El novio de mamá: A sweet, dusty relic

Should you watch El novio de mamá today? If you are a fan of old black-and-white Spanish films, absolutely. If you need explosions or pacing that moves faster than a brisk walk, you are going to be bored out of your mind within ten minutes. It is a very specific flavor of vintage comedy.

Imperio Argentina is, as always, the magnetic center of everything. She carries scenes just by standing there, looking slightly annoyed at the ridiculous situations her character gets dragged into. The whole premise is pretty standard stuff—mother and daughter fighting over the same guy—but it is handled with this weirdly stiff charm that you don't really see anymore.

There is a moment near the middle where the dialogue just loops in a way that feels totally unintentional. I think the editor might have fallen asleep at the reel. It’s charming, honestly. 😅

Some random thoughts:

• The lighting in the parlor scenes is so bright it makes everyone look like they are standing inside a lightbulb.
• The way they hold their hats! It is so formal it almost feels like a secret code.
• Some of the side characters definitely wandered in from a different movie set entirely.

It definitely has more soul than something like The Dummy, though it lacks that strange, frantic energy. It feels more like a stage play that someone decided to film on a Tuesday afternoon. There is a sense of comfort in that, I guess.

The pacing is… well, it is a choice. Some scenes go on for absolute ages, just people walking through doorways and looking shocked. It reminded me a bit of the slow burn in Downhill, but with way more singing and significantly less brooding.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it a good way to spend a quiet evening when you want to feel like you are sitting in a dusty, velvet-lined theater in 1934? Sure. Just don't expect it to change your life. Sometimes a movie just needs to be a nice, pleasant distraction.