Two Women and One Don Juan: A Charming Old Mess 🤷‍♀️

Okay, so "Two Women and One Don Juan" isn't going to redefine cinema, not even close. But if you're in the mood for a breezy, slightly silly old-timey rom-com, this one could work for a lazy afternoon. Don't go in expecting anything profound; it’s pure, unadulterated farce. If you can't stand movies where characters miss each other by inches and everyone talks in exaggerated tones, then skip it.

The whole thing hinges on our titular Don Juan, played by Antonio Gil Varela. He just oozes a certain kind of roguish charm. You see him, and you get it. He’s the kind of guy who probably has a different flower for every lady he’s wooing that day.

One particular scene sticks with you. It’s when he’s trying to keep Enriqueta Palma’s character from seeing Mapy Cortés’s character at a garden party. He’s practically doing a jig between rose bushes, whispering sweet nothings to one, then doing a quick pivot to distract the other. The camera just follows him, almost breathless. The sheer effort he puts in! It’s exhausting just watching it.

And Enriqueta Palma, she’s great. Her expressions are just… everything. There’s this one shot, after Don Juan tells her some truly outlandish excuse, and her face just goes from polite smile to this tiny, almost imperceptible eye roll. It lasts maybe two seconds, but it tells you she’s not entirely fooled. She’s just playing along, perhaps.

The dialogue, you know, it's a bit much sometimes. Everyone talks in these grand, sweeping statements about love and betrayal. Nobody just says "hello." They say "Ah, my dearest, have you graced these hallowed halls with your celestial presence?" You get the drift. It’s definitely a product of its time.

Rafael Crisbal, who plays a perpetually flustered sidekick or rival, offers some genuinely funny moments. He's always tripping over something or delivering a line with too much gusto. There’s a bit where he spills a drink, and the way he just freezes, staring at the stain like it’s committed a crime, made me laugh out loud. 😂

The pacing is… well, it’s not exactly zippy. There are moments that drag a little, especially when Don Juan is just monologuing about his own cleverness. You kinda just want someone to bonk him on the head and get on with it. But then it picks up with another frantic chase or a hidden door gag.

I found myself wondering about the costumes. The hats! Oh, the hats are a whole character unto themselves. So many feathers and dramatic angles. They must have had a field day in the wardrobe department.

The ending isn't some big, satisfying "he learned his lesson" moment, which is actually kind of refreshing. It’s more like, "Well, that happened, onto the next one, eh?" It feels a bit unresolved, but in a way that feels honest for a character like Don Juan.

It’s a movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s its biggest strength. It’s a snapshot of a certain kind of humor, a certain kind of storytelling. Not every joke lands today, but enough do to keep you smiling. You just gotta be in the right frame of mind for it. Like, maybe with a cup of tea and a really comfy blanket. ☕