El padrecito

My 72 year old mother-in-law loves Cantinflas so we rented this movie among several others of his. I admit I wasn't looking forward to it but I found the clear way in which the main character did good somewhat refreshing after the edginess of modern films. Some might see "El Padricito" as formulaic but I enjoyed it much more than Denzel Washington's modernly formulaic "Out of Time" (I really didn't like that movie). Cantinflas' picture shows a character that must have been a bit avante-garde for his time and was innocent (or naive) in the basic humanity that everyone was able to achieve.

Here is a plot summary: Diminutive Mexican film legend Cantinflas (a cross between Italian funnyman Roberto Benigni and silent film star Buster Keaton) stars as an unconventional priest who's assigned to a new position in a small town. The townspeople are skeptical of the new arrival, and the priest's own unconventional ways do little to boost his popularity.