Retro Film Review: Jamón, Jamón (1992)

(SPECIAL NOTE: Capsule version of the review is available here.)

Everyone knows that good marketing can sell bad films, but this phenomenon isn't limited to the plebeian masses. Even the critics might fall for couple of well-thought catchphrases and give raving reviews to films that don't deserve it. That slogan can be something like "outrageous sexy comedy coming from the country of Pedro Almodovar". This is the only way to explain why Jamón, Jamón, 1992 comedy by Spanish director J.J. Bigas Luna, won all those festival prizes.

The plot takes place in small Spanish town where young Jose Luis (played by Jordi Mola) works in the underwear factory owned by his parents. His 18-year girlfriend Sylvia (played by Penelope Cruz), who works in the factory, is pregnant so Jose Luis decides to propose her. Jose Luis' mother Conchita (played by Stefania Sandrelli) sees this as unacceptable, since Sylvia's mother Carmen (played by Anna Galiena) happens to be notorious local prostitute. In order to break the engagement Conchita hires services of local stud and underwear model Raul (played by Javier Bardem) who is supposed to seduce Sylvia. However, her scheme doesn't go as planned - Conchita falls in love with Raul, Jose Luis finds solace in Carmen, while Jose Luis' father begins making moves on his son's fiancee.

Jamón, Jamón was supposed to be comedy but is actually a drama. Lack of humour is just one of its problems - Bigas Luna desperately tries to compensate laughs with series of outrageous romantic twists more suitable for South American soap operas. His attempts to give some "cool" visual identity to the film through Freudian images or explicitly sexual images barely keep our attention because of their repetitiveness. Acting is fine, but commanding screen personality of Javier Bardem, as well as girl- next-door charm of Penelope Cruz seem wasted. The ending sacrifices dramatic plausibility for the sake of "meaningful" final shot and therefore only underlines the impression of a movie which could be perfectly described by the phrase "artsy-fartsy".

RATING: 4/10 (+)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on October 3rd 2000)

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