6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Finding himself dumped after 25 years of marriage, a man who made a career of seducing rich older women must now move in with his estranged sister, where he begins to learn the value of family.
Starring: Eugenio Derbez, Salma Hayek, Raphael Alejandro, Rob Lowe, Kristen BellComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
How to Be a Latin Lover relentlessly skewers some stereotypes about “south of the border” types, but the fact that the film features such performers as Salma Hayek, Raquel Welch and Eugenio Derbez suggests that those sharing this general ethnicity are in on the joke and all too willing to poke fun at themselves. This is a film with some laugh out loud bits as well as some comedy that doesn’t quite hit the bullseye, but for less persnickety types it provides a decently consistent amount of laughter as it details the adventures of an aging lothario who finds his status as trophy husband seriously threatened. The film begins with a wonderfully funny sequence introducing Maximo and Sara as children, mindful of their exhausted father’s mantra that “you get what you work for, not what you wish for”. Unfortunately their father’s penchant for constant employment leads to a catastrophe (including a really great sight gag) that leaves the kids living in the back of the family station wagon with their distraught mother, which is when Maximo shares that he’s going to solve any future financial issues by simply marrying a rich woman. The film segues forward ten years to reveal Maximo as a young stud “working” as what amounts to being a gigolo at a tony resort, which is where he meets Peggy (Renée Taylor), an elderly widow. The film quickly segues forward again another several decades to depict a now middle aged Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) married to Peggy and more or less waiting around for her demise (he shoves a mirror under her nose every morning to see if she's still breathing). The film succinctly details what a schmuck (is there a similar term in Spanish?) Maximo has become, showing him getting from room to room on one of his countless hoverboards, while also treating the mansion's staff as disposable pieces of human garbage. On his anniversary with Peggy, he has obviously forgotten to get her anything, at which point he takes her shopping for a new car, which he just as obviously wants for himself. Unfortunately for Maximo, Peggy is smitten by the nerdy car salesman (Michael Cera in a cameo) and Maximo soon finds himself tossed out on his veritable ear.
How to Be a Latin Lover is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. Panavision's site lists the Arri Alexa XT as having been utilized, and this bright, energetic looking presentation offers traditionally sharp and well detailed imagery. There's a nicely wide palette being employed throughout the film, and fine detail as well as saturation are excellent in elements like the matching pink- purple suit jackets Maximo and Hugo wear to a party. Some select moments have been digitally tweaked to up the comedy, as in flashes of light which accompany Raquel Welch's first appearance. There's very little soft focus employed on the older female actresses, and as such fine detail reveals the nooks and crannies of an etched face, which I personally find refreshing and commendable. The final scene with a bit of a family reunion looks slightly softer than the bulk of the presentation, perhaps a result at least in part of some location photography.
How to Be a Latin Lover has an occasionally quite boisterous DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, with nicely placed surround effects in a number of scenes, including a party scene where Weird Al Yankovic makes an appearance. The film makes fairly liberal use of source cues, all of which feature good separation. Because at least some of these feature pretty propulsive percussive elements, low end is also effective. Dialogue is cleanly delivered and well prioritized.
One's tolerance for Three Stooges level shenanigans may predict how much the sometimes silly humor of How to Be a Latin Lover will resonate. (The film actually has a very Stooge-esque face slapping sequence, and I as an inveterate Three Stooges lover found moments like these to be laugh out loud hilarious, but other, perhaps more discriminating, tastes may not agree.) While resolutely predictable, the film is also undeniably sweet and even ultimately affecting, and kudos need to go to Eugenio Derbez for making a perhaps unavoidably unlikable character actually kind of lovable. Technical merits are strong, and How to Be a Latin Lover comes Recommended.
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