Spanish Affair (2014) User Reviews

Very funny Spanish comedy

[Doomblade · 7/10 · 14 May 2014]

This is indeed a very funny Spanish comedy, with good acting by all the leads, a solid script boasting plenty of amusing situations and dialogues that never become too over- the-top or superficial, and some beautiful shots of both País Vasco (Basque Country) and Andalucía (Andalusia).

A word of warning, though: This film plays with local accents and stereotypes, current and past Spanish politics, and memes that you will have to be familiar with ahead of time to understand the gags. It is also heavily reliant on how Spaniards envision Basques, thus limiting its comedic effect to Spanish audiences (or at the very least, people familiar with the aforementioned themes).

I, being a Spaniard, had no problem having fun with this film. As enjoyable as it was, however, I can't help but find it undeserving of being the most successful film at the Spanish Box Office of all time, considering all the great cinema and the superior films this country has created in the past. But perhaps it's not so much the quality but the timing of this film that has led to its success: This film makes you laugh and sends a message of unity and love despite our differences. This may just be what Spaniards need in such hard times.

Fun Spanish comedy full of entertainment , humor and sheer amusement , being become Box Office Phenom in Spain

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 3 January 2015]

Emilio Martinez Lazaro's romantic comedy with fine actors , adequate cinematography , sensitive score and professional direction . Romantic as well as entertaining comedy "Spanish Affair" (Ocho Apellidos Vascos) is taking the country by storm , getting a bit hit smash . Spanish comedy in which some attractive actors give terrific and sympathetic acting along with a funny screenplay filled with funny and bemusing situations . It deals with Rafael, (Dani Rovira) a Seville citizen who has never left the Spanish region of Andalucia, decides to leave his homeland to follow Amaia (Clara Lago) , a Basque girl unlike other women he has known . He become involved into improbable situations when goes to Vascongadas and meets his love but also her peculiar father (Kara Errejalde) and a middle aged lady from Caceres (Carmen Machi) .

This enticing comedy contains emotion , humor , amusement and lots of jokes and laughs . The main premise is the following : our two protagonists get mixed up in all kinds of absurd , hilarious and even romantic incidents when appearing her father they attempting to pose as lovers and preparing their next wedding . The film moves in fits and starts most of which would be desirable, with more traps the viewer resists any kind , and moments of enjoyment and others quite a few embarrassing . This enjoyable Spanish comedy has humor , nice players , entertaining situations and lots of fun . Fun comedy and its success on the Bigscreen owes much to the Smallscreen , including romantic touches here and there and in which humor and entertainment are well guaranteed . The flick relies heavily on the continued relationship among four starring , but it doesn't make boring but entertaining . The picture attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , culture differences and love , including its amusing sides . The roles in this film are all lovable despite being rather pathetic and silly . Witty and agreeable screenplay from Borja Cobeaga and Diego San José , considered to be new kings of Spanish comedy . Dani Rovira steals the show as likable young who goes after his new conquest , he is the heart of the movie , he's great along with his couple , a very beautiful Clara Lago . Special mention to Kara Erejalde as grumpy daddy and sympathetic Carmen Machi , as always . Agreeable support cast gives good acting such as Alberto López as Joaquín , Alfonso Sánchez as Curro and special appearance by Aitor Mazo as embarrassing Padre Inaxio who receives a particular confession from Rafael/Dani Rivera.

Colorful and appropriate cinematography by Gonzalo Berridi . Evocative as well as adequate musical score by Fernando Velazquez .Distributed by Universal Pictures Intl. , the film has cumed more than $21 million since its March 14 bow , when it debuted to $3.9 million . But the pic has defied gravity at the box office , soaring 56% in its second weekend to $6.1 million , and rising successively . This Spanish blockbuster "Spanish Affair" or Ocho Apellidos Vascos was well produced by Lazona Films, Kowalski Films , Snow Films and Telecinco Cinema , whose owner, Spain's biggest broadcast network Mediaset and compellingly directed by Emilio Martínez Lázaro . He was born in 1945 in Madrid , location in which he often shoots his films . He is a Spanish prestigious cinema director . Emilio is a director and writer, a good filmmaker expert on comedies as he has proved in : Los Peores Años De Nuestra Vida (1994) , El Juego Más Divertido (1998) and Amo Tu Cama Rica (1992) , drama : Las 13 Rosas (2007) La Voz De Su Amo (2001) , Musical as : Al Otro Lado De La Cama (2002) , Los Dos Lados De La Cama (2005). Being especially known for this ¨8 Apellidos Vascos¨ considered to be the biggest box office in Spanish cinema and he is nowadays shooting ¨8 Apellidos Vascos 2¨ .

