Un día en el paraíso (2003) User Reviews

Ultra light comedy of lost and found

[Guy33134 · 7/10 · 17 December 2004]

This Argentine comedy is suitable for very light TV viewing, as I just watched it on Latin HBO (or was it Cinemax)... cable in any case, and now playing. The story revolves around superficial caricature characters pursuing the usual fame and consumer dreams of the globalist world.

What kept me viewing this story about Anybodies, set in Anywhere, Planet Earth was its location in Argentina. That said, it could have been California or France, by the look of the locations and the people. But, Spanish speakers who appreciate the nuances between Argentinian Spanish, and other versions of the language may find this aspect of the film interesting, as is the more European nature of the people and culture.

Those features aside, the film is just an entertaining and formulaic romantic comedy with not a trace of unhappiness. It's unbeatable as light entertainment. Not one moment of negativity. It's all just pure escapism in the sanitized, world of globalization, which does not really exist, but is the "ideal" to many of us.

Liars

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 28 July 2012]

Reynaldo, a versatile artist, down on his luck, is hired to photograph an event in a club named "Paradise". He spots a gorgeous woman changing in a bathroom. He cannot resists taking her picture until she discovers him. The young woman is upset, but Reynaldo assures her nothing illicit was taken and she will be featured as part of the scene. One thing leads to another and both decide to go to the beach, where they spend a romantic night. Both have fantastic stories to tell about each other. They exchange phone numbers. He tells her he is Roy, a photographer for National Geographic. She, in turn, calls herself Brenda, a famous runway model, much in demand, and then both part.

This is the basic premise of this Argentine feature directed by Juan Bautista Stagnaro, with a screenplay by Eduardo Mignogna. It is a comedy about lies and make believe about two people that would have been better off revealing they are nobodies. The situation has been seen before, so there is not much in the way of originality going on, but thanks to a good cast, the film is fun to watch. Roy and Brenda keep missing one another throughout the story until they both meet on a set where both are extras.

Guillermo Francella is an accomplished actor who can brighten up any project, as he does here. Araceli Gonzalez is a beautiful actress who works effortlessly to match her co-star's charisma. There are also two good performances by Javier Lombardo and Claudia Fontan, seen as the two principals' best friends.