Doña mentiras Review: A Messy, Weirdly Fun Time

Is this worth watching today? Only if you have a very high tolerance for 1930s theatrical fluff and actors who gesture like they are trying to flag down a plane.

If you like fast-talking ladies and guys in suits looking confused, you might have a good time. People who enjoy watching someone dig a hole deeper and deeper will probably get a kick out of it.

Anyone who needs logic, high-stakes action, or even a clear soundtrack should probably stay far away. It’s a very specific vibe for a very specific mood. 🛋️

The plot of Doña mentiras is basically just about a woman who tells lies because she’s bored or maybe just chaotic. It isn't exactly deep stuff.

I think the writers, John Meehan and Garrett Fort, were probably just trying to get a paycheck. It feels like a script written on a very long lunch break where they had a few drinks.

Miguel Ligero is in this, and he’s always doing too much with his hands. It is funny for about five minutes, then it just becomes... a lot.

He has this way of popping his eyes out that makes him look like he’s seeing a ghost in every scene. It’s distracting but also the only reason I didn't fall asleep in the second act.

The sets look like they were built in a day. Maybe two days if they had to wait for the paint to dry.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Doña mentiras (1930) through its definitive frames.

I noticed one scene where a guy walks into a room and almost trips over the rug. They kept it in! I love that kind of stuff because it feels real.

If you liked A Bedroom Scandal, this is kind of in that same neighborhood of people in rooms being silly. It’s much better than The Burning Question, which was just a total slog to get through.

The lighting is really flat. Like, super flat. Everyone looks like a ghost sometimes because the shadows are just gone.

Carmen Ruiz Moragas has some great outfits though. There is this one hat that looks like a giant pancake with feathers.

I spent about ten minutes just wondering how she kept it on her head without it falling off. It’s the most interesting part of the scene where they talk about marriage or whatever.

The movie is a "multi-language version" which means Hollywood was just churning these out for the Spanish market. You can almost feel the rush.

Every time a door opens, it sounds like a gunshot because the audio recording is so crusty. It adds a bit of accidental tension to the comedy.

Félix de Pomés plays the lead guy and he’s very stiff. He stands like he’s got a board strapped to his back.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Doña mentiras (1930) through its definitive frames.

I kept waiting for him to crack a smile, but he mostly just looks worried. I’d be worried too if my girlfriend lied about every single thing she did.

There’s a bit of DNA from Latin Love in the way they handle the romance. It’s all very polite and then suddenly someone is screaming.

The pacing is all over the place. Some scenes go on forever while the important plot points happen in about three seconds of dialogue.

I missed why they were even at the party because I blinked. Then they were at a different house and I just had to go with it.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a weird window into a time when movies were still trying to figure out how to talk. It’s awkward and clunky and kind of sweet in a dumb way.

Some stuff I noticed:

• The wallpaper in the main office is genuinely hideous.
• One actor looks directly at the camera for a split second and then looks away real fast.
• The amount of cigarettes smoked could probably fuel a small fire for a week. 🚬
• There’s a dog that appears in one shot and then never comes back. Where did the dog go?
• The music is way too loud during the parts where nobody is talking.

I wouldn't tell you to run out and find this. But if it’s on and you have some popcorn, you could do worse.

It’s just a movie about people being extra for no reason. Sometimes that is exactly what you need on a Tuesday night.

The ending is very abrupt. It just... stops. No real wrap-up, just a quick joke and then the credits roll.

I guess they ran out of film or the actors had to catch a bus. Either way, it fits the messy energy of the whole thing.