Very enjoyable!

[GreenGableViews · 6/10 · 10 April 2018]

I really enjoyed this. I'm a big fan of romantic comedies even though most provide many eyeroll moments. They can put a smile on my face, and this did. Very lighthearted. It plays into every romcom trope! From "we have to pretend to kiss" to "we have to share a bed", they had it all. Nothing is even close to realistic, and there's very little depth, hence 6/10 despite my enjoyment.

As an American, I took some time beforehand to read up on Basque country which really helped me get the jokes more. I would recommend this if you like romcoms, foreign films, and getting a taste of other cultures. (Really what WAS up with her hair though?!)

Ocho Apellidos Vascos

[javi-y-se-acabo · 9/10 · 21 May 2017]

This movie is one of the best Spanish comedies I have seen. i have to say that I'm Spanish and I watched this in the theater and I couldn't stop laughing.

The story follows Rafael (Dani Rovira), a Sevillian who has never left Andalucia, who decides to leave his homeland to follow Amaia (Clara Lago), a Basque girl he has fall in love with. The story may seem quite cliché and maybe it is but the truly important part of this movie are the four main characters. They all have a very good chemistry. Dani Rovira and Clara Lago did it very well in the roles of the wannabe couple and they provided very funny moments and Carmen Machi was also very funny but the true star in here is Karra Elejalde who plays the basque father of Amaia and he delivers some very amusing moments with Dani Rovira.

The Basque Country and Andalucia are very well captured in here with some very beautiful shots of both places. The music by Fernando Velazquez is both emotional and funny with the use of many Spanish typical sounds.

This movie probably is for Spanish people because if you're not familiar with all the stereotypes and jokes and problems we have in here you probably won't enjoy the movie the half as I did, but for me it was really amazing. It specially great to watch in it's original version so I recommend you to watch in Spanish to hear all the accents and so.

Utter Rubbish

[ckyprianou · 1/10 · 19 December 2014]

Utter Tosh. A highly predictable dirge of a film taking stereotypical characters (lazy but cheerful Andalusians, defensive nationalistic Basques) and then placing them in situations to which you know exactly how it is going to finish. The comedy is supposed to be slapstick and an ironic look at the two distinct areas of Spain but it quickly becomes tedious and in places offensive. It's repetitive (proud Basque father, intimidated daughter, happy go lucky Sevillian) and would be fine as a five minute sketch. Despite this being one of the highest grossing films in Spanish Cinema, many Spanish friends of mine have also commented how "simple" and childish the comedy is. A case of the "Emperor's New Clothes" as there is nothing really here. Truly truly horrible.

a really funny movie

[gardieca · 9/10 · 17 March 2014]

Don't miss one of the funniest film of the year, for sure.Dani Rovira, a famous actor from El club de la comedia, (Rafa)has to travel to the Basque Country to follow Amaia, a basque girl he has met in Seville, despite of the advisements of his friends, who think he will fail in his attempt to seduce Amaia. Once there, he mets Anne, a middle aged lady from Caceres, who also lives in the Basque Country because she felt in love a long time ago, now she is a widow, and she will help Rafa when he wants to give up. We will met Amaia's father, a basque fisherman who hates everything and every people out of his land, but finally he accepts Dani like her daughter's boyfriend ans treats him like a real basque. Me and the rest of the audience spent and hour and a half laughing, and I guess you will do exactly the same.

The greatest virtue of this film is its existence.

