Film review: 'Torrente'
Santiago Segura's black comedy about a corrupted and crooked cop is the highest-grossing Spanish film in its native country; if the endlessly repellent and disgusting goings-on in this outrageous effort are any indication, Spaniards are in serious trouble.
Imagine "Ace Ventura" directed by John Waters and you'll get an idea of the humor on display. The film was recently showcased at the Miami Film Festival, where its lack of political correctness engendered gales of audience laughter.
Actually, "Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law" starts out promisingly. The filmmaker's wickedly satirical sensibility is immediately apparent in an amusing sequence in which the title character, memorably played by Segura, cruises the streets of Madrid looking approvingly at the crimes and mayhem being perpetrated around him. When he stops by a grocery store that is suddenly held up by a pair of robbers, Torrente not only doesn't intervene but takes the opportunity to snatch a few things for himself.
Unfortunately, once we understand the degree of the character's loutishness, there is nowhere to go but down. Segura piles on the outrageousness and cruelty, looking for laughs in such areas as Torrente's shocking lack of personal hygiene and his abusive treatment of his elderly crippled father. One of the many cringe-inducing visuals shows the character shaking his ratty hairpiece to get the cockroaches out. Sweaty, fat and endlessly flatulent, the racist and misogynistic Torrente is one of the most unlikely screen protagonists ever.
Among the film's ramshackle plot developments are Torrente's mentoring of a nearsighted, geeky young neighbor, whom he takes to a local park for target practice that endangers small children; his unlikely romantic relationship with that young man's nymphomaniac sister; and his stumbling onto a drug-selling operation being conducted at the local Chinese restaurant. But storytelling is beside the point; Segura's interest lies in grossing out his audience as much as possible -- and he succeeds admirably.
Somehow, he even manages to make this detestable character perversely likeable; perhaps it's because in this endlessly wishy-washy era, Torrente makes no apologies for his unremittingly sleazy behavior. Considering the film's boxoffice success, no doubt he'll be back to wreak more havoc.
TORRENTE, THE DUMB ARM OF THE LAW
Lolafilms, Rocabruno and Cartel
Direction/screenplay: Santiago Segura
Producer: Andres Vicente Gomez
Associate producer: Marco Gomez
Cinematography: Carles Gusi
Editor: Fidel Collados
Music: Roque Banos
Color/stereo
Cast:
Torrente: Santiago Segura
Rafi: Javier Camara
Amparito: Neus Asensi
Reme: Chus Lampreave
Father: Tony Leblanc
Malaguita: Julian Sanjuan
Running time -- 97 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Imagine "Ace Ventura" directed by John Waters and you'll get an idea of the humor on display. The film was recently showcased at the Miami Film Festival, where its lack of political correctness engendered gales of audience laughter.
Actually, "Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law" starts out promisingly. The filmmaker's wickedly satirical sensibility is immediately apparent in an amusing sequence in which the title character, memorably played by Segura, cruises the streets of Madrid looking approvingly at the crimes and mayhem being perpetrated around him. When he stops by a grocery store that is suddenly held up by a pair of robbers, Torrente not only doesn't intervene but takes the opportunity to snatch a few things for himself.
Unfortunately, once we understand the degree of the character's loutishness, there is nowhere to go but down. Segura piles on the outrageousness and cruelty, looking for laughs in such areas as Torrente's shocking lack of personal hygiene and his abusive treatment of his elderly crippled father. One of the many cringe-inducing visuals shows the character shaking his ratty hairpiece to get the cockroaches out. Sweaty, fat and endlessly flatulent, the racist and misogynistic Torrente is one of the most unlikely screen protagonists ever.
Among the film's ramshackle plot developments are Torrente's mentoring of a nearsighted, geeky young neighbor, whom he takes to a local park for target practice that endangers small children; his unlikely romantic relationship with that young man's nymphomaniac sister; and his stumbling onto a drug-selling operation being conducted at the local Chinese restaurant. But storytelling is beside the point; Segura's interest lies in grossing out his audience as much as possible -- and he succeeds admirably.
Somehow, he even manages to make this detestable character perversely likeable; perhaps it's because in this endlessly wishy-washy era, Torrente makes no apologies for his unremittingly sleazy behavior. Considering the film's boxoffice success, no doubt he'll be back to wreak more havoc.
TORRENTE, THE DUMB ARM OF THE LAW
Lolafilms, Rocabruno and Cartel
Direction/screenplay: Santiago Segura
Producer: Andres Vicente Gomez
Associate producer: Marco Gomez
Cinematography: Carles Gusi
Editor: Fidel Collados
Music: Roque Banos
Color/stereo
Cast:
Torrente: Santiago Segura
Rafi: Javier Camara
Amparito: Neus Asensi
Reme: Chus Lampreave
Father: Tony Leblanc
Malaguita: Julian Sanjuan
Running time -- 97 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 3/4/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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