Criticism of ‘La vida padre’: father and son between stoves

Perhaps the pulse maintained by the two great actors of this bittersweet, but never gray, comedy is similar to what the veteran Joaquín Oristrell must have dealt with (akin to paternofilial mud: ‘Orquesta Club Virginia’, ‘Alegre ma non troppo’ and, above all, ‘Éxtasis’) and the director Joaquín Mazón, responsible for the more than worthy ‘Elite Corps’ (2016). Set between stoves that refer both to the novels of Poppy Z. Brite, to ‘Mediterranean Diet’ (again, Oristrell) and ‘Ratatouille’ (that gastronomic critic and his lost childhood), the balance achieved between laughter and disenchantment is commendable.

‘La vida padre’ is, therefore, a work with its shortcomings (the bland love story, the little game of the secondary), which stands out both for its elegant execution (that prologue) and for the rough edges, almost unpleasant, to well, they end up shaping a story as functional as it is consistent with the style, bitter and ironic, of who, it is time to say it, has been and is one of our best screenwriters.

For orphans in search of the warmth of the great family and human tragicomedy

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DATA SHEET

Address: Joaquin Mazon Distribution: Karra Elejalde, Enric Auquer, Megan Montaner, Lander Otaola, Maribel Salas Country: Spain Year: 2022 Release date: 09-16-2022 Gender: Comedy Script: Joaquin Oristrell. History: Olatz Arroyo, Joaquin Mazon Duration: 92 min.

Synopsis: Mikel, a young and ambitious chef, receives an unexpected visit from his father, who disappeared thirty years ago. At a critical moment for the future of his restaurant, Mikel must take charge of the crazy and unpredictable Juan, a true hurricane of vitality that will test all of his ideas about cooking and life.