- Release year: 2024
- Director: Benjamin Lopez.
- Producer: Yamara Rodríguez.
- Screenplay by: Annie Van der Dys and César Sierra.
- Cinematography by: Melvin Vazquez.
- Music by: Sebastián Mellino.
Synopsis: a child tells the story of his life from the moment his aunt decides to donate an egg to make him with his father, until the moment all the members of his family finally come together.
Shotgun Commentary: a soap opera in a film format.
Review
Padres (translated as Fathers) tells the story of Sebastián (Fabián Gonzalez). He is a kid who is born from a surrogate mother thanks to his aunt’s egg and his dad’s sperm. Due to prejudice and greed, some members of his family are not in agreement of this arrangement. Their opposition hurting not only themselves, but all those around them. Despite the cheap look of the film, the story is quite endearing, and even funny once you get into it.
The DRAMA
To be honest, the story isn’t specially riveting. It is more the type of content you would play to have a nap to than a film you’d go to the cinema for. As such, streaming it might be your best choice to enjoy it. The pace of the film is off. Much like in any soap opera, the anticipation is ridiculously longer in comparison to the solution. Furthermore, the last act is rushed through with a couple of half-baked speeches and lots of smiles, a very disappointing ending for such an eternal build-up. Nevertheless, the characters’ spotlight is measured to a T. Nobody has a second more (or less) on screen than they should, even if sometimes you wished they had been cut short.
The narrative itself is an acquired taste. It might not be for everyone, but do give it a try if you are into Turkish soap operas, you might find your favourite film in Padres. Why? Well, let’s start from the obvious, the acting.
Acting up
All the characters are incredibly overacted. The cast can’t cry properly, and their reactions are hilariously exaggerated, especially the character of Cayetana (Mimi Lazo). Watching her and her minion Jayden (Luis Omar O’Farrill) is kinda like watching Yzma (The Emperor’s New Groove, 2000) and a discount Igor (Van Helsing, 2004). She is mean and cruel for flimsy reasons that disappear halfway through the movie, leaving her being the villain just for the sake of it. As for him, he is a hunchback away from being the slimy, brainless minion who is simply there with an evil giggle to fill the screen.
As for the children, they are either completely oblivious to the fact that they are on a movie, or so excited that they can’t help but go way too over the top. This makes you wonder whether they didn’t bother giving them any tips, or there was simply no budget for a few quick acting lessons. Good news is, at least they don’t get as much screen time as the adults, who don’t do a lot better either.
Cheap thrills
The cherry on top of this impromptu daytime drama is, of course, the soundtrack. If the acting didn’t do it, worry not, you will immediately be transported to the genre thanks to the music. Soap operas have a very characteristic music that echoes the events that happen on screen, adding a touch of drama in case the images were not enough. This makes the style incredibly recognisable, almost as much as the production design, which also screams melodrama. There are barely four props per scene, very limited frames, and almost no extras at all, making this look closer to a student project than a serious film.
Still, the themes that are brought up are quite interesting and, even if nothing new is said, it is always nice to have a reminder of the harmfulness of prejudice and the importance of family. Plus, the absurdity of the soap opera aesthetics gives the film the opportunity to talk about topics like gender discrimination and class difference in a very light and calm tone.
All in all, Padres won’t go down in history as anything innovative, original, or even remotely well done. However, it is definitely the perfect watch for a movie night of laughs with some friends or family.
If you are in the UK and Padres has piqued your interest, you can now watch it online from the 15th to the 17th of November in the Streaming Online programme of One Fluid Night International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival!
Advice to take from this movie:
- Should you inform your partner of your intentions to donate an egg or sperm? Of course! Do you need their permission to do so? Hell no!
- Never trust a grumpy man with lots of free time in his hands.
- If you don’t get along with a member of your family, just make them take care of your sick kids!
What’s your take? Have you watched Padres? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