The 2016 Spanish Film Festival opened in Brisbane this week with the second instalment of the record-breaking 2014 comedy, Spanish Affair leading the way.
In the first Spanish Affair much of the tension (and most of the laughs) were derived from the cultural differences between the two main protagonists, the lovable Andalusian Spaniard Rafa (Dani Rovira) and the feisty Amaia (Clara Lago).
In this somewhat contrived sequel, Rafa and Amaia have split and Amaia is about to marry a limp-wristed hipster called Pau (Berto Romero). The script has us following Rafa as he does everything in his powers to sabotage the wedding and re-unite with Amaia. In a nutshell, Spanish Affair 2 continues where the original left off – exploring the well-worn theme of relationships, in all their varying states, from unrequited love to adulterous affairs and missed opportunities – all observed through the prism of regional and cultural distinctions.
Although politically driven, the film sidesteps the real issues of Basque and Catalan independence, instead it takes its cues from the cultural differences it exploits in search of laughs. The regional jokes come thick and fast and while they no doubt resonate with self- deprecating Catalans, Andalusians, Basques, and Galicians - those unfamiliar with Spain’s nationalist groups will be left wondering where the laughs are hiding.
While there are quite few good gags, and a few moments of sharp dialogue, overall the script is lacklustre, lurching from the predictable, to the contrived to the downright implausible.
Critically, Spanish Affair 2 isn’t that original - borrowing many of its ideas from older, politically based satires and ‘odd-couple’ rom-coms. But the most notable difference is the lack of conviction. Too often the characters are put in such unlikely situations, it is hard to take them or the film seriously.
★★★☆☆
