24 October 2017. This is a movie that doesn't really offer up a distinct movie genre but sort of a blurry drama that the movie trailers promoted as a distinctive period comedy. Mandy Pantinkin as a movie producer has an Italian twin doppelganger in this movie starring Antonio Resines playing Blas Fontiveros, a former movie wonk who was thought dead but was placed in a military war camp during World War II and has come back to a changed state of both the film industry and his past personal relationships.

Cary Elwes as an actor Gary Jones portraying the King is over the top with his performance and his odd choice of a deep guttural voice. His presence as an extended cameo actually seems too distracting and so prominent as to off-balance all the rest of what's going on the movie while he's in a scene. Interestingly, it's possible that either Elwes was miscast in this movie or the character of Gary Jones was miscast in the movie within the movie. It's hard to tell. During the second quarter of the movie, it seems to drag off at times onto tangential and more boring scenes that don't have anything to do with the main storyline of the movie.

A fourth of the movie begins, unlike what the trailers suggest, is more about a former movie wonk, Blas, than the dynamic comedy-drama performance of Penelope Cruz. Which actually results in this moving seemingly having two parallel storyline occurring in one movie by the time Cruz manages to take command of her scenes. Resines' scenes are plodding and slow and uninspired. As for Penelope Cruz along with Mandy Pantinkin, they seem to be the only characters who can energize and bring a sparkle of interesting entertainment to the screen in the movie. Cruz has a lively, delicious presence on the screen. Her on-screen presence and her ability to diversify or reveal different characters is vivacious and electric as well as tender and heart-rending. Yet the cavalier attitude towards sexual conquests and affairs seems to find some contradiction in the apparent common acceptance in the movie which may be at odds with perhaps an American audience. Not that such sexual proclivity can't be filmed in a provocative and appealing way as Shirley MacLaine achieved in her Golden Globe nominated performance in Woman Times Seven (1967) about infidelity in France.

There's a wonderful singing scene being filmed midway through the movie that seems to capture a cinematographic ambiance that could have been the core of this movie, like other amazing character-driven movies about the film industry such as Saving Mr. Banks (2013) about the Mary Popping's story, the amazing retro-silent movie The Artist (2011), Michael Keeton's attempt at one continuous shot in Birdman (2014), or the biographical Hitchcock (2012).

Even so, this movie doesn't project a captivating tone or compelling or riveting performance. It is not an action thriller nor even a real period drama. It actually has more of a cut and paste tonality to it devoid of real urgency or emotional appeal, except for the last forth of the movie which turns somewhat a strange and less dramatic version of World War II dramatic thriller in The Great Escape (1963) even down to a supposedly funny but serio-reaction to a simple phone call ring and the resulting odd attempt at comic relief. It's almost as if the Spanish director forgot how to or couldn't replicate his use of comedy-drama that he managed in eighteen years earlier in The Girl of Your Dreams (1998) also about a movie production from Spain but this time they ended up shooting in Germany. Instead the ending seems to be a sort of clumsy old Wooden Allen mish-mash of cobbled together added final story plot along with a somewhat awkward, confusing but dramatic and touching flourish.

(Flash Review)

Taking place in Spain in the 1950s, film star Macarena Granada is cast as the queen of Spain to shoot a blockbuster movie in her homeland. There were some peripheral stories about the tumultuous state of Spain's government as well as laughably portrayed love story. The movie has a satirical comedic tone in which it shows the warts and tricks of making an big budget movie and all the behind the scenes imperfections and shenanigans. The movie was full of juicy colors and pleasant scenery, certainly high quality yet the comedy at its best moments was at half-smirk levels. Overall, it was pleasantly bland even with a few notable actors. No need to bother with this one.

