Arturo Domingo, hardcore porn director in a crisis, it's whom we are following onto a film festival, held in his honor but then again just giving him fresh evidence about how his fan base seems to be dwindling. An experience that is coming all the harder on him because he's not just a porn director. He's an auteur.
And that's where we're already at the heart of the parody. Which doesn't make fun so much of the blue movie but rather the normal film business itself. As the auteur has actually been a student of USC film school, no less. And his film titles, like "Five Easy Nieces", strangely remind us of well known film classics anyway. Also, whatever happens in his films, it has to fit the story.
There's in fact a plethora of fun references to films and popular culture of the seventies onwards mingled into the plot of the auteur trying to regain his lost status and creativity. Likely many more than I realized and all of them very well done. So for a film friend, having all this served draped up in a fairly mild porn setting, is already thoroughly entertaining.
But what makes the film really amiable is an assemblage of very likable characters, each having their very personal weaknesses and strengths. Most of all of course the lead character himself, who's perfectly projecting the strange mix of South European melancholy, passion and pride, but the people surrounding him just the same. Including two cops you would be looking for your entire life.
In fact, this has been one of the better, rather quiet comedies I've seen in quite some time. Thorough fun, including some good laughs and, as said, all the more entertaining for the film buff. Who will, as in so many other things, take delight in recognizing one of the last dialog lines being that famous quote from Chinatown: "this must hurt - only when I breathe."
Liked it a whole lot. Very recommended.
And that's where we're already at the heart of the parody. Which doesn't make fun so much of the blue movie but rather the normal film business itself. As the auteur has actually been a student of USC film school, no less. And his film titles, like "Five Easy Nieces", strangely remind us of well known film classics anyway. Also, whatever happens in his films, it has to fit the story.
There's in fact a plethora of fun references to films and popular culture of the seventies onwards mingled into the plot of the auteur trying to regain his lost status and creativity. Likely many more than I realized and all of them very well done. So for a film friend, having all this served draped up in a fairly mild porn setting, is already thoroughly entertaining.
But what makes the film really amiable is an assemblage of very likable characters, each having their very personal weaknesses and strengths. Most of all of course the lead character himself, who's perfectly projecting the strange mix of South European melancholy, passion and pride, but the people surrounding him just the same. Including two cops you would be looking for your entire life.
In fact, this has been one of the better, rather quiet comedies I've seen in quite some time. Thorough fun, including some good laughs and, as said, all the more entertaining for the film buff. Who will, as in so many other things, take delight in recognizing one of the last dialog lines being that famous quote from Chinatown: "this must hurt - only when I breathe."
Liked it a whole lot. Very recommended.