Los mánagers (2006) Poster

(2006)

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5/10
Outrageous Spanish comedy with a lot of songs , absurd incidents and outlandish characters
ma-cortes26 October 2022
Roaring and twisted tragicomedy with several funny scenes , an excellent plethora of secondaries and nice comedians . Maca (Enrique Villén) and Rena (Manuel Tallafé) are two forty-year-old men without a job or profit, ready to hit the ground running. From the announcement of a television contest, in which new stars of the song are sought , they go in action . As they discover a pair of talented brothers who work on a car dump and they then decide to become managers of Pipo (Paco León) and David (Fran Perea) , two young people whom they turn into "Los Reyes del King" , ¨Estopa¨lookalike . They are two unfortunate singers who won't reach the heights of fame and fortune with their jobs , being hired by the botcher managers . After performing in taverns , bingo halls and other clubs , they meet La Rota (Maria Jimenez) , a dark , retired folk singer, who arranges a tour throughout the Andalusian coast for them. They all establish to an agreement with the ex-folkloric singer, that nowadays is into drug smuggling , so that the young brothers will perform in some seaside resorts . They will have to compete with some other 'professionals' and lots of surrealistic situations.

The beginning promises , with Enrique Villén and Manuel Tafallé as two quirkie trickers who attempt to be mean managers in order to fill their empty pockets ; then the movie falls into a spin resulting directly into an off-the-wall conclusion , with a ridiculous final , that's why it turns out to be a failed flick , despite the promising start . According to its director, this idea was born from a famous song by the band Pata Negra with the same title , however, being closer to "Muertos de risa" by Alex de la Iglesia than to anything else. It is a black comedy with ironical elements , thrills , emotions and turns out to be entertaining enough , though contains an unoriginal storyline that will remind us of other movies . Swindlers , mobsters , traffickers , drug addicts , emigrants , gangsters and alleged modern flamenco singers with marijuana included, remind us of the previous film co-directed by Fernando Guillén Cuervo, the also psychotronic "Año Mariano", only here he changes the chef Arguiñano for the singer María Jiménez giving a cosy fit to her pecular role . Here deals with a homage to dark humor and a typical Spanish story in which there's comedy , tongue-in-cheek , black humor , action , drama and a lot of amusement . It's a groundbreaking drama/comedy or ¨Dramedy¨ providing an uneven developing and painful, at times , through the whole movie . The film wants to be a parody of the musical comedies of beginning managers and artists who aspire to success. Some "sketches" are quite funny ; however, the action does not come together and does not exceed, in most of the footage , the level of the most results to be tacky and corny . The film is only saved at times by good musical numbers in the style of Andalusian pop rock, some charming choreography , certain attractive set pieces and the intervention of Sancho Gracia in one of his last roles . Something better could have been done with this plot . Sympathetic but ordinary interpretations , stars Enrique Villén and Manuel Tafallé as two lazy losers that decide to become managers , accompanied by Paco León who's pretty well and Fran Perea , and special appearance by Manuel Manquiña , here not even the shadow his masterful interpretation in "Airbag". Packed with scenes of ridiculous nature, and plenty of jokes that are not so much, like the horrible scene where they are kidnapped by the American soldiers , this story is an absurd farce , as we follow the ascending careers of a pair of comical managers and two young singers , whose fates aren't issued by a top rise to fame , it is inter-weaved by the appearance a third character , the bossy Sancho Gracia who abuses his singer girlfriend , gorgeous Celine Tyll . The secondary interpreters are pretty good with some familar faces , such as : María Jiménez, Lauren Postigo , Francisco Maestre , Celine Tyll , Alfonso Sánchez , Mariano Peña, Alba Flores, Alex O'Dogherty and Sancho Gracias as a nasty singer , a role that comes him as a glove. In addition, Manuel Manquiña , a fine secondary actor , he is one of the best reasons for watching the movie and the rest responded frankly well .

Adding an adequate cinematography by Néstor Calvo that's glimmering as well as colorful . The motion picture was regularly directed by Fernando Guillén Cuervo whose relatives are great actors . He's son of Fernando Guillén and Gemma Cuervo, as well as brother of Cayetana Guillén Cuervo. Director Fernando Guillén Cuervo , whose first directorial job was ¨Año Mariano¨, this was very successful in the way the film satirized some outlandish roles ; however, abounding absurd moments and a sour critique to Christianism ; subsequently the directed this ¨Los Managers¨ that was a commercial flop , likewise ¨Vilaj¨ and also made some Shorts as ¨Cinco minutos para medianoche¨and ¨Robo en el cine Capitol¨. Rating : 5/10, average.
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6/10
A nasty road movie with some brilliant points
ruben-marshall17 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is the funny story of two lazy losers that decide to become managers, in order to fill their pockets. They discover a pair of talented brothers who work on a car dump. They all arrive to an agreement with a ex-folkloric singer, that now is into drug smuggling, by which the young brothers will perform in some seaside resorts. They will have to compete with some other 'professionals'and lots of surrealistic situations. Indeed, the film has hilarious points but I guess that non-Spanish or Latin viewers won't fully get all the shades of this kind of humor. Great interpretation of the Moroccan hitch-hiker performer.
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