El alcalde y la política (1980) Poster

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4/10
Very mediocre and obscure comedy , here outstanding the always great Alfredo Landa as a stubborn Mayor
ma-cortes24 March 2020
The Mayor of a small but strategic town decides to be candidate again . Along the way he allows gambling by means of an undercover casino (run by Adriano Dominguez) and prostitution whose brothel is run by a Madame (Esperanza Rey) who is for him . But the managament staff (Ricardo Tundidor) of a main party decides that will only support him as a candidate if he closes the perverted activities : brothel and casino at the little town . Then , the current Mayor -who is cripple and has a orthopedic- will attempt at whatever means to be elected and he will stop at nothing to get it .

Amusing , but average comedy with top-notch actors as Alfredo Landa and Esperanza Roy , and being middlingly made by prolific Luis Maria Delgado . Typical Spanish comedy of the 80s deals with Alfredo Landa as a peculiar Mayor whose style is quite dictatorial , then he learns about a political party will only support him as a candidate if he pursues such lascivious activities . Mayor/Alfredo Landa becomes involved in a lot of incidents , especially when he loses his orthopedic leg , as he is usually deceived by his friends and villagers attempt to take advantage of him . The film partially portrays the society of the eighties , including a real politic satire , and being full of frivolity , egoism , duplicity , and deceits . It is a nutty Spanish comedy that offers no intellectual stimulus whatsoever , though it has some fun and hilarious moments . Humor is sometimes cheesy and gross-out with numerous naughty and picaresque situations . This hilarious as well as average film is full of humor , absurd scenes , and narrating the conflict between the traditional Spanish society in which ruled a dictatorship and modernity with free elections, though corrupt ones , at times . It is a simple , and humorous portrait of a time when the Spanish people live in the seventies and eighties, including the consuming society, ambitious people , addding a lot of nudism in charge of Veronica Miriel and prostitutes played by Esperanza Roy and Carmen Platero . Its nostalgic look has some passable moments that reflect a Spain of the seventies and eighties : a country in economic developing during the years when the action takes place and with a recent democracy . It is full of typical Spanish topics , a simple plot and including atmospheric sets , being shot at a village of Castilla y Leon . This film is made to entertain , and this movie , especially for a good time and a pleasant entertainment , including bewildering happenings . The flick packs silly incidents , funny comical sketches , tongue-in-cheek , grotesque situations and above all , it especially contains catching touches of humor and irony . Sitting in a strange middle ground between the completely absurd and the stylishly agreeable . There are some nice jokes in the film and the cast , playing eccentric characters , make a cosy fit . This is a fun and funny , though mediocre , Spanish comedy with the great Alfredo Landa as an obstinate Mayor with an only objective , to be re-elected . Alfredo was one of the best and more popular Spanish actors and creator a cinematic subgenre : Landismo. His long career is formed by 110 films for forty years . In his first period through the 60s he starred secondary comical roles in notorious titles as El Verdugo by Berlanga , Ninette y un Señor de Murcia by Fernando Fernan Gomez , and No somos de piedra by Manuel Summers .After the successful No desearas el vecino del quinto by Ramon Fernandez , he performed over 30 comedies in Spanish style : "a la Española" , creating the "Landismo", including titles as Prestamela 15 dias , No desearas la mujer del vecino , Simon contamos contigo , Guapo heredero busca esposa , Dormir ligar todo es empezar , No firmes mas letras cielo , Vente a ligar al Oeste , Jenaro el de los 14 , Manolo La Nuit , Un curita cañon , El reprimido . His third period starts with El puente by JA Bardem , being directed by prestigious filmmakers as Jose Luis Garci in Las verdes praderas , El crack I, El crack II , Cancion de cuna ; Antonio Mercero in La proxima estacion ; Luis Garcia Berlanga in La vaquilla ; Basilio Martin Patino directed him in Los parasos perdidos , Jose Luis Borau in Tata mia and J.L Cuerda in El bosque animado . And standing out important characters in Los Santos Inocentes by Mario Camus , Don Quijote TV series and El Rey del rio by Manuel Gutierrez Aragon . Alfredo Landa is well accompanied by a great support cast . This ¨El alcalde y la Politica¨displays a very good secondary casting , with plenty of familiar faces giving acceptable interpretations , such as Manolo Codeso Jr , Ricardo Tundidor , Veronica Miriel , Adriano Domínguez , Luis Barbero , José Riesgo , Tito García , Pepe Ruiz ,Emilio Fornet , Mara Goyanes , Francisco Camoiras and María Elena Flores.

It contains atmospheric cinematography by José Galisteo , shot on location. As well as an evocative musical score by Carmelo Bernaola .¨El alcalde y la política(1980)¨ is a so-so picture with some amusing moments , being professional but regularly by Luis Maria Delgado, he made several flicks in similar wake. He was son of filmmaker Fernando Delgado who directed ¨Currito De La Cruz¨ . Luis Delgado's film debut was ¨La Estrella Del Rey¨, though previously directed with Henri Decoin ¨El Deseo Y el Amor¨, with Dulio Coletti ¨Los Italianos Estan Locos¨ and with Fernando Fernán Gómez co-directed ¨Manicomio¨. Luis directed various kiddies films such as ¨Secuestro En La Ciudad¨, ¨Aventuras En Las Islas Cies¨, ¨Hamelin¨ a musical starred Miguel Rios , ¨Chispita Y Sus Gorilas¨ and ¨Loca Por el Circo¨ with Ana Belén . Luis Delgado made multitude of comedies , most of them written by playwright Juán José Alonso Millán , and mostly vehicles for known Farceurs or comedians as ¨Tip and Coll¨ in ¨Garbanza Negra Que En Paz Descanse¨ , Alfredo Landa in ¨Onofre¨ , ¨Guapo Heredero Busca Esposa¨ , ¨Cuando Cuerno Suena¨, ¨Alcalde Y Politica¨ , ¨Profesor Eroticus¨ , ¨Obsesiones De Armando¨, Paco Martínez Soria in ¨La Tia De Carlos¨ , Fernando Esteso in ¨Pepito Piscinas¨, and Manolo Escabar in ¨?Donde Estará Mi Niño¿¨ . And he directed ¨Diferente¨ at his best and considered to be a real ¨Cult Movie¨. This ¨El alcalde y la política(1980)¨ is realized in his usual style , getting a big flop in the Spanish box office, turning to be an obscure comedy . Rating : 4.5 out of 10 .
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