Rating: Summary: Funny, but Sad Review: Funny - Comical and at times just nuts. You can easily see the road which 'La Colombiana' is taking the straight-laced Capitan. Sad- You can also tell who the Capitan is thinking about when he lights his lighter.DVD functionality was good. Picture is pristine, with options for English and Spanish subtitles in letterbox. This one was a pleasant surprise.
Rating: Summary: Original and Well Executed Review: Great Peruvian film here! It is about a clean-cut, obediant captain in the Peruvian army who is assigned to go undercover as a businessman near a far-off army base where the soldiers have been causing havoc in the nearby city, raping women (since there are no women in the land where they are stationed. The captain (who is a loyal husband and soon-to-be father, spearheads a business in which prostitutes are brought down the Amazon River and are paid to provide "renderings" to the soldiers. Alot of the drama in this dark comedy/drama comes from "La Colombiana," an extremely beautiful "visitadora" whom becomes a favorite of the soldiers and her boss. This made my wife and I laugh out at several parts, though lovers of drama will more than likely appreciate this piece more than those who are just looking for a few laughs. The acting is impeccable, the script was witty, but not overdone, the film quality was great (much better than I had expected considering not many Peruvian films make it into the US market). A Must-See!!
Rating: Summary: Dedication put to the test Review: Hilarious, sultry and clever, this film traces the adventures of the dedicated Peruvian Army Captain Pantoja, who is sent by his higher-ups to an assignment deep in the jungle. It seems the soldiers there have been raping local women, due to the well-accepted fact that the jungle boils a man's desire out of control. Pantoja's secret task is to form a government-sponsored brothel to keep the men's libidos in check. With characteristic thoroughness, and at first reluctantly, Pantoja analyzes every aspect of the job, exhaustively researching human sexuality with a scholar's detachment. This leads him to many insights into accomplishing his task in the most efficient manner possible. One example: the provision of pornographic material to a soldier waiting for his "visit" reduces his average "visit time" by 36 seconds, thus allowing a "visitor" to service six more soldiers during her shift, and reducing cost accordingly. Unfortunately for Pantoja, the operation becomes too efficient and eventually draws the attention of a corrupt local radio personality. The dignity that Pantoja bestows upon his employees irks his superiors, and they too turn on him. Llosa's original novel is brought to life delightfully, and the film is highly entertaining, especially for one familiar with Latin American culture.
Rating: Summary: Foreign film lovers Review: I am one who loves foreign films. Especially those from latin america. This movie is highly entertaining and really captures some of the "spicyness and characteristics" of latino culture . Anyone who has lived in South America knows this. One scene scene that did this was the fiesta with the band and dancers. The music, costumes, dances, and atmosphere were very similar to what you would find if you went there tomorrow. Maybe the ending was a little too harsh, but an overall entertaining flick it was.
Rating: Summary: Foreign film lovers Review: I am one who loves foreign films. Especially those from latin america. This movie is highly entertaining and really captures some of the "spicyness and characteristics" of latino culture . Anyone who has lived in South America knows this. One scene scene that did this was the fiesta with the band and dancers. The music, costumes, dances, and atmosphere were very similar to what you would find if you went there tomorrow. Maybe the ending was a little too harsh, but an overall entertaining flick it was.
Rating: Summary: The humor escapes me Review: I found this movie to be a miserable, predictable, and pointless experience. The political satire of it escapes me as well as the humor or sexiness. If you want a real satire about military life and corruption, see "Bananas!" And if you want to entertain some goofy fantasy about running a legal prostitute ring and cheating on your wife, then see this.
Rating: Summary: Great Adaptation of the movie Review: I think Francisco Lombardi got the exact feeling that you get when reading this excellent book from Mario Vargas Llosa. The film edition, film direction and performance of the actors can't be that better. Salvador del Solar makes a great character as Captain Pantoja really well supported by two women: Angie Cepeda and Monica Sanchez. Angie Cepeda shows that she's not only sexy but a great actress as Monica Sanchez shows she can be as sexy as she wants. Beautiful locations in the jungle and rivers of Peru. Two thumbs Up!
Rating: Summary: "I hope you like the jungle." Review: In the Peruvian comedy "Pantaleon y las Visitadoras", strait-laced Captain Pantaleon Pantoja (Salvador del Solar) is given the daunting mission of setting up a 'visitor's centre' in the heart of the Peruvian jungle. According to Pantoja's superiors, there are more than 8,000 lonely soldiers stationed in various camps throughout the jungle, and these men are molesting local women. When the public outcry becomes overwhelming, Peruvian military officials decide to establish the 'visitor's centre' loaded with energetic, young prostitutes. The plan is that these women will visit the camps, and provide the lonely, desperate soldiers with a little R&R. As a result, it's hoped that the soldiers' attention will be distracted away from the unwelcoming local women, and back to the imported professional women who want a chance to earn some big money.
Captain Pantaleon Pantoja seems the perfect man for the job. He has no vices and is happily married. Pantaleon approaches the job as he would any military campaign--with maps, logistics, organization, pre-operation pep talks, and a complete strategy. He even subverts the carnal truth behind this delicate mission by renaming the essential components. This really has to be the funniest part of the film, but it soon lapses into predictable, silly and titillating comedy interspersed with occasional stripping and a few cheap laughs. Olga Arellano (Angie Cepeda) or "La Colombiano" provides the majority of film's erotic tension. The film is based on a novel by Mario Vargas Llosa, and is in Spanish with English subtitles--displacedhuman
Rating: Summary: Rent the movie! Review: Its not a movie you would see over and over again, but its worth watching, It is about a married officer that was given an assignment, he had to boost up moral for the soldiers in the jungle by secretly running a prostitution house or should i say boat, he ends up falling for one of the prostitutes. Not to much action but drama.
Rating: Summary: A Gem! S. Sommerville Sums it Up Just Right Review: One reviewer called this "Hogan's Hookers" but I think "original and well-executed" sums this delightful genre-busting film up to a tee. I was completely captivated for the first 45 minutes as the plot was laid out in a manner that despite its humorous nature was still completely plausible and engaging. I must admit to being a Peru-lover but even if you know nothing about the country the cinematography is thoroughly professional and cutting edge. Film buffs will note that the actress who plays the madame Chuchupe is Pilar Bardem, the mother of renowned Spanish actor Javier Bardem (Jamon Jamon, Live Flesh, When Night Falls, etc, etc etc). Angie Cepeda (La Colombiana) has since gone off to Hollywood, and Salvador del Solar (Pantaleon) continues to make films in Peru. Many other faces will be familiar to watchers of Univision, Venevision, or other Televisa networks.
As for a weakness, I felt that the film got just a bit too stagy and Hollywood at about the one hour point, when Olga and Pantaleon have their first serious encounter. Cepeda is put out as the showcase of the film, but frankly I felt her performance was perhaps the weakest link in the whole presentation. But even Hitchcock was known for terrible romance scenes, I don't think it flaws the film too much. That scene was soon forgotten after remarkable appearances from Aristóteles Picho as El Sinchi, the abominable shock jock radio voice of Iquitos. And anyone who has ever worked for a poor manager should appreciate the amazing dedication and work ethic of Pantaleon, and the affection his employees felt for him after he leaves. All in all, this is a real gem of a film.
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