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The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Other Way Around review – witty uncoupling comedy is meta breakup movie for grownups
A little bit like Woody Allen, or an episode of Seinfeld minus the stream of gags, this talky Spanish comedy tells the story of a couple planning a break-up party. It follows film director Ale (Itsaso Arana) and her soon to be ex, actor Alex (Vito Sanz), as they call it quits after 14 years together. The decision is mutual, and as reasonable people who still like each other, they think they can split without the pain and heartache. 'We've separated, but we're OK!' says Alex, so many times it starts to sound hollow. So, alongside the breakup admin (deciding who gets to stay in their amazingly cheap rented flat in Madrid and dividing the DVDs), they organise a party to mark their uncoupling. The idea originally comes from Ale's dad (played by director Jonás Trueba's father, veteran film-maker Fernando), who has a theory that people should celebrate separations. Her brother says the idea is corny and American. The pair's friends are shocked: 'You're the perfect couple!' says one with that panicky look people get when a solid-seeming couple splits, like it might be contagious. Right at the beginning, the pair lie in bed, mulling over the party idea. Ale isn't convinced. 'It's a good idea for a film, but in real life…?' And here The Other Way Around gets meta; Ale is busy editing her new film, which turns out to be the film we're watching. It is a clever touch, a bit over-tricksy perhaps, and I wasn't entirely convinced it added much. That said, it gives the film one of its most excruciating scenes when Ale organises a preview screening to show the cast and crew an early edit of the film. Afterwards, everyone smiles reassuringly – then one man pipes up: 'Don't take this the wrong way, but …' and a begins a pretentious intellectual takedown. Like the film it's a funny-smart moment, witty and grownup. The Other Way Around is in UK and Irish cinemas from 11 July.
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Other Way Around review – witty uncoupling comedy is meta breakup movie for grownups
A little bit like Woody Allen, or an episode of Seinfeld minus the stream of gags, this talky Spanish comedy tells the story of a couple planning a break-up party. It follows film director Ale (Itsaso Arana) and her soon to be ex, actor Alex (Vito Sanz), as they call it quits after 14 years together. The decision is mutual, and as reasonable people who still like each other, they think they can split without the pain and heartache. 'We've separated, but we're OK!' says Alex, so many times it starts to sound hollow. So, alongside the breakup admin (deciding who gets to stay in their amazingly cheap rented flat in Madrid and dividing the DVDs), they organise a party to mark their uncoupling. The idea originally comes from Ale's dad (played by director Jonás Trueba's father, veteran film-maker Fernando), who has a theory that people should celebrate separations. Her brother says the idea is corny and American. The pair's friends are shocked: 'You're the perfect couple!' says one with that panicky look people get when a solid-seeming couple splits, like it might be contagious. Right at the beginning, the pair lie in bed, mulling over the party idea. Ale isn't convinced. 'It's a good idea for a film, but in real life…?' And here The Other Way Around gets meta; Ale is busy editing her new film, which turns out to be the film we're watching. It is a clever touch, a bit over-tricksy perhaps, and I wasn't entirely convinced it added much. That said, it gives the film one of its most excruciating scenes when Ale organises a preview screening to show the cast and crew an early edit of the film. Afterwards, everyone smiles reassuringly – then one man pipes up: 'Don't take this the wrong way, but …' and a begins a pretentious intellectual takedown. Like the film it's a funny-smart moment, witty and grownup. The Other Way Around is in UK and Irish cinemas from 11 July.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spain's Atresmedia Cine, ITV's Cattleya Producciones, La Canica Films Bet on Coming-of-Age Comedy ‘Todos los colores' (EXCLUSIVE)
Spanish movie powerhouse Atresmedia Cine is partnering with ITV Studios' Cattleya Producciones and indie outfit La Canica Films to co-produce coming-of-age comedy 'Todos los colores,' the feature debut of writer-director Beatriz de Silva. Filming kicked-off June 23 in Madrid, scheduled for six weeks. More from Variety Reckless Friendships Take Center Stage in Laura Mañá's 'Las Irresponsables,' Acquired by FilmSharks (EXCLUSIVE) Series Mania's Coming Next From Spain Ranges From An Anticipated LGBTQ+ Musical to a New High Profile Hit Period Drama to a U.S.-Backed Psycho-Thriller Atresmedia Set to Wow Malaga With New Legal Drama 'Perdiendo el juicio' Vicente Canales' Film Factory Entertainment will handle international sales. Wanda Vision will distribute the film in Spanish theaters in 2026. 