Customer Reviews

Golden Balls: Huevos De Oro

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HUEVOS DE ORO (Golden Balls) is a 1993 film by writer/director JJ Bigas Luna (best known for his 'Jamon, Jamon' and 'Son de Mar') that suffers from defective promo/packaging. The cover of the DVD (probably released only of late because of Javier Bardem's growing popularity in this country) suggests an edgy comedy: Bardem in a gold suit is seen grasping his crotch! Nothing could be more misrepresenting as this is a drama of lust, greed, power, and ruthlessness. Get past the promo and settle in for a drama and the result is not bad.

Benito Gonzalez (Javier Bardem) is a construction worker with a dream: he is obsessed with power of building and owning the tallest building in Barcelona and of becoming the richest man who can own gold Rolex watches and have all the women he wants. He is a lustful lover, first with his best friend Mosca's (Francesco Dominedo) sister Rita (Elisa Tovati) whose body and scent are a passion for him. Yet he dreams of his tallest building (the possibility of his achieving this is not unlike the ease of getting an erection!) and he focuses his life on his greed. His co-worker Miguel (Alessandro Gassman) is to help him fulfill his dream, but when he discovers Miguel is sleeping with Rita he is incensed and leaves his lowly construction job for the promise of riches in Barcelona.

Through stepping on people, using devious means to get backing and money for his 'Gonzalez Tower', Benito gradually destroys all of those who want to help him - his new girl Claudia (Maribel Verdu) with whom he has another sexual obsession then talks into sleeping with one of his money source prospects, the banker (Albert Vidal) who has slept with Claudia becomes his father-in-law when for monetary gain Benito marries daughter Marta (Maria de Medeiros), a wily but wealthy film producer 'Gil with the Chickpeas' (Ángel de Andrés López), and more.

By breaking the law, abusing his 'friends', and lying in general Benito's building is nearly completed. But a series of tragedies involving Mosca's accidental death, and an auto accident with many permutations for Benito, and the ultimate loss of funding result in Benito's multiple losses of his dreams, betrayals of his pitiful sex life (this time a lowly gardener Bob (Benicio Del Toro) steals his paramour) leave Benito destroyed. The story is actually on the order of a Greek tragedy - but sadly without the impact.

Though Javier Bardem is a brilliant actor and is in the company of other exceptional actors, the script by JJ Bigas Luna is weak, paying little attention to character motivation and emphasizing instead gross caricatures. But if the film is taken as a recreation of the driving, greedy, power obsession of the 1980s then the message makes its impact. And it is always good to see early work by such actors as Bardem, Del Toro, and Verdu! Grady Harp, March 05

There are some great actors in this film including Javier Bardem, Benicio Del Toro, Maribel Verdu and Maria de Medeiros, but if you aren't a fan of Bigas Luna's intense comedic/dramatic explorations of sexuality, you probably won't enjoy this. Bardem is brave and effective as the macho anti-hero, Del Toro has a brief role as a randy gardner, and the women are all beautiful and sexy, but it's a bit of a trifle in the end. Part of an unofficial trilogy of films that includes "Jamon, Jamon" and "La Teta y La Luna".

This movie is about a macho character named Benito Gonzalez. He wants to get to the top. We're talking Women, Cars, Fame, and Fortune. He starts out as a soldier and when he gets out, its all about being creative and doing whatever it takes to get to the top.He is a big fan of Dali because he does whatever he wants regardless of people think. In the end it all comes crashing. Its a very enjoyable movie with great acting..when Javier Bardem was still making a name for himself. Bigas Luna at his best!!

Bigas Luna's 1993 film HUEVOS DE ORO (a title punning on both the goose that laid the golden eggs and a tough guy's balls of steel) depicts the rise and fall of Benito Gonzalez (Javier Bardem), a young Spanish construction worker who becomes a affluent real estate developer on the Mediterranean coast, but then loses all he built up for himself through his own greed, callousness and ineptitude. Benito's lust for money and women is pure hyperbole, but the state he finds himself in by the end of the film awakes considerable sympathy in the viewer. While not an especially great film, I do rate it more highly than other Bigas Luna productions, and though it has been over four years since I last saw it, I still occasionally recall its plot thinking "How sad to end up that way."

The American DVD release hypes the presence of Benicio del Toro. This portrayal of a Latino gardener in the United States was one of his first roles, but he is onscreen only for a few minutes at the end. Nonetheless, the foil he provides for Benito is a crucial part of the action.

HUEVOS DE ORO (Golden Balls) is a 1993 film by writer/director JJ Bigas Luna (best known for his 'Jamon, Jamon' and 'Son de Mar') that suffers from defective promo/packaging. The cover of the DVD (probably released only of late because of Javier Bardem's growing popularity in this country) suggests an edgy comedy: Bardem in a gold suit is seen grasping his crotch! Nothing could be more misrepresenting as this is a drama of lust, greed, power, and ruthlessness. Get past the promo and settle in for a drama and the result is not bad.

Benito Gonzalez (Javier Bardem) is a construction worker with a dream: he is obsessed with power of building and owning the tallest building in Barcelona and of becoming the richest man who can own gold Rolex watches and have all the women he wants. He is a lustful lover, first with his best friend Mosca's (Francesco Dominedo) sister Rita (Elisa Tovati) whose body and scent are a passion for him. Yet he dreams of his tallest building (the possibility of his achieving this is not unlike the ease of getting an erection!) and he focuses his life on his greed. His co-worker Miguel (Alessandro Gassman) is to help him fulfill his dream, but when he discovers Miguel is sleeping with Rita he is incensed and leaves his lowly construction job for the promise of riches in Barcelona.

Through stepping on people, using devious means to get backing and money for his 'Gonzalez Tower', Benito gradually destroys all of those who want to help him - his new girl Claudia (Maribel Verdu) with whom he has another sexual obsession then talks into sleeping with one of his money source prospects, the banker (Albert Vidal) who has slept with Claudia becomes his father-in-law when for monetary gain Benito marries daughter Marta (Maria de Medeiros), a wily but wealthy film producer 'Gil with the Chickpeas' (Ángel de Andrés López), and more.

By breaking the law, abusing his 'friends', and lying in general Benito's building is nearly completed. But a series of tragedies involving Mosca's accidental death, and an auto accident with many permutations for Benito, and the ultimate loss of funding result in Benito's multiple losses of his dreams, betrayals of his pitiful sex life (this time a lowly gardener Bob (Benicio Del Toro) steals his paramour) leave Benito destroyed. The story is actually on the order of a Greek tragedy - but sadly without the impact.

Though Javier Bardem is a brilliant actor and is in the company of other exceptional actors, the script by JJ Bigas Luna is weak, paying little attention to character motivation and emphasizing instead gross caricatures. But if the film is taken as a recreation of the driving, greedy, power obsession of the 1980s then the message makes its impact. And it is always good to see early work by such actors as Bardem, Del Toro, and Verdu! Grady Harp, April 07

from venezuela to madrid this movie is a good movie.
first time i wacht this i was joung but is sweet movie
javier plays awesomwe in this movie is good actor and
is one of the best.

This is actually talking about "died of human" regarding the 'seduction' and sex of high post construction worker's daughter and he later end up been left to by himself....something like this and this film is recommended tothose whom are interested in this genre of DVDfilms/movie.

Golden Balls: Huevos De Oro

Review by:

Dr, MR Franc MBBS (PhD) GPS Ang Poon Kah

i love javier bardem, he is young and full of energy in this movie. if you like benicio del toro, make sure to watch him in a asmall role towards the end of the movie, well worth the wait.