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How entertaining? ★★★★★
Thought provoking? ★★☆☆☆ 18 November 2015
A movie review of MY GREAT NIGHT a.k.a. My Big Night. |
“Do you think I am an idiot?” Cristina (Carolina Bang)
A madcap New Year’s Eve TV show party, recorded in summer, is so unbelievably fun, as energetic as a 1930s screwball comedy. Cynical capturing of the entertainment industries is hilariously brutal. Egomania as war. But, on initial viewing, one wondered if there was a whiff of misogynistic female portrayal. On digestion and reflection, that estimation was overly harsh, as actually everyone comes off awfully. 100 minutes of misanthropic mayhem.
Director Álex de la Iglesia (800 BULLETS, THE OXFORD MURDERS) has stepped up his game considerably. The juggling of personnel and choreography is superlative. To keep all the plates spinning is no mean feat. MY GREAT NIGHT is an entire movie equivalent of the opening scene of INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM.
A madcap New Year’s Eve TV show party, recorded in summer, is so unbelievably fun, as energetic as a 1930s screwball comedy. Cynical capturing of the entertainment industries is hilariously brutal. Egomania as war. But, on initial viewing, one wondered if there was a whiff of misogynistic female portrayal. On digestion and reflection, that estimation was overly harsh, as actually everyone comes off awfully. 100 minutes of misanthropic mayhem.
Director Álex de la Iglesia (800 BULLETS, THE OXFORD MURDERS) has stepped up his game considerably. The juggling of personnel and choreography is superlative. To keep all the plates spinning is no mean feat. MY GREAT NIGHT is an entire movie equivalent of the opening scene of INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM.
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The title, MY GREAT NIGHT, is taken from singer Raphael’s single ‘Mi Gran Noche’. Playing, one assumes, with his persona, Raphael as Alphonso is a male diva taken to the nth degree. Pure solipsism. Public face is very different to the abuse he dishes to downtrodden unacknowledged son Yuri (Carlos Areces), who is seemingly suffering stress-induced psoriasis, and also plotting pater’s murder. (The problem is the hired hitman is a fan of Alphonso).
Leather skinned and teak tanned, all is not right in the crooner’s world (who dresses like the Emperor from STAR WARS). A young upstart is also due to perform on this New Year’s Eve show. Wanting to prove his hegemony, Alphonso demands the prime spot. Rival Adanne (Mario Casas) is a himbo Thor lookalike, with an ardent female fanbase. In a scene of faux-friendship, Alphonso pretends to help remove a particle from the eye of Adanne. The sequence has a body horror squeamishness, and of course is wrongly funny as so much of the runtime is.
Adanne is carefully managed by the quick-tempered Perotti (Tomàs Pozzi). Yet still, the former sneaks a groupie into his dressing room. She manages to collect his seed (to use a ‘Game of Thrones’ euphemism) to sell. As word gets out, it becomes a sought after commodity.
Set over one night, primarily in one warehouse-esque building, singular agendas compete gladiatorially. Take after take, the extras feign a repetitive welcoming in of 2016. The shoot going on for days, romances and bitchy rivalry have blossomed. As has a black market. One background player is sent to hospital after a camera crashes into his head, and is replaced by the schlubby José (Pepón Nieto). At his table is the stunning Paloma (Blanca Suárez), who takes an interest in him. One of the bum notes of the movie is the beautiful women and ugly, blobby guy dynamic. Filmmakers, jettison that garbage right now. It is as if a female beauty has to show substance by looking beyond the surface; yet when is the reverse demonstrated?
Married hosts bicker over speaking the best lines, and wife Cristina rightly quibbles with hubby Roberto (Hugo Silva) over being the bimbo foil. In between reassuring their children on the phone, they compete for a lucrative follow-up presenting gig. Spouses as frenemies.
Outside the studio, there is an apocalyptic riot unfolding, as laid-off employees protest. Skewering corrupt management and politicians is one of the many side notes.
MY GREAT NIGHT packs so much into the frame, a re-watch is anticipated.
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