High Camp and Silly 'Murder Mystery' from Spain
Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 05/31/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"PERDONA BONITA, PERO LUCAS ME QUERIA A MI (roughly translated means ' Pardon me Duckie, but Lucas loves Me!) is a piece of fluff from Spain that is so over the top that it is almost Daliesque. Were it not for a fairly strong cast this little film could be mistaken for a low budget TV series type project.
Toni (Jordi Mollà), Dani (Roberto Correcher) and Carlos (Pepón Nieto) are three gays living together in a flat and find their rent is so past due that they are to be evicted unless they come up with some fast cash. Their flat has an extra room, they advertise for a tenant, interview an endless groups of hilarious misfits and finally settle on the hunky Lucas (Alonso Caparrós) with whom all three fall in love! The scene flashes forward three months and when Lucas doesn't show up at the apartment the three begin to confess that each is enamored with and seeing Lucas secretly. When Lucas cannot be found at the usual designated meeting places the three return to their flat to find Lucas murdered in his bed!
The police are called, the policewomen are bizarre beyond words and it is discovered that Lucas is the missing lover of one of the two women. In a very high camp setting each of the three roommates 'confesses' his own dalliance with the dead Lucas (this is done with flashbacks that paint Lucas in the imagined delusional image of each), various 'witnesses' contribute their views, and finally when the murder cannot be solved the entire group disposes of the corpse in an odd manner and the way in which the story ends is hilarious.
Some may be offended by the stereotypes that represent every character, but since each of the characters is campy and ludicrous no one type is damaged intentionally. The clichés are broad and the humor is pushed to extremes, but the little film bounces merrily along as the bit of fluff it is. The actors truly make it better than the writers/directors Dunia Ayaso and Félix Sabroso material. Grady Harp, May 05"
Silly, hilarious fun!
Anne Cain | 09/26/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"What an enjoyable comedy! The plot is so far-fetched, the acting so over-the-top, and the script chock full of delicious camp, that the movie is a joy to watch. Best friends, Dani, Toni and Carlos all fall head-over-heels in lust with their new roommate, jealousy comes between them. But Lucas isn't quite the nice guy they imagined, and when he's found murdered, the bizarre 'investigation' that follows implicates everyone as the possible killer...it just happens that Dani, Toni and Carlos are more concerned with proving who was Lucas' actual lover, rather than defending their innocence!
My one qualm is with the subtitle job: the translations for the dialog sometimes don't match what's being said. It catches the gist of the moment, but there are British-isms that might throw viewers on this side of the Atlantic. Folks who are fairly fluent in Spanish will have a better time switching off the subtitles and just enjoying the film.
By no means an Oscar winner or masterpiece, "Lucas Me Queria a Mi" is just good fun all around. Highly recommended for a night of chuckles with a delicious gay twist.
"