'Todos los colores' weighs in as an emotional and generational comedy which turns on love, friendship, desire and inner strength, targeting a four-quadrant audience with a film where disability isn't the focus but features as just another part of the protagonist's life. Mafalda Carbonell ('Live Twice, Love Once,' '30 Coins' ) stars as the 17-year-old girl Belén, a charismatic leader of a group of friends with an overwhelming personality and her wheelchair, always managing to get her way. But with the end of high school just around the corner, everything starts to change. Belén's friends have their eyes set on the future, and she fears being left behind. When she's forced to sign up for wheelchair athletics to pass the course, what seemed like a punishment becomes the beginning of a time of discovery, transformed friendships, awakened desires, and mingled emotions. Silvia Abril ('Father There is Only One,' 'Mamen Mayo'), Claudia Mora, Amalia Martos, Carlota Jiménez, Iván Luengo, Israel Arpa, Javier Tolosa and Edu Errejón plus paralympic triathlon champion Eva Moral complete the cast. 'Many people don't see their concerns and way of life reflected in fiction. It's rare, for example, to see characters with disabilities who aren't secondary or stereotypes. That's why [this] film is a great tool for bringing these stories to the audience and generating understanding,' argued Beatriz de Silva, who previously directed the well-received short films 'Tula' and 'Lyuba, mañana.' María Cervera at Cattleya Producciones, Beatriz Bodegas at La Canica Films and Alejandra Sáez from Atresmedia Cine executive produce the film, with Daniel Salmones ('La alquería blanca') serving as DP. 'The project won us over with its sensitivity, its humor and its truth. From the beginning, we saw a unique perspective in Beatriz de Silva and that's why we wanted to collaborate with her,' says Atresmedia Cine General Director Jaime Ortiz de Artiñano. 'It's a generational perspective that connects sensitivity and authenticity. Often, those of us who make decisions about content think we understand young audiences based on our experience, but in reality codes change, and it's important to have voices that know them from the inside,' he adds. Developed for nearly three years at Cattleya Producciones, 'Todos los colores' represents the Madrid-based company's first fiction production in Spain since its 2021 launch. 'For us, 'Todos los colores' marks an ideal way to produce fiction in Spain,' says Cattleya Producciones' María Cervera. 'The aspiration to entertain audiences while conveying certain values is in our DNA.' ''Todos los colores' is a comedy that aims to reach both young and adult audiences, both national and international, because it's a very universal story. The comedic tone is the way to reach the widest possible audience,' says La Canica founder Beatriz Bodegas, producer of Raúl Arévalo's Venice-selected and multi-Goya Award winning thriller 'The Fury of a Patient Man.' The movie arm of media giant the Atresmedia Group, and a long-term driving force behind Spanish film industry, Atresmedia Cine covers a wide variety of film genres, from Santiago Segura's hit comedy sagas 'Torrente' and 'Father There is Only One' to recent successful thriller 'La infiltrada' to animation movies such as Oscar-nominated 'Klaus.' 'We're at a moment when Spanish cinema aimed at diverse audiences —including young audiences— still has ample room for development, and we believe there's an opportunity to attract them back to theaters with stories that speak honestly to them,' Ortiz de Antuñano says. In the case of 'Todos los colores,' Atresmedia Cine co-produces and holds the broadcast rights. Cattleya Producciones forms part of the ITV Studios group, the TV production and distribution giant, with more than 60 production companies in 13 different countries. Headed by Nathalie García, a former top executive at Fremantle Spain and Sony Pictures International TV, Cattleya Producciones is partner of leading Italian film and TV production house Cattleya, behind titles such as 'Romanzo Criminale,' 'Gomorrah' and 'Suburra.' La Canica Films, active since 2010, has become an influential indie film production company, betting on a business model of nurturing young and promising talents and a wide range of film genres. Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Washington Post
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
'Chespirito: Sin Querer Queriendo' is a tribute to the Mexican comedian who shaped a generation
HBO's new biographical series 'Chespirito: Not Really on Purpose' ('Sin Querer Queriendo') has been received with delight by the many fans in the U.S. and Latin America who grew up watching the late Mexican comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños. The eight-episode miniseries, which debuted Thursday, dramatizes the professional and personal journey of Gómez Bolaños, who transformed comedy in Latin America and whose characters defined a generation for millions of children. Known as 'Chespirito,' he took his inspiration from Laurel and Hardy as well as another transcendent Mexican comedian who eventually made it to Hollywood, Cantinflas. Chespirito died in 2014 at age 85.
