Customer Reviews

Moon Over Parador

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This clever film is a comedy sleeper; Paul Mazursky gathers a fine cast and puts over an amusing comedy about an actor impersonating a banana republic dictator. Yes, we've seen funny films about dodgey Latin American countries rife with ex-Nazis and goofy leaders, and yes, impersonation gags are nothing new in comedy films, but this has a certain freshness that makes this a minor gem.

The film is shot in Minais Gerais, Brazil, and the slightly crumbling colonial architecture is the perfect background for the fictional Republic of Parador. Richard Dreyfuss is almost too believable as a second-rate actor Jack Noah. In fact, he is often overshadowed by the late and highly talented Raul Julia, who plays the power-mad, slightly homicidal genius behind Parador's dictatorship. When Il Presidente croaks, Dreyfuss is given the role of a lifetime, and the added perk of Madonna Mendez (Sonia Braga) as his lithesome mistress.

The only flaw with the film is that Dreyfuss is not as funny as Julia, Braga or even Mazursky, who fills in as Il Presidente's redoutable Mama, a bit part in drag that was conjured up with other actresses who were to cameo in the role bailed out. Sadly, he's overshadowed by these huge talents, and that makes his critical part, the buffoon-like Alfonse Simms, President, a touch less amusing that it ought to be. And some of the cameos (Charo, Sammy Davis, Jr., Polly Holliday) could have been bigger. They were almost a waste.

A fun fact: The first dictator, the "real" Simms, is played by Dreyfuss' brother Lorin, rather than doing a doppleganger scene with a stand-in for Richard Dreyfuss in both roles.

A fun comedy, and one that is great to have in the DVD library. Best film ever made? No, but a good solid movie that is worth seeing from time to time when you need a good laugh.

When I first saw this movie over a decade ago, I was so happy to see that Hollywood decided to film a movie about the political charade many Latin American republics of that era were involved in. Except for a few democracies, Latin American was still a mecca for dictators and coup d'etat's.

Parador (must me a hybrid of the countries "Paraguay" and "Ecuador" since Parador in Spanish means "inn") is a country in a deep crisis. Their dictator has died mysteriously and the oligarchy that really rules the country is looking for someone to take his place. Enter Richard Dreyfuss, a struggling New York actor who gets the role of a lifetime playing a third-world despot. At first he finds it amusing, but later realizes that the charade he is performing is really hurting the people he is supposed to rule.

Filmed in Minas Gerais, Brazil, "Moon Over Parador" features that talents of some of Latin America's best actors. Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia and Brazilian actress Sonia Braga both steal the show as the president's advisor and mistress respectively. I was happy to see Spanish singer Charo in a small role as one of the president's maids and the ambiance of a small Latin American republic is perfectly captured by director Paul Mazurksy ("Down and Out in Beverly Hills").

This is a film that deserves to be on DVD. It is one of the 1980's hidden gems, and hopefully Universal will release it in the DVD format it rightfully deserves to be on. "Moon Over Parador" outranks Woody Allen's "Bananas" as the best spoof of Latin American politics ever made. It's a comedic masterpiece.

Say what you want about "Down And Out In Beverly Hills", but for me, "Moon Over Parador" is by far Paul Mazursky's funniest film. The reason? Raul Julia and Sonia Braga. Whether comedy or drama, Julia [who, sadly, passed away in 1994] and Braga were Hollywood's most underrated cinema duo. They were both denied much deserve Oscar nods for their incredible performances in "Kiss Of The Spider Woman", and not given nearly enough credit for their comedic skills in "Parador".

Richard Dreyfus is supposedly the "star" of "Parador", but it's Julia and Braga who carry this little gem!

