¿Por qué pecamos a los cuarenta? (1970) Poster

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5/10
So-so Spanish comedy with good casting in a rather slight story well starred by the three greatest comedians
ma-cortes1 March 2023
Funny and fun Spanish comedy with a top-notch cast formed by the biggest hilarious actors from the sixties and Seventies . Stars Alejandro Quesada, (Fernando Fernán Gómez) a fourty-year-old doctor who enjoys great success among women, returns to Spain after a fifteen-month stay in America. To celebrate his triumphs in matters of women, his friends prepare a private dinner for him in which they end up reminiscing about their old days . Now Federico (Juanjo Menéndez) who's married to Matilde (Perla Cristal) and Enrique (Jose Luis López Vázquez) who's married to Teresa (Doris Coll) live with their wives and have grown old and both balds, while Alejandro who's married Julia (Mabel Karr) is experiencing a second youth . Federico and Enrique attempt to change their attitude towards life despite being married men . In addition, the sudden death of a mutual friend (Jesús Puente) reaffirms them in their desire to enjoy existence and, for this, they look for beautiful lovers younger than their wives , as López Vázquez meets the beautiful Argentine Rosanna Yanni , Juanjo Menéndez flirts with the young neighbor Elsa Baeza , while Fernán Gómez has a hidden lover , Esperanza Roy . Along the way , romantic complications , loving messes and jealously occuring here and there .

Typical Spanish comedy with a choral casting in a rather slight holiday story about maturity , in which married men in their forties try to cheat their legal wives into having young lovers, similar to Tom Ewell in ¨Billy Wilder's The seven Year Itch¨, as the friends attempt to change their attitude towards life despite being married men. One of Fernando Fernán Gómez's funniest roles, seconded by José Luis López Vázquez and Juanjo Menéndez, in a comedy by the prolific Pedro Lazaga. This film exposes and questions the cliché of the Spanish macho by showing mature men whose charm, despite what they believe, has disappeared. .And being full of frivolity , egoism , duplicity , adultery and deceits . It is a mediocre and silly picture and it lacks sparkle , mayhem and madness of the other Spanish comedies , adding an embarrassing script by Antonio Vich and Pedro Masó who was producer as well . The prolific Pedro Lazaga directs these great actors who give life to the three protagonists of this typical comedy from the last years of Francoism . Highlights , above all, a great plethora of notorious actors playing attractive roles . Stars Fernando Fernán Gómez who is pretty good as an eminent doctor in his forties with great success among women who encourages his friends to take lovers , being well performed by Juanjo Menéndez and José Luis López Vázquez . Adding a large plethora of support cast and cameos , in fact , a main entertainment is to guess secondary actors are appearing here and there , they include the following ones : María Luisa Ponte , Jesús Puente , Manolo Gómez Bur , José Sacristán , Luis Sánchez Polack as Tip , José Luis Coll as Coll , Jesús Guzmán , Venancio Muro ,Marcelo Arroita-Jáuregui , Beni Deus , Antonio Mayans , Saturno Cerra , among others.

It displays atmospheric , evocative cinematography by cameraman Juan Mariné . Including enjoyable and appropriate score by Antón García Abril . Produced by prolific producer Pedro Masó , the motion picture was regularly directed by Pedro Lazaga and shot in fits and starts . Lazaga was born in Valls , Tarragona , Catalonia , and died on November 30, 1979 in Madrid . He was a prolific director and writer , specially known for Los Chicos del Preu (1967), María Morena (1951), Cuerda De Presos (1956) and Posición Avanzada (1966). Lazaga directed various film with the popular comic player Paco Martinez Soria .Pedro was a craftsman , a notorious director and writer who directed all kind of genres such as Peplum : Siete Espartanos , Wartime : Cuerda De Presos , Posicion Avanzada , Torrepartida , La Patrulla ; Drama : Rostro De Asesino , Otro Arbol De Guernica , but especially known for comedies in low budget . Director Pedro Lazaga made , during the fifties and early sixties , eight films , mostly comedies : ¨Muchachas De Azul¨, Ana Dice Si¨. ¨Luna De Verano¨, ¨Económicamente Debiles¨ , ¨Trio Damas¨ for screenwriter and producer Jose Luis Dibildos and his ¨Agata Films Productions¨. The best of all them resulted to be ¨Los Tramposos¨. He continued making comedies such as Patrulla De Los Once , Los Tramposos , Sabian Demasiado , El Vikingo , ¡No Firmes Más Letras, Cielo! , Vente a Ligar Al Oeste , Hasta El Matrimonio Nos Separe , La Amante Perfecta , Fulanita y Sus Menganos , Vota a Gundisalvo , Terapia Al Desnudo , Tres Suecas Para Tres Rodríguez , Yo soy Fulana de Tal , 5 Almohadas Para Una Noche , En La Cresta De la Ola and several others . His most known films were with the popular comic player Paco Martinez Soria , such as : Abuelo Made in Spain or Old made in Spain, , Padre De La Criatura , Alegre Divorciado , Estoy Hecho Un Chaval , Vaya Par Gemelos and several others.
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