La gran familia española (2013) Reviews

• Fun and uplifting Spanish comedy with emotion , amusement and absurd situations

  ma-cortes2014-06-23

  This is another Spanish comedy romp , it is a bemusing story that contains lots of humor , entertainment and binge . Nice and attractive Dramedy (comedy along with drama) about the close relationships among the members of a particular family . This is an amusing picture about a Spanish family formed by 5 boys (Quim Gutierrez , Antonio De La Torre , Roberto Alamo , Patrick Criado , Miguel Fernández) and their ill father (Héctor Colome) . One of them (Patrick Criado) about get married and they then celebrate a peculiar wedding in a bucolic outdoor . Involving these five brothers are their girlfriends (Verónica Echegui) and friends . Then their father suffers an acute stroke and problems crop out , it results in the celebration is turned upside down . Meanwhile , television is broadcasting football world championship (real scenes taken from 2000 World Cup) . Get ready for the match of your life! This is a slightly funny film with entertaining events , giggles , emotion , plot twists and triangular love stories . The film moves in fits and starts most of which would be desirable , with more traps the viewer resists any kind, and some moments of enjoyment and others quite a few embarrassing . The flick gives a short description about lives of people of middle classes , dealing with a special family under the focus of a classical film ¨Seven brides for seven brothers¨ by Stanley Donen . It's an agreeable , moving film , perfectly acted and concerning the narration about the relationship among five sons , fiancée , bride and sick father . The tale narrated in sensitivity and intelligence and are treated some ethic and moral issues developed in a puerile sense and little ductility . The film attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , with its amusing sides and dark areas . Not trying to be unrealistic and make everything as in a fairytale but giving way to mirth and humor . In addition , the film gives us a nice panorama about a middle-class family , its pity , goodness, sacrifice , fraternity , work , companionship and various situations happen in its existence . This is a typical Spanish comedy from the 2000s with the usual ingredients such as enjoyable humor , social habits and close relationships among people . My feelings are extremely mixed but I must admit there are things I haven't been able to stop thinking about , the first part is played mostly for laughs but the ending part turned into a touching drama plenty of sensibility and fairness . A few of the scenes are amusing , they elicit chuckles but no serious laughter . The movie tries to expand some fine sense about this great family such as brotherhood , help and love , including its funny aspects as well as thought-provoking sides . The roles in this film are all lovable despite being rather pathetic and silly . Sympathetic performances from main cast such as Quim Gutiérrez , Antonio De La Torre , Veronica Echegui and Roberto Alamo playing a mentally-handicapped young . Support cast is pretty well such as Raul Arévalo , Pilar Castro , Sandra Martin and Héctor Colomé . Colorful cinematography by Juan Garlos Gomez ; being filmed on location in San Agustin De Guadalix, Madrid, Somosierra, Madrid, and Oliva, València, Comunitat Valenciana . Special mention to musical score filled with wonderful songs composed and sung by Josh Rouse . Daniel Sánchez Artevalo tries to mix genres ranging from comedy to melodrama in its ending segment with some offbeat touches ; furthermore he takes parts from American films of the fifties , particularly those of Frank Capra plenty of emotional and family feeling in which solidarity triumphs and humor despite the blackness . Daniel Sánchez Arévalo was born on 1970 in Madrid, Madrid . He is a writer, known for ¨Primos¨ , ¨Azuloscurocasinegro¨ (2006), and ¨Gordos¨ (2009)and this ¨La Gran Familia Española¨ or "Family United" (2013) .

• Awesome

  a_vitto2013-09-23

  Fantastic ! Very human, funny, witty and sad at times... Everything mix with typical Spanish customs ... Love love love this movie. The movie is about an Spanish family of 5 boys told by the youngest boy. Efrain the youngest is planning to get married he same day that Spain plays the world cup. The wedding is held at the farm where they grew up until their mother leaves them. The movie happens all one day, but what a day full with surprises, laughter, tears, and everything that could happen on a wedding. Its very Spanish full of stereotypes, but tastefully represented. One of the brothers is slow but so kind, innocent and so funny that basically makes the movie very special . I will watch this again !

• Not Sánchez Arévalo's best effort

  sara-martin-12013-10-12

  I was quite disappointed by 'La gran familia española' which was just nice to see but not a film to remember, or revisit. Too many elements are pushed together onto a plot that is too close for comfort to old-fashioned Spanish 'costumbrismo'. If this is your introduction to Sánchez Arévalo you run the risk of missing much better films by him, like the super 'Azul Oscuro, Casi Negro', the excellent 'Gordos' and the very funny 'Primos', a much better comedy than 'La gran familia española'. I'll grant, though, that the cast is very solid, with Arévalo's fetish actors Antonio de la Torre and Quim Gutiérrez doing their best, with interesting performances by Verónica Echegui and the younger actors.

• TV sitcom as movie

  kvatter2014-12-12

  If Garry Marshall were to make a Spanish movie, this would be it. It is filled with those kind of stereo-typed characters that only exist in movies and TV shows. We have the aunt that smokes cigarettes while requiring an oxygen tank (it's supposed to be funny, don't ya know). The slow-adult that spouts words of wisdom that are supposed to makes us all sigh at his deepness unencumbered by thought. There's the little girl who is smarter than her father (isn't she just so precious). Each character is once removed from reality and each is dealing with their own particular problems which are all neatly resolved at the end. All this against the backdrop of a wedding, which itself is against the backdrop of the world cup. It's all cute and entertaining to a degree but really never fully engages you because you always know it's not real and could never be. Like watching a TV sitcom. For example, a wedding procession which occurs early in the film introduces many of the characters by having them dancing down the isle. It is preparing you for what is to come and it will make you squirm.

• felt like a bad TV pilot on the big screen

  fellini_587012015-04-21

  Not necessarily a bad film but not a film I am impressed with, five brothers come together for a wedding during the 2010 world cup, Dad falls ill on the wedding day. The wedding gets put on hold and everything in between falls apart and everybody's personal issues comes in focus and gets resolved in 95 minutes its a bit melodramatic over written lacks wit or chemistry between the characters it felt like i was watching a Spanish TV pilot remake of Brothers & Sisters on the big screen. I tried to like this film but the characters became a bit annoying after 20 minutes of watching this film.