Just how far does Will Ferrell's comedic might stretch? At this point he's proven to be such a bonafide box office success that we forget his most memorable films, such as Anchorman and Talladega Nights, weren't sure fire hits. They were ambitious and unique at the time, and Ferrell has had the market cornered on goofy, retro comedies ever since. And yet nothing is quite the gamble Case de mi Padre poses, a Spanish-language western spoof requiring the audience to *gasp* actually read what the heck is going on. What is this? The Artist for dopes?
Unfortunately, that's how far too many will react to the idea of something like this, and Ferrell deserves credit for taking a swing at a fresh idea that also turns out to be one of his best yet. Inspired by those crappy, histrionic Spanish telenovellas you might find on Telemundo, but also mixed with a touch of Tarantino grind house and Sergio Leone spaghetti western, Case de mi Padre takes laughing at badly dubbed foreign films to a whole new level.
Ferrell does his overgrown goofball thing as Armando Alvarez, a moronic rancher with an inflated love for the land that exceeds his need for a woman on his arm. He's the 40-Year Old Virgin with a pair of spurs and a 10-gallon hat, accompanied by his two slightly less idiotic buddies(Efran Ramirez and Adrian Martinez). Armando's father knows his son is a dim bulb, which is why he's so ecstatic upon the arrival of his more successful son, Raul(Diego Luna), and his scorchin' fiance, Sonia(Genesis Rodriguez). Immediately you know there's going to be trouble, and that Armando will fall flat on his face in love with Sonia. It only gets worse as Raul's wealth has been amassed through illegal drugs, and his arrival has put him at odds with La Onza(Gael Garcia Bernal), a drug dealer who seems to be stuck in the 1960s.
Actually, the whole film sorta feels that way, lost in another world where things like expensive set pieces, proper camera lighting, and sound editing don't exist. Shot in the fictional "Mexico-Scope" style, SNL veteran director Matt Piedmont pokes a lot of fun at the terrible soapy dialogue and over dramatization that has made the genre so funny to us now. The cast seems to recognize one crucial point that keeps the film from straying too far off the reservation, and it's the seriousness which the stars of these shows took their craft. Somehow that makes it even funnier that they aren't in on the joke. Genesis Rodriguez, who got her start in Spanish telenovellas, in particular handles the material like a champ. With the exception of Luna, who always looks like he's one step away from playing the corpse in Weekend at Bernie's, Rodriguez easily outshines everyone else.
That's not to say Ferrell isn't his usual reliable self, and his doe-eyed routine fits nicely with the wildly over-the-top violence and humor. If he ever decided to go back on tour and do an impersonation of George W. Bush vacationing in Mexico, Ferrell has the language nailed.
Dedication to the look and style of the time is what makes the film really work, with the majority of the best gags based on how cheaply constructed everything is. The horses might as well be broomsticks. The magical sounding "Pool of Seven Tears" is a glorified kiddie pool surrounded by paper mache shrubbery and Styrofoam trees. The scenery races past stationary riders like in those old Flintstones cartoons. Allowing yourself to be immersed in the silliness will go a long way in maximizing the enjoyment, which is why it's such an egregious error when the story breaks for a mock apology from the director(or his assistant) over the poor special effects. Why tell us that? The effect is to totally take the audience out of the moment and remind us that this is basically just a glorified SNL sketch.
Wisely, Casa de mi Padre clocks in at a brisk 84 minutes so there's little chance of wearing out a welcome. Not all of the jokes hit the mark, but more than enough do to make this a film worth spending a little time with. Undoubtedly Ferrell's strangest movie yet, those are usually his best, and his fans would do well to endure those pesky subtitles to see him at his most inspired.
