Casa de mi Padre

First Hit:  This film was entertaining mostly because it was an obvious spoof with good acting.

Watching Will Ferrell (playing Armando) speak fluent Spanish and use his impish grin and questionable logic to tell this story was fun.

As you all note, I’m not a big Ferrell fan, but here he is good at keeping the film moving along. His character lives at home with his father Miguel Ernesto (played by Pedro Armendariz Jr.).

The juxtaposition between all the Mexican/Latin cast with the main character (Armando) being a Caucasian was hilarious. Armando’s brother, Raul (played by Diego Luna), comes home with his soon to be wife Sonia (played by Genesis Rodriguez) as a drug dealer who exclaims he really isn’t hurting anyone because it is the stupid Americans who require the drugs he sells.

There are moments where Raul mimics Pacino from Scarface which brought me to laughter.

The use of really bad animatronics was perfect.

The fake background scenes repeated over and over as they ride in the truck or the fake horse riding was perfect for this farce filled film.

Ferrell was good in this role and actually had me laughing multiple times. Efren Ramirez and Adrian Martinez as Esteban and Manuel respectively are perfect in their roles. Gael Garcia Bernal as “The Onza” held my attention whenever he was on the screen. Rodriguez was beautiful and engaging as Sonia the love interest. Andrew Steele wrote this funny script. Matt Piedmont directed this in mindful spoofy way.

Overall:  I was surprised that I liked what Will Ferrell did in this film and the tongue-in-cheek approach made it fun.

Man on a Ledge

First Hit:  Parts were fun and interesting others just poorly constructed.

At the end of this film, it is all supposed to come together and it does, but it was not satisfying nor did it feel complete.

Nick Cassidy (played by Sam Worthington) is a former cop and in prison because he’s been accused of stealing a $40M diamond from David Englander (played by Ed Harris). However he claims he is innocence and was set-up and wants to make his name right. He attends his father’s funeral and escapes from his guards.

After being in hiding for a few weeks, he checks into an expensive hotel, eats a fancy meal, leaves a note (claiming his innocence) and climbs out on the ledge 21 floors up. While the cops, news people, news people, and public are focused on him from the street below, his brother Joey (played by Jamie Bell) and his brother’s girlfriend Angie (played by Genesis Rodriguez) are breaking into the building across the street actually stealing the diamond. In this way Nick can prove his innocence.

Englander is characterized as someone having some of the arrogance and stupidity of Donald Trump and the controlled focus and untouchable qualities of a mobster. He uses cops as his dirty work guys whom will kill for him at a price.

This is the underlying scenario as the film unfolds as it includes Nick's working partner as one who was dirty as well.

Lastly, the film also has a focus on a police psychologist Lydia Mercer (played by Elizabeth Banks) who just recently lost one of her “jumpers” and is struggling with the pain. Nick specifically asks for her as a way to help her move through her past event.

The film has enough good shots in it to make it very interesting. The overhead, looking over the ledge and Worthington’s ability to make it seem he could have fallen at any moment, was very good. What didn’t work was that it was far too easy to see, and know, which cops were crooked - they even looked crooked. In other words, in some places the movie, had little too much telegraphing of characterizations and situations.

Worthington was strong and believable in his role although the film teetered as not being believable. Harris was a wonderful arrogant ass who felt entitled to his arrogance. Bell was very good as the brother who wanted to do right for his family. Rodriguez was strong, funny, and vulnerable in her role as accomplice and girlfriend. Banks was OK as the psychologist who is charged with talking down a jumper. Edward Burns, played another police person charged with talking down jumpers and I didn’t think this was of his better work. He seemed to not have a mind of his own and wasn’t convincing why he changed to support Banks role. Pablo F. Fenjves wrote a fairly interesting script. Asger Leth directed some of the ledge and robbery scenes with aplomb while other sections didn’t quite work as well.

Overall: It was interesting while watching it, but it has no legs because the very next day – it is forgotten.