1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Francella is wonderfully endearing, but can't save the script, December 31, 2007
This review is from: Papá es un ídolo (DVD)
Guillermo Francella is a wonderfully likeable and engaging Argentine actor who has made several similar feel good, family comedies. The plots are nothing special, but Mr Francella's personality sells the story.
In "Papá es un ídolo" the main character is Pablo (Francella), Argentina's former world champion skier, forced to retire early due to a heart condition. Pablo has spent several years completely devoting himself to raising his young teenage son, Martín (Sebastián Francini)after his wife abandoned them to run away with the current skiing champion, Mauricio Fabri (Manuel Bandera).
As a birthday present for Martín, Pablo has arranged a ski vacation in Spain. But when they arrive at the resort, they learn the date of the championship tournament has been moved up and they are there just in time to see the whole thing.
During their first days at the resort Pablo and Martín meet Angela a novice skier from Spain and her young daughter Vicky. After a rough start, Martín and Vicky become friends as Pablo and Angela may be developing something deeper.
The pleasant time is interrupted by the arrival of Fabri who is heavily favored to win this tournament, and his girlfriend who is also the mother that Martín has not seen in several years.
In this strange universe Martín doesn't seem to feel any resentment toward his mother. She buys him a boatload of gifts from the pro shop and he is delighted. She introduces her son to her boyfriend, and Martín is completely star struck. Oddly, Martín seems oblivious to the fact that this is the guy who broke up their family, and has kept his mother away from him for years.
Pablo is naturally a bit resentful and, in the grand comic tradition, he misunderstands the situation and convinces himself that Martín is going to abandon his father to go off with his mother and her boyfriend. Pablo is willing to do anything to win back his son.
Personally, I love cheesy stories with happy endings, but "Papá es un ídolo" is so contrived that I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to fully enjoy it. Even the ever entertaining Guillermo Francella cannot save this weird script.
If you're looking for an enjoyable family comedy from Argentina, try searching out Mr. Francella's "Un Argentino en New York."
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
