Takes itself way too seriously

Such a frustrating disappointment

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

This film has a lot of comments, so I'll confine mine to the character of Lourdes.The first time we see Lourdes on the escalator we can tell she is going to blossom. She watches Rafael until she sees her opportunity, then blackmails him into loving her. This seems unworkable and indeed it is. How can you blackmail someone and love them at the same time? Sometimes Lourdes seems genuinely in love with Rafael and wants nothing else but for him to return her affections. At other times (particularly when she gets a successful career of her own) she seems only to want to punish Rafael for ignoring her.I am having my own private Spanish film festival at the moment and it occurs to me that "machismo" is not a Spanish word for nothing. Maybe pure revenge would have been too much of a moral tale. Or maybe it would just not have been Spanish (I can't help thinking of *Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown* when I think of Lourdes unwisely falling for Rafael).Three things I liked about this film: 1. Rafael is very aware of how shallow he is, but talks of how he will pursue hedonism nevertheless. 2. I loved Lourdes commanding her troops. They were supposed to look ugly but the way Lourdes strode, and high-fived her soldiers lent them a seductive power. 3. Don Antonio's eternally smouldering hair.

This film is about the tragedy of an elegant man, Rafael, played by Guillermo Toledo. The most seductive and ambitious salesperson of a large department store who loves beautiful women, elegant clothes, and select environments. He considers himself blessed. He is convinced that one day his triumph shall be absolute. Rafael possesses a very distinct talent, he was born to sell. It is in his blood. That is why he works in a big department store. He has turned the ladies' section into his domain. The perfume girls are crazy for him.Rafael also has a definite goal in life. He aspires to become the new floor manager. His main rival for the position is Don Antonio Fraguas (Luis Varela), the veteran responsible for the gentlemen's section. Due to fatalities of fate, Don Antonio accidentally dies after a heated argument with Rafael. The sole witness of the crime is Lourdes (Monica Cervera), a very ugly, insignificant, and obsessive co-worker. Aware of the unusual situation, Lourdes begins to blackmail Rafael. She first obliges him to become her lover, then, her slave, and finally, her husband. Rafeal becomes exasperated to see his highly refined milieu degenerate to a vulgar-hell. In the verge of madness, he plots to end with Lourdes once and for all. This time Rafael, cannot commit a mistake. The motion picture is in the Spanish language with English sub-titles which are brief and very easy to read, even if they were not present, the acting speaks for itself in a universal language that crosses all boundaries. Respectfully yours, Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

I Just can't get enough of this. I watched this movie alone the first time, then I showed it to my flat mates. Now I'm looking forward to the next time friends visit me so I can watch this movie again with them.The thing I liked most about this movie was the extremely smooth way of telling the story. As the movie started, I almost immediately got sucked into the story by the hypnotic, yet very funny way of displaying the plot. Not only the script or the acting, but also camera, light, sound and editing - all aspects of the movie presentation where thoughtfully placed and dozed to make up the right mix for a really well made movie. The way of telling the story is almost a story for itself. The sequence of the scenes performs twists of its own, the way they are filmed and edited adds a whole new level, a sub plot so to speak. The scene presentation, the "image", plays an important role and I'd say it's the most grave factor that makes this movie unique.The pace of the movie (regarding the story telling style, not the plot itself) slows down towards the end to leaves space for more roughness and suspense.I really hope to see much more of Alex del la Iglesia in the future because what I got to see yet is always getting even better.8 out of 10.

Rafael Gonzalez (Guillermo Toledo), is a salesman in the ladies section of a fashionable department store in Madrid who has it all: good looks, a sharp wardrobe, and a confident, brash manner that allows him to get his way with women and in the workplace.Rafael has clear goals, too, the most important of which is to lead a "perfect life," and little patience for anybody who settles for less. Such a proud man, of course, is perfectly set up to take a fall and Rafael plunges very far indeed in this hilarious black comedy by Spanish director Alexis de la Iglesia.Rafael's slide begins when a hated rival, Don Antonio (Luis Varlea), wins a coveted promotion. An argument follows and Don Antonio ends up dead. Rafael's role in the accident goes undetected by the police only because Lourdes (Monica Cevera), an unattractive coworker he has long ignored, helps dispose of the corpse.Lourdes assistance comes with a price. She has long carried a torch for Rafael and uses the threat of police exposure to get her own "perfect life." She insists Rafael become her lover, meet her parents, and marry her. In short, Rafael is about to be trapped in the kind of dull, mediocre existence he has always mocked.Watching Rafael try to escape from the world Lourdes plans for him – raising children in a badly decorated suburban apartment filled with clown paintings and spending evenings collecting ugly miniatures -- provides lots of laughter and entertainment and plenty of insights into contemporary Spain. In the end, each character gets what they want – but as usually happens in life itself – there is a clear winner and loser. Highly recommended.9/10