against type and it works very well, Cruz giving one of her best performances. Bernal is also memorable as a very likeable devil, and Birchir is completely convincing as the frustrated boxer whose soul hangs in the balance.
The film starts out with an amazing bit of philosophical exposition, a shock for anyone who is used to watching Hollywood fare. You can't imagine dialogue like this is a Hollywood film; yet it is funny, captivating, brilliant. The humor in the film is, by American standards, sophisticated and intelligent; yet the film is full of sexual imagery and violence (nothing extreme but energizing to the story) and is highly accessible. It should appeal to a fairly wide audience, especially since there are so many Spanish speakers in the US.
It's a superb and entertaining morality play, with the action, drama and comedy tightly interwoven; with a political subtext that itself is the driving force behind the film.
Hell is portrayed as an English speaking corporation in the American style (although staffed with Europeans), and Heaven mostly takes place in a French-speaking Parisian nightclub. The Earth scenes are in Spain, and the meetings between angels and devils in Latin. This all works very well and the subtitles are easy to follow.
The soundtrack begins with a Dylan song I hadn't heard before, too.
This exciting film results to be a surrealist comedy/action/drama/thriller and displays an all Spanish star-cast. The singer played by Victoria Abril and the former mobster performed by Penelope Cruz star this dark story of redemption about heaven and hell ; both of whom have a violent confrontation to accomplish their objectives . Rightly enjoyable and fun-filled , milestone comedy which neatly combines humor , mirth , entertaining situations and amusement . The funny screenplay manages a lot of laughs from the audience and twisted elements that you never loose your attention from the film . The only flaw I can find is that some of the story lines are overwhelmingly absurd and some character arcs end up being implausible . Some situations are laugh out loud ridiculous and the story proceeds at a breakneck speed that never falls flat .Pay attention as one couple of younger actors very well played by Victoria Abril and Penelope Cruz alternate with the other pair of older players perfectly performed by Fanny Ardant and Emilio Gutierrez Caba . I liked everyone in the excellent cast, and the male and female actors , they were all very attractive . Flawless and fantastic story full of twists and turns with a duo of sensational protagonists , including an unforgettable Penelope Cruz , she parades and dances sexily at her best and more relaxed and enticing than ever . The hit of the show is undoubtedly for the fetching Penelope who gives one of the best screen acting . The support cast is top-notch as Elsa Pataky , Luis Tosar , Gael Garcia Bernal , Gemma Jones , Cristina Marcos , Elena Anaya , Bruno Bichir , Juan Echanove and many others . And cameos by Javier Bardem in the closing credits, as we learn that Penélope Cruz was changed back into a man in the afterlife , then we see the man's photo , it is Javier Bardem ; furthermore , the photo Victoria Abril puts into the album shows the mother of Manny , the woman in this photo is the actress Pilar Bardem . Atmospheric and appropriate musical score by the recently deceased Bernardo Bonezzi . Colorful and adequate cinematography by Paco Femenia .
Agustin Diaz Yanes' return to top form , with an intelligent and engaging script which uses amusing situations to give us a good movie in fast pace , entertaining events , plot twists and that kept me entertained for the almost two hours of duration . Diaz Yanes is a fine craftsman , thanks to his reputation as screenwriter and the support of Victoria Abril he was able to set up his first film as director: "Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead " that became the greatest hit of Spanish cinema at its release in 1995 and the Festival San Sebastian , including best actress to Victoria Abril . Yanes subsequently directed the successful ¨Alatriste¨ and ¨Solo Quiero Caminar¨ that failed at Spanish box office .
Lo sapevi?
- QuizThe photo Lola (Victoria Abril) puts into the album shows the mother of Manny. The woman in this photo is the actress Pilar Bardem.
- Citazioni
[first lines]
Carmen Ramos: History vindicates us, and you know it.
Lola Nevado: History vindicates no one. History's a deaf man answering questions he wasn't asked.
- ConnessioniFeatures Quei bravi ragazzi (1990)
- Colonne sonoreSummertime
Written by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin
I più visti
Dettagli
- Data di uscita
- Paesi di origine
- Lingue
- Celebre anche come
- No News from God
- Luoghi delle riprese
- Aziende produttrici
- Vedi altri crediti dell’azienda su IMDbPro
Botteghino
- Budget
- 1.200.000 ESP (previsto)
- Lordo Stati Uniti e Canada
- 77.858 USD
- Fine settimana di apertura Stati Uniti e Canada
- 15.271 USD
- 24 ago 2003
- Lordo in tutto il mondo
- 3.340.382 USD
- Tempo di esecuzione1 ora 52 minuti
- Colore
- Proporzioni
- 2.35 : 1
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