[prinivi · 3/10 · 2 August 2014]

The fact that we can play with the most extreme topics homelands identities (Andalusian and Basque) no one should be shocked or put the outcry indicates much of our maturity as a nation (no matter who). Well, I correct: the fact that we can play and derision and mockery of the topics on the Basques and Basque nationalism, no one should be shocked or put the outcry, indicates much the degree of standardization of certain issues before open sores were always willing to bleed. And I make this correction because the Andalusians have always been a source of banter and nothing ever happened.

For this reason, the approach of "Ocho apellidos vascos" is brave, is timely and is opportunistic.

Surely this is one of the main reasons that the Spanish have been flocking in a mass almost unprecedented theaters to see this product sponsored by Tele 5. Along with the successful release date That (between Oscar and summer blockbusters) and the brutal and exemplary marketing campaign, which I applaud and celebrate. That's all I can conclude from this nonsense, much to my regret.

I always say and I repeat that from "the dark pleasure of watching bad movies and enjoy them," and always insist that "we must not forget that the main purpose of film is to entertain." I say and I stand. The problem is that "Ocho apellidos vascos" is not bad enough, nor sufficiently geek, not crazy enough to be a "Bad Movie" (as Sharknado or Xanadu or Condemor). And unfortunately it is not entertaining enough to forgive their mediocrity (always from my point of view).

That is precisely the word that best defines "Mediocrity". It is painfully mediocre. It is simple, not easy. It is impersonal and worst: it is done reluctantly. The movie works because the interest, not original (remove an element of your environment and place in a completely alien and hostile is one of the basic arguments in comedy since the cinema is cinema), but which explained at first. but all the other elements just fit, or do not at all. The entire film is a sheer drop from a promising start to a shameful end, through all the "comic" situations manual and all the hackneyed topics sitcom.

But yes, I know, "all the stories are already told." You're absolutely right, but they are still have some ways, not original, but convincing.

And back to the main issue of much patriotic film (and many foreign): the script. Most managers confuse the argument with the script. The argument is the approach, the script, the development. There is an interesting approach, albeit clumsily presented, and at the inability (or unwillingness) of its director to develop a convincing (or crazily convincing) way takes refuge in a tangle of beginner, which does not know how to get out, although all intuit (and fear) from the beginning how he will do it: using force without lubricant.

What saves this product is the total collapse monologue speaker Dani Rovira, with his inspired monologues and brash, and Karra Elejalde giving life the only believable character in the whole story.

But it hurts me to think that this is what the public is waiting to fill the Spanish cinema halls. It hurts to think that film too, as almost all spheres of power, is in the hands of the mediocre. And it hurts me to think that they are the by-products like this that are going to save the Spanish film of water that it's been submerged by itself.

Stealing a quote: "It's not the same make films that make movies"

inspired by piensaencines

Best movie ever!

[pabloibon · 9/10 · 18 July 2017]

8 BASQUE SURNAMES This romantic comedy was released in 2014 by the director Emilio Martinez-Lazaro. The main characters of this family-friendly film are played by Clara Lago, Dani Rovira, Carmen Machi and Karra Elejalde. It is a love story between two people who live in different parts of Spain, one is from the south and the other one from the north. Rafa, who lives in Sevilla, goes to Amaya's village for trying to make her fall in love with him.

This film is said to be the best Spanish film ever because it shows the different topics from each part of Spain, making us laugh about our defects. In addition, the actors have managed to learn different accents, which make it extremely funny.

On the other hand, it may be annoying for people from the north of Spain because of its jokes are about them. Although it is the funniest film I have ever seen, unless you're Spanish it's hard to understand.

When it was released, Spanish cinemas were very crowded, beating the record of the most tickets sold. I would recommend this terrific film to all Spanish speakers, I reckon you must watch this film at least once in your life!

Forgettable TV-style local-jokes movie

[PeniLein · 5/10 · 22 February 2017]

This movie was a huge box office event in Spain, but is not an interesting film at all, especially if you aren't Spanish. It's basically a dull Romantic Comedy full of current jokes about local topics. Directing is even worst than script, with some really poor acting performances (others are quite good), and shooting, cinematography and sound typical of a soap opera.

A movie we need to see if we can understand Spain.

[fp-20557 · 10/10 · 12 May 2020]

Excellent movie, really humorous when you can understand Spain and very good acting ! Bravo!