I love this movie, it has everything, love,romance, action, satire, and even Julio Inglesias singing a beautiful love song. Fimed on location in San Salvador, Brazil. Richard Dreyfuss, Raul Julia and Sonia Braga give sterling performances! Raul Julia is magical in his authentic potrayal of a passive aggressive Head of the National Police. Sonia is perfect as the experienced courtesan who teaches Richard EVERYTHING she knows about the dictator. Richard is superb as the lead with his comic potrayal of an actor in a situation that is incrdibly complex. The modern version of Casablanca. Veteran funny man, Jonathan Winters is excellent in his role.The humour, directing and stunts are A1. Mazursky who directed cult movie Down And Out In Beverly Hills is a brilliant director.

Twenty years ago, at the time MOON OVER PARADOR was released, my then wife and I were subletting a room to a female graduate student who had spent a lot of time in South America. Well, she caught this film--which was admittedly not high on my list at the time--and came home spouting her indignation over its "stereotypical treatment" of Latin Americans and cliche notions of South American politics. My reaction: Hmm, probably right, but still sort of a tempest in teapot.

I suppose the reason that it sticks in my memory is that she brought it up more than once. Had it been a film that was doing a lot of box office, it might have been more of an issue. At the very least, her comments weren't enough to make we rush out and check it out for myself. From what I knew of the film, it seemed pretty formulaic. And hadn't Woody Allen covered that ground with his classic BANANAS.?

Still it seems quite remarkable that this (then) young woman's vituperative comments about the film have stuck in my mind lo these many years--enough so that when I saw the film on sale in VHS format for a ridiculously low price (hey, it WAS VHS and besides the store was closing), I decided to pick it up and see just what had upset her so much.

Well, she certainly had a point--or two or three. The stereotypes are pretty broad. On the other hand, precisely because they are CLEARLY stereotypes, it seems doubtful that any intelligent viewer will come away from the film with severe misconceptions about South American politics or cultures. And since the country in question is clearly fictional (Parador, being a "comically" clumsy amalgam of Paraguay and Ecuador, but not really understood to be either), you might ask, what's the harm? You might even decide that the film--if it has any theme at all--is really about corruption WHEREVER it exists. In this film, the politicians are, predictably, either Machiavellian or just completely out of touch. But it's not as though the political admixture of ineptness and corruption were unknown in this country, after all. Raul Julia is no more sinister in this movie than, say, Frank Langella was in the similarly (identically?) themed DAVE a few years later. And as viewers will recall, that film took place in the good old US of A.

If MOON OVER PARADOR is not a truly bigoted film (as my housemate asserted), it is also not really sharp enough a satire to make much of a statement at all--be it about Latin American politics, corruption as part of the human condition or just about anything else.

That's unfortunate since the film's strong cast and its noted director, Paul Mazursky, would seem to promise more than the film wound up delivering. It does give Richard Dreyfuss yet another chance (after GOODBYE GIRL) to be an actor playing an actor--an occasion that almost by definition allows one to be as hammy as you wanna be. You gotta hand it to him. He makes the most of it.

This movie is a super flick. Dreyfuss at his best in my opinion. I wonder when they will put it on DVD ?

The kind of movie you hope will soon be on DVD so that you can keep it for years to come, I know I'll be the first to buy a copy, I've already worn out 2 tapes. Sonya Braga was excellent as was Richard Dreyfuss.Don't miss it.

A banana-republic police chief forces a U.S. actor to impersonate a dead dictator. The cast includes Dick Cavett (playing himself), Richard Dreyfuss, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, Jonathan Winters, Michael Greene, Polly Holliday, Charo, Marianne Sagebrecht, Sammy Davis Jr. (playing himself), Edward Asner, Ike Pappas, and Paul Mazursky. Parador is an imaginary Country. The name is a combination of Paraquay and Equador.

This movie is the best spoof of Latin American politics ever made. It is a comedic masterpiece.

A very funny light comedy with Sonia Braga, one of my all time favorite female movie stars. Richard Dreyfuss really shows his comedic timing and is brilliant. Raul Julia as the intimidating bad guy was an excellent choice by the casting director. Kudos

This is one of the funniest movies ever. A truly original script, thoroughly entertaining. A great showcase for the talented actors. A must have for any collection.