This serious/ironic film results to be a nice comedy with a Spanish all-star-cast in which a movie troupe shooting a film about Catholic Kings and Granada conquest . This is an enjoyable and light comedy set nearly twenty years after the events of "La Niña de tus Ojos" that was set during the Spanish Civil War and in the Nazi Germany . A very pleasant comedy plenty of humor , emotion , sensitive scenes and mayhem . Macarena Granada (Penelope Cruz) , has become a Hollywood star and married to a famous American director , as she goes back to Spain to film a blockbuster about Queen Isabella I of Castile . In Madrid, not only will she meet up again with her old friends and partners from the troupe who played ¨La Niña de tus ojos¨. The US/Spanish company moves to Madrid surroundings to make a film in co-production . During the Fifties , the shooting troupe goes is filming a joint production Spain/USA and including a filmmaker who bears remarkable resemblance to John Ford . Besides the problems of any movie set , add to the tensions , as the former director (Antonio Resines) is detained and the actors cooperate with a common objective in hopes of freeing him from one of Franco's prison , as they he will also have to contend with the dictatorial regime. Soon some problems start to arise , the always slept filmmaker (Clive Revill) and the rest of the crew (Jorge Sanz , Neus Asensi , Rosa Maria Sarda , Loles Leon, Santiago Segura , Jesus Bonilla) encourage for the good of the filming .

This is an entertaining and fun picture shot by Goya Award Winning Fernando Trueba , the director of ¨Belle Epoque¨in which we're immersed in the 1950s . Comedy with historical background and movie troupe way-of-life elements ; adding culture and politics , including enjoyable performances and adequate set design . This is a dramady which manages to blend comedy and drama and falls on its face with an amusing screenplay which is little more than a whole lot of bantering and busy work . La reina de España (2016) results to be other of the innumerable stories to deal with deeds regarding the Francoist period , but including twisted messes, discussion , jealousies , filming troubles, antics , romance and prison escapades . While in La niña de tus ojos (1998) the director looked exactly like Fritz lang in La reina de España (2016) , the director played by Clive Revill looks like John Ford . Based on true events during the filming of a lot of movies in Spain in the late 50s and 60s, mostly produced by Samuel Bronston, and specially in Madrid surroundings , Navacerrada, Colmenar Viejo , La Pedriza in which was shot El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire directed by Antony Mann , in fact , Penelope Cruz role is Sara Montiel-looklike who married American director Anthony Mann . An agreeable story plenty of amusing moments , moving feelings and fun finale .. It is as beautifully filmed as it is written and acted . This is one of those rare gems that does not stray from its purpose - to be a celebration of love and romance - and comic tale of a company who suffers several dangers and funny situations during a hectic time . This is an tragicomedy that blends tragic elements , humor and irony . Director Fernando Trueba , also writes the interesting script and filmed in his usual formal and luxurious style , without leaving a trace the joyful themes , in terms of fun and narrative excitement . Stars Penelopé Cruz as Diva Macarena Granada who returns from Hollywood to Spain to shoot a US blockbuster entitled The Queen of Spain. Unforgettable Penelope Cruz , as she will breathe life into Isabella I of Castile and she parades 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 . Very good secondary cast formed by Spanish familiar faces such as Rosa Maria Sarda , Neus Asensi , Santiago Segura , Jesus Bonilla , Ramón Barea, Anabel Alonso , Jesús Bonilla , Carlos Areces , Gemma Cuervo , Guillermo Toledo , Julián Villagrán , Ramón Agirre, Arturo Ripstein, Secun de la Rosa and some American actors as Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes . Evocative and jolly musical score by Zbigniew Preisner , including sone songs marvelously sung by Penelope Cruz . In addition , a spotless pictorial cinematography by Jose Luis Alcaine and a willingness , almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence , every space ; being filmed on location in Alpedrete, Moralzarzal, Madrid, and Budapest, Hungary. The picture is entertaining and well worth your time . The film is light and never somber, no small accomplishment from Fernando Trueba and his team.

This simple, delightful motion picture was professionally directed by Fernando Trueba , though inferior to ¨La Niña de tus ojos¨, in fact it failed at the box office . Trueba's first success was Ópera Prima (1980) following the style of the "Madrid comedy". He had major success with Sé Infiel y No mires Quién (1985) also known as : Be Wanton and Tread No Shame , starting a longer collaboration with the producer Andrés Vicente Gómez . He went on directing numerous successes such as Coarse salt , Too Much , Milagro de Candeal , Year of Enlightment , The Girl of Your Dreams , Calle 54 , Embrujo De Shanghai , Chico and Rita and recently : The Artist and the Model . Trueba was President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and he received the 1994 Oscar for Best Foreign Film to Belle Epoque (1992) .