I must admit I have not seen many examples of authentic Mexican cinema, but if Casa de mi Padre is any indication, then the quality of special effects in Mexican cinema is not the highest, with more emphasis on the concept and not an attempt at more realistic appearances. And, in this case, the continuity does not appear high in the priority list, either. This is evident in a scene with a young cow that is obviously a toy, or when the dialogue is obviously filmed with the actors looking in the wrong direction, and a fun scene that ends a single phone call twice. Yes, on several occasions, the end of a scene is badly edited. Is this authentic Mexican filmmaking? I do not know, but it's fun.
Will Ferrell plays the lead - Armando Alverez (or Armandito, "Little Armondo" as many call him) - the youngest son of a wealthy Mexican rancher. His father, Miguel Ernesto (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.), has a large ranch with many beautiful maids, but has many concerns and Armando is too stupid to be able to help his father. But the good news - the more intelligent brother, Raul (Diego Luna), returns from the U.S. to the family ranch to help his father ... or not? It is rumored that Raul is rich because he has become a drug dealer. This puts the brothers Alverez against each other and causes a big problem with Onza (Gael García Bernal), the local drug dealer, as neither Raul nor Onza are used to making concessions.
Simple Armandito has not shown much interest in women, but says this is because he still has not met his soul mate. However, when he meets Raul's girlfriend, Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez), Armando struggles with jealousy, concern for his brother, and his own interest in this most beautiful woman.
When Onza violently attacks the Alverez family, however, the brothers must unite to fight the drug lord and save Sonia, against all odds.
There are only a few special features in Casa de mi Padre, but they are very good. There is an interview with Pedro Armendáriz Jr., about the movie. The interview is entertaining, but the sound quality is horrible. However, Pedro Armendáriz Jr. has since died and Casa de mi Padre is the last movie he played in, so it is, in fact, his last filmed interview. In addition, the deleted scenes are interesting, many of which are some of the most dramatic scenes of the film. These scenes answer some of the questions - for example, the relationship between Sonia and Raul, and the true nature of the intentions of Raul. The "making-of" featurette is entertaining, with elements of documentary and comedy. My favorite special feature, however, is the commentary. I rarely enjoy the commentaries on other films, but in this case, the speakers pointed out many inconsistencies in the continuity that some viewers may have missed. They also have some interesting anecdotes and share the process of making the film. Oh, and the commentary is in English, so you do not have to use subtitles if you do not understand Spanish.
This movie is very, very fun - if you like your comedy on the ridiculous side. The acting is intentionally wooden at times, but you can tell the cast really had fun making the film. If you are not a fan of Will Ferrell, Casa de mi Padre will not win you over, but if you like your comedy uncomfortable, then I highly recommend Casa de mi Padre.
