Nada en la nevera

A routine romantic comedy stars Carlota (María Esteve, Marisol's daughter), she is a neurotic ambulance driver is in the midst of a love crisis. Her love life is a disaster: all his relationships end in failure. When his last boyfriend leaves him, she goes on obsessed with finding the man of her life; then chance leads her to a young cartoonist. She meets José María (Coque Maya), an erotic comic book artist, to whom Carlota feels attached from the first moment, despite the fact that they have nothing in common. He's also elusive and somewhat rude, who becomes the object of all her desires, but he is also terrified of commitments.

Typical romantic comedy about a peculiar couple with contrasting characters, exploring a complex relationship from which sparks sometimes fly. The special story of a couple who love each other but who are apparently unable to be together, that's why they're very different people. While she is bold in love and throws herself headlong into impossible relationships, he does not want any kind of ties and likes certain freedom. Thing go wrong when one day Carlota discovered José María betrayed her with another woman and she left him immediately, and to save such dying love affair José María is determined to change himself so as to win her back. The film was shot entirely in Madrid and most of the sequences take place at night in natural settings.

¨Nada en la nevera (1998)¨ is a stylish and agreeable comedy seasoned with diverting scenes, alluring messes , confusion , entertainment and unevenly directed by Álvaro Fernández Armero with its ups and downs. This is a Romance/comedy movie ; the picture develops a special story about a peculiar couple and the twisted relationship among them, filled with lasting images , delightful performances , sense of style and slow moving, but there is nothing special about it . Although it also contains some bad taste with continuous sexual references, to the size of sexual organs, and other foul words. Resulting to be a passable movie , though slightly monotonous due to be really limited to a few characters and a simple story with various sub plots that keep the mistakes in life coming back to what many might feel is destiny for what it should be at some point. Regular and unbalanced , but gaining the sympathy almost at all times . It is an amusing picture dealing with couple relationships , jealousy , loving conflicts and many other things . This is a charming and warming comedy with a lot of incidents in which each time more dangerously out of control , including attractant love stories in which there are misunderstandings and small revenges that the two protagonists inflict on each other, as well as the ordinary comedian clichés . Colorful story of loves and jealousy in which predominates amiable , attracting main roles who become embroiled in multiple messes, being played by a good starring cast: María Esteve and Coque Malla, with brief and fine interpretations from secondary actors such as: Paulina Gálvez, Manuel Morón, Luis Hostalot, Carmen Balagué, Santiago Lajusticia, Roberto Álvarez, among others .

The picture has an appropriate cinematography by Hans Burmann , a prestigious cameraman who has photographed popular films such ¨Los girasoles ciegos¨, ¨El último tren¨, ¨Besos para todos¨, ¨Trileros¨, ¨Lola la película¨, ¨Abre los ojos¨, ¨Tesis¨. As well as lively and catching musical score by Manuel Villalta and including songs as ¨La del bombo¨ written by Andreas Prittwitz and ¨Número uno¨ written by Alejo Stivel, Ariel Rot and Julián Infante performed by Tequila. The motion picture was uneven but professionally written and directed by Alvaro Fernández Armero. He was born in 1969 in Madrid, location where he often shoots his flicks . He is a good director and writer, expert on comedies and especially known for ¨Todo es Mentira¨ (1994), ¨Salir Pitando¨ , ¨El Juego De Verdad¨ , ¨Nada en la Nevera¨ , ¨Brujas¨, ¨Ocho apellidos marroquís¨ , though also shot a successful slasher titled ¨El Arte De Morir¨. Rating: 5/10. Acceptable and passable but no remarkable. The picture will appeal to Spanish comedy enthusiasts .

"Nada en la Nevera" is not by all means a typical romantic comedy where the girl gets the guy and they live happily ever after; it is more a if girl gets the guy, will she live happily ever after?

The characters are very well developed, particularly Juan, the lesbian best friend. Jose Maria/Numero Uno is the typical forlorn sheepish artist, like John Cusack in High Fidelity (when it's his turn to tell the story. Maria Esteve, as Carlota, is worthy of the Ally McBeal comparisons of the other reviewer. She's flighty, constantly thinking out loud, though a lot edgier.

I give it 7 stars for unconventionality.

First, Penélope isn´t in this film, only Coque and Maria. This is a funny movie, like Kevin Smith´s "Chasing Amy". It´s about a neurotic love in Carlota´s life. Nº 1 is the man?, Maybe. You´ll see the film, Cali::8/9