La vida inesperada

This romance story concerns about attractive love stories for the technology age along with social habits in N.Y.C. . I turns out to be a moving comedy well realized by Jorge Torregrossa about a marvelous friendship leads into an unexpected consequences . It follows the story of two young cousins , Juanito and Jorge . Juanito (Javier Cámara) moved to New York to follow his dream of being a big star . Years have passed and his expectations have been faded ; as he spends his life working in different jobs to survive . As he carries out part-time jobs , as a stage actor and a Cousine teacher . One day his cousin Jorge (Raul Arévalo) arrives to visit him , expecting Juanito to be a successful person . There Jorge falls in love for Holly (Sarah Sokolovic) and while Juanito falls for Jojo (Tammy Blanchard) .

This is an enjoyable romantic comedy with brief touches of drama about life of two agreeable cousins in a foreign big metropolis : New York . Dealing also with separated people in a long distance and they must rely on modern technology to keep their relationship alive , as happens on the special relationship between Juanito/Javier Cámara and his mother/Gloria Muñoz . This is an exciting as well as touching flick filmed with great sensitivity and feeling . This is a well-crafted and strikingly intimate film though monotonous about some separated people , as when you are oceans apart in love , you have to find creative ways to connect . It's an intelligent and charming story although sometimes is slow moving and tiring but is finely developed with sense of style and sensibility . Very pleasant yarn , filled with emotion , artistic scenes and plenty of sensitivity . The good thing about this film is that the director made it on a limited budget only having to do a few sets , yet the movie works on many levels but is constantly reconfigured . Very good acting by Javier Cámara as a frustrated actor who didn't achieve the wished success and nice Raul Arévalo as sympathetic cousin . Both of them have a good chemical as two particular roles living together and , early , will discover the truth about each other .

Luxurious photography with juicy atmosphere by Kiko De La Rica who photographed successes as ¨Lucia and Sex¨, ¨Oxford crimes¨ , "Witching & Bitching" , ¨Blancanieves¨, among others . Atmospheric musical score by Federico Jusid , including the catching song : ¨But Not for Me¨ written by George Gershwin and performed by Javier Cámara . Good direction who does have its emotive moments , most of them in the second half , being mostly romantic and some moments dramatic . This comedy with social elements was compellingly realized by Jorge Torregrossa , a little famous director , being best known in his native country as a TV director (such as Gran Hotel , Imperium , 14 Abril Republica , Tierra De Lobos) . His most known film was ¨Fin¨ with Maribel Verdú , who in ¨Vida Inesperada¨ makes a brief cameo , this motion picture marks Jorge Torregrossa's debut feature as a director but was garnering so much attention from international sites . In ¨Vida Inesperada¨ offers us an intelligent flick of foreign young people at a big city , intimate and committed . Rating : Acceptable and passable . Well worth watching .

As a whole the film is very good. It has an excellent pace and plot; it's a pleasure to see it, the dialogue is always dynamic and very creative, à la Woody Allen but not copycat except for the Brooklyn Bridge shot. The cultural contrasts between the two cultures are clever and funny. A plus: NO clichéd, unnecessary, sex scenes. My favorite character was the Argentinian, well written part, extremely real, very good actor. Javier Cámara, one of my favorite Spanish actors, since his magnificent work in Almodovar's "Hable con ella," overacts a bit, probably trying to hard --paradoxically--- to get close to the character, and ends up playing himself but his character is written as such a generous man that the audience continuous watching with pleasure. In certain situations the screenplay reaches farcical levels, but this is to be expected in Allen-influenced writing. A very enjoyable movie, no pretenses, for the love of the art. I hope this team gets together again.