Merche (Carmen Maura) , about to turn 76, is told that she doesn't have long left to live. Our protagonist is diagnosed with cancer, and finding out that she has little time left to live, she decides to carry out all those dreams that she has left to make. Unable to travel to watch the sea for last time, she accepts a medical experimental process to get it. The retired woman, upon learning of her terminal illness, decides to fulfill her last wishes along with her three best friends (the excellent María Luisa Merlo, Marisol Ayuso and María José Alfonso). However, she has a pending account that she will not be able to fulfill: going to the beach of La Palma with her understanding daughter Roció (Olivia Molina), although she is opposed by her jealous husband, the strict Treasury Inspector Mark (Carlos Santos). However, her illness does not allow it, but two brilliant scientists (Aitana Sánchez Gijón, Enrique Villén) give her the solution: for three days Merche's soul will be introduced by a fat, heavy and tall Basque truck driver (Fernando Albizu) who recently died.
Enjoyable film plenty of good feeling , fine sense , deep sensibility as well as a well written script delving into the human psyche about a person who has little time left to live. It's an agreeable , quiet film, perfectly acted and concerning the narration about the relationship between an elderly woman and her family and her three friends in their seventies or eighties: Maria José Alfonso, Gemma Cuervo, Marisol Ayuso. Carmen Maura (Ay Carmela), Olivia Molina (¨Un Burka por amor¨), Carlos Santos (¨El Crack 3¨) and Aitana Sánchez Gijón (¨El Maquinista¨) are part of the choral cast of this shameless ode to life directed by Paco Arango. Arango once again imbues optimism with fun and solidarity about something as discouraging as 'death' and does so through white humor, tenderness, love, and some other element of science fiction and fantasy, in the premise of how to turn Carmen Maura in the brute Fernando Albizu. The film will thus become a crazy proposal that seeks to be a comedy with family overtones. On this occasion, it focuses on the older audience, with protagonists of a certain age, full of energy, who become the most positive point of the flick. In this film Carmen Maura gives a sympathetic acting by playing Merche, a woman who, after discovering that she has little time left for live, and decides to fulfill all those dreams that she still has to accomplish, and adding brief appearances from other guest stars as Ana Obregón, Macarena Gómez, and cameos by Juanjo Artero, director Paco Arango himself and even ex-government president Mariano Rajoy. The film attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , with its amusing sides and brief dark areas. Including fantastic elements, but not trying to be too much unrealistic and make everything as in a fairytale but giving way to mirth and humor .
Since he debuted in the cinema with 'Maktub', (a Christmas comedy that was a pioneer in the genre before annual proposals of this theme arrived within the Spanish industry), and with which this 'Mi otro Jon' bears a remarkable resemblance, the Spanish-Mexican Paco Arango has chosen to make a type of cinema of character philanthropic, whose profits go to the 'Aladina Foundation', to help in childhood cancer research. In fact, the film is dedicated to children and adolescents who suffer from cancer and the boxoffice is directed to this end. Paco Arango tries to mix genres ranging from comedy to melodrama with some fantastic touches ; furthermore he takes parts from American films of the fifties, particularly those of Frank Capra plenty of emotional and family feeling in which solidarity triumphs and humor despite the blackness. Paco (¨Los Rodríguez y el más allá¨) combines his passion for storytelling with a deep commitment to helping seriously ill children. "Fundación Aladina uses color and smiles to brighten hospital stays for each and every child, as well as their families. It fills me with joy to affirm that Aladina helps kids fight childhood cancer, so that it is never able to take away a child's smile. Paco Arango has , as always in his career, the incentive of being advertised as a film whose part of the proceeds will go directly to the Aladina Foundation, to help children with cancer. As the film entertains us in spite of some embarrissing messes and makes us laugh from time to time, but fails on some levels. Rating : 6'5. This a good-feel movie full of mirth , black humor, and enjoyable message .
