El asombroso mundo de Borjamari y Pocholo

I know you are supposed to abandon rationality an the entrance of the cinema, and suspend your disbelief, but no matter how hard you try it's absolutely impossible to take this film seriously. A failure as a comedy, surprising at that, since some of the very best Spanish talents of the genre make a contribution. Difficult to judge or qualify its composing elements. Let's say there is not a single film I can think of that defeats so much its purpose. The characters are incongruous, the acting inconsistent, the story line unbelievable, etc. Probable it will get some laughs from some well intentioned spectators trying very hard to have fun, but most people will laugh at it rather than with it.

In the nights of the 80s, Borjamari (Santiago segura) and Pocholo (Javier Gutiérrez) move freely in the Aguacates nightclub, with their self-confidence they are the kings of the place dancing to songs. They are experts in making dirty jokes to the girls, and laughing and joking with everyone and constantly having fun. Only now, the two brothers have fallen into disgrace, and are not given in Aguacates and other places, being the object of mockery and ridicule. Their cousin Pelayo (Willy Tolesdo), who they used to laugh at and abuse in adolescence, reappears in their lives, now he is a modern flirt man , popular and a successful skier. He avenges the old cruelties of his cousins, announcing that Mecano will reunite in a surprise concert. The brothers believe it and embark on an adventure in the company of Paloma (Pilar Castro), a romantic and emotionally complex girl. Paloma has the keys to her daddy's car, and also the keys to Borjamari and Pocholo's happiness. They are apparently the perfect trio, but then things go wrong.

The movie is embarrassing to see because of the fun as well ridiculous situations that protagonists suffer in order to to revive their old hits and to attend a Mecano concert get their aims .The film follows in the wake of "Isi Disi amor a lo bestia" and its sequel ¨Isi/Disi: Alto voltaje¨ dealing with two bankrupted Rock singers played by Santiago Segura, Florentino Fernández, while ¨El asombroso mundo de Borjamari y Pocholo¨(2004) is set in the 1980s, with Borjamari and Pocholo as two "pijos macarrillas" from the Aguacates disco, but 20 years later, the two brothers are teased by their resentful cousin Pelayo. It packs grotesque incidents, hilarious sketches, tongue in cheek , sex remarks, but above all , it contains bad taste , irony and silly humor. Santiago Segura and Javier Gutiérrez give likeable interpretation as the bemusing duo stranded long time that attempt to play together to get their aims .

The only thing worth mentioning about the film is the brief appearance of notable supporting actors, including veterans and younger ones who would go on to have wonderful film careers, such as: Carmen de la Maza, Gerardo Malla, Antonio de la Torre, Patricia Vico, María Ruiz, Javivi, Marta Hazas, Daniel Albadalejo, Secun de la Ros, Diego Martín, Fernando Tejero, Liuva Toledo,Josema Yuste, among others.

The technician credits are pretty good . Adequate cinematography by cameraman Teo Delgado. As well as evocative score by Miguel Malla, adding catching songs from the Eighties: ¨Hago Chas y aparezco a tu lado¨ written by Álex de la Nuez & Christina Rosenvinge, performed by Álex y Christina (as Álex y Cristina; ¨Cien gaviotas¨ written by Diego Vasallo performed by Duncan Dhu; ¨No controles¨ written by Nacho Cano performed by Olé Olé; ¨Sin miedo a nada¨ written & performed by Álex Ubago; ¨Devuélveme a mi chica¨ written by David Summers, performed by Hombres G; ¨Chicle cosmos¨ written by Guille Milkyway, performed by La Casa Azul; ¨Aire¨written by José María Cano performed by Mecano.

The motion picture was lousily directed by Juan Cavestany, Enrique López Lavigne. Both would become good and successful producers rather than directors. Enrique López Lavigne is known for 28 Weeks Later (2007), The Impossible (2012) and Veronica (2017), Sister Death, Siege, Grandmother, Wild Session, Adios, Veneno Spanish Shame, Your Son, among others. And Juan Cavestany is a writer and director, known for screenplays as ¨Guerreros¨ ,¨Lobos De Washington¨ , ¨Salir Pitando¨ , ¨El Caso Wanninkhof¨ and he has directed a few films such as ¨Asombros Mundo De Borjamari Y Pocholo¨ , ¨Dispongo De Barcos¨and this ¨Gente En Sitios¨. Rating El asombroso mundo de Borjamari y Pocholo(2004): 3.5/10.

BorjaMari and Pocholo are the most popular guys in discos at he the 80's, while they are about 20 and have all the girls behind them. Unfortunately, twenty years have passed and they have not changed anything. They go to the same place (where they are less than clowns, but they don't realize), listen the same music and make the same jokes, day after day, without realizing that world has changed. One day, they find their cousin, Pelayo, who was the loser of the 80s, that today is a famous artist-sportsman that has everything in life. He decides to take revenge and tells them that Mecano (a mythic Spanish group of the eighties) are going to do a surprise concert in a few days. BorjaMari and Pocholo, stupid as they are, believe him and filled with happiness make a travel to see Mecano without knowing that all is a joke from their cousin. Silly, with stupid and pathetic characters, it pretends to be funny when is absolutely boring; bad directed and worse played, if you can, avoid seeing it. On the other hand, the soundtrack is superb, with probable the pest Spanish-pop songs of the last twenty years, and that can make the disgusting process of watching the film a bit more pleasant. If possible, buy and enjoy the soundtrack, but avoid watching the film. (due to its soundtrack I've put a 2, not 1)

This is a horrible movie in an of itself, but the fact that it is trying to be "One Night at the Roxbury" in Spain makes it even worse. Foreign films have always stood out for me, basically because they are daring and brave. Spanish films in particular have always left me with a very positive feel, but this is the lamest thing ever produced.

At times it feels like it's Dumb and Dumber without the charisma of Jim Carrey, but mostly it's a remake of a Night at the Roxbury only dumber. A particularly stupid scene consists of the two lead characters sitting at a Ski Resort, one tells the other one to turn around so that he can slap him and then they both laugh like morons. This happens at least four times without a real rhyme or reason.

As one of the other comments states, the music is the only worthwhile element...although I have to disagree with him ... Mecano is NOT a mythical band...it is one of the best Bands from Spain. Overall this is unbearably bad -- Skip it at all cost.

Of course, if you like the music which appears in the movie (Hombres G, Mecano, and all that stuff), you don't like the movie. But, strictly, I think is not that bad, mainly because Pocholo and Borjamari are really pathetic, but exactly in the same way as the real guys who liked that kind of music in the Madrid of the 80's were: I don't hesitate about it because I was living then there and I saw it with my own eyes every Saturday evening. Look twice to the movie and search for funny jokes about the quite late move-out-of-parents-home of the Spanish youth, the absurd situations in the trying to pick-up girls of each weekend, the insane, vain and superficial way of life of the Spanish young members of the V.I.P. families... All these reflections are and were real, and they are mixed with some standards comedy situations. I do believe that the critics didn't make justice to this movie with their writings. Lack of sense of humor about burlesques of the high social classes? And, by the way, I'm sorry, but the best highlight in the movie is the characterizing of Mecano's fans, whose exaggerated and praised entourage created about the simple (and several plain) pop-music songs of this band converted Mecano's members in a kind of Gods who they never ever were at all. There were much much much more music during the 80's in Spain, much more variety and styles, and much more better too...