Casa De Mi Padre

“If it sounds Spanish, that’s what it is; it’s a Spanish movie”, exclaims American country music artist, Kris Kristofferson at the film’s outset. His words are a play on the opening lyrics to one of his self-penned classic songs, “Me and Bobby McGee”, and resonate hilariously throughout American-made, Spanish language, comedy, Casa de mi Padre, setting the tone for a film which sees comedy hero Will Ferrell, play his first role entirely in Spanish.

From this amusing, deliberately clichéd, sun-drenched introduction, Matt Piedmont’s Casa de mi Padre toys ironically with stereotypes and humorously stylised camera work, and is full of blatant and deliberate use of seriously low-budget and dated mise-en-scene that successfully snatches up every laugh it can. Whilst this self-reflexive style isn’t completely new, audiences used to seeing Ferrell as the blundering American, will find this Ferrell brand of comedy infused with a Spanish telenovela twist, a welcome and hilarious digression.

Brothers Raul [Diego Luna] and Armando [Ferrell] - who, by the way, makes a decent attempt at speaking Mexican Spanish - are at opposing ends of their father’s [Pedro Armendariz Jr] respect. Raul is the apple of his father’s eye; he is successful and has a beautiful woman. On the other hand, in his father’s eyes, Armando is “dumb”, “useless” and a “coward”; he seemingly has more interest in the cows on his ranch, than in women, much to his father’s disapproval. As Raul and Armando seek a way to save their father’s ranch, they become entangled in a drugs war with Onza [Gael Garcia Bernal], one of the most feared criminals in Mexico, and his crew.

With an abundance of deliberate and self-aware stereotypes to support the film’s ironically melodramatic tone, it could be said that Casa de mi Padre delivers a witty blow to American stereotyping of Mexican people. But, this is far from a serious film; Casa de mi Padre will ram its jokes down your throat until you can’t take it any more, highlighting a comedic trend we as audiences are surely becoming used to, what with the flood of awkward comedy to have hit on our screens in recent years.

Case de mi Padre’s homage to the melodramatic telenovela, and its spoofing of the spaghetti-Western genre act as a backdrop for a movie that audiences will feel strangely familiar with, helping them to recognise its comical nod to an overtly dramatized style of filmmaking. In addition, choppy camerawork, assisted by purposefully poor editing, and an exhibitionistic delivery of the script gives it a slapstick feel that is self-reflexive enough to uphold its many bad gags. It is for that exact reason that the movie is so funny.

Will Ferrell, as the Mexican rancher is brilliant and is as awkward, and stupidly comical in Spanish as he is in his native tongue, but it isn’t all about him: the equally funny performances of the films’ supporting cast are the real reason why Casa de mi Padre makes for a good comedy. Gael Garcia Bernal [Amores Perros], as Onza is a comical parody of the Mexican drug lord, whilst the stunning Genesis Rodriguez [Man on a Ledge] delivers an uproarious caricature of a subservient Mexican lady. However, the most notable performance came from Pedro Armendariz Jr [The Mask of Zorro] as the father of Raul and Armando; his delivery and demeanour throughout made every interaction he had with other members of the cast relentlessly humorous.