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
'Chespirito: Sin Querer Queriendo' is a tribute to the Mexican comedian who shaped a generation
HBO's new biographical series 'Chespirito: Not Really on Purpose' ('Sin Querer Queriendo') has been received with delight by the many fans in the U.S. and Latin America who grew up watching the late Mexican comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños. The eight-episode miniseries, which debuted Thursday, dramatizes the professional and personal journey of Gómez Bolaños, who transformed comedy in Latin America and whose characters defined a generation for millions of children. Known as 'Chespirito," he took his inspiration from Laurel and Hardy as well as another transcendent Mexican comedian who eventually made it to Hollywood, Cantinflas. Chespirito died in 2014 at age 85. Pablo Cruz, who plays Chespirito in the series, told The Associated Press in an interview translated from Spanish that the show is a tribute that tells 'a story that we know will connect with a very broad audience and give them an opportunity to further appreciate what they already admire and love.' Chespirito's two most famous characters were 'El Chavo del Ocho' ("The Boy from Number Eight') and 'El Chapulin Colorado' ('The Crimson Grasshopper'). 'El Chavo del Ocho" was an 8-year-old boy orphan living alone in a Mexican neighborhood with his barrel, freckles, striped shirt and grayed cap. 'El Chapulin Colorado' was a naive superhero dressed in a red bodysuit and hood with antennae that helped him detect danger miles away (despite the name, his yellow shorts and boots gave him more the look of a red bumblebee). Through his characters, Chespirito favored a clean comedy style far removed from the sexual innuendo and obscenity-laced jokes popular today. His morning shows were a staple for preschoolers, much like 'Captain Kangaroo' was in the United States. The HBO series 'is a tribute to Chespirito's importance as one of the key figures in Mexican television and highlights the enormous impact his television programs had throughout Latin America,' Fernando Cárdenas, digital manager for the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors, said in a statement to the AP. The miniseries is a powerful act of cultural preservation, one that documents the impact Latinos have had on the global entertainment industry, said Sehila Mota Casper, director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation. 'For so many of us, his characters weren't just entertainment,' Mota Casper said. 'They shaped how we understand humor, how we face challenges and how we see ourselves as Latinxs. This series honors that impact. By telling his story in this way, we help make sure the cultural histories that shaped us are seen, respected and carried forwards to future generations.' 'El Chavo' proved so popular that reruns are still shown in multiple countries in Latin America and on Spanish-language television in the United States. Many Latin Americans, living under dictatorships during the height of the show, found his underdog triumphs heroic in the face of authority. In a 2005 interview with the Mexican newspaper La Jornada, Gómez Bolaños said he always wrote with working-class people in mind. 'During the 1970s, the program was produced to reflect the reality of working-class families in Mexico and enjoyed enormous impact in other Spanish-speaking countries because the situations portrayed in the stories were similar to those of all audiences, regardless of geographical boundaries,' Cárdenas said. Alberto Lammers, who grew up watching 'El Chavo' in Peru during the 1970s and '80s, was excited for the series and the childhood nostalgia it evokes. He was also excited to learn more about what was happening behind the scenes in Gómez Bolaños' life. 'It really struck a chord with my childhood,' Lammers, who now lives in California, said after finishing the first episode. 'It gives heart and context to his complexity and the characters he built. It's also a very interesting look at how he became a TV personality. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes! It's a real-life telenovela!' Fans also took to social media to praise the episode and their awe at the uncanny similarities between the actors and the people they are playing. For Lammers, after migrating to the U.S., 'El Chavo del Ocho' served as a connection to his roots even if the show wasn't based in Peru. 'Going to that show to me was actually very comforting,' Lammers said. 'It built a sense of community across most of Latin America.' ___ Associated Press journalist Berenice Bautista contributed reporting from Mexico City.
