Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»2480. My Big Night (2015)

    2480. My Big Night (2015)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on March 7, 2019 100-109 mins, 2015, 6 - 7.9, Comedy, Drama, Mar 19, Movies Of 2019, Review, Spain
    6.9 Too bloated for its own good
    • Acting 7.1
    • Directing 6.9
    • Story 6.6
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Pepón Nieto, Blanca Suárez, Raphael

    Director: Álex de la Iglesia

    Running Time: 100 mins


    My Big Night (Mi gran noche) is a Spanish film about the endless production of a New Year’s Eve spectacular, where chaos and unpredictability reign as personalities clash, fights break out and emotions run high.

    The chaotic and frantic world of behind-the-scenes of showbiz always gives ample opportunity for hilarious antics and unpredictabie hilarity, but it can also lead to total disorganisation and fairly manic storytelling, and that’s unfortunately the case for My Big Night. Despite being in the hands of none other than Álex de la Iglesia, the film fails to pull off the contrast between the sleek showbiz facade and the total chaos that reigns beneath, ultimately descending into a rather messy and even dull affair.

    However, if you were making a film like this, there are few directors out there that are better suited to the story than Álex de la Iglesia. A master of black comedy, fast-paced cinema and characters losing all their inhibitions, this film is right up his street, but his legendary style comes unstuck in the face of a story that’s just too convoluted for its own good.

    With a screenplay that’s clearly more geared towards comedy than thrills and spills, the film is all over the place right from the start, with hundreds of lead characters being thrust at you in a series of random comedic vignettes that just don’t link up well enough. Of course, in showing the total chaos and disorganisation of a major production that’s running over budget and behind schedule, My Big Night gets it spot-on, but perhaps a little too much to be able to really get to grips with what’s actually going on.

    That’s not to say there aren’t things to enjoy here, and when the movie takes a breather and sits down with a couple of characters for a moment, there are actually some good laughs to be had, with Pepón Nieto and Blanca Suárez’s story the funniest of all. However, there still isn’t enough character depth or development at any point for you to really care about the chaos that’s unfolding, rather sitting back and watching everything fall apart from a rather detached perspective.

    You could compare this film to the likes of Birdman, in terms of its gleeful satire of the facade of show business, but again My Big Night comes up short in this regard as well. While it does indeed poke fun at showbiz, it’s not the most incisive or provocative satire ever made, with a rather simplistic approach that definitely pales in comparison to what films like Birdman are able to achieve.

    My Big Night is a fast-paced movie, as is the case with pretty much everything from de la Iglesia, but it’s a pace that just doesn’t sit well when there’s no real method to the madness. His best films are slick, contained comedy-thrillers (think Perfect Crime and The Bar – both only have a handful of characters), but this film is way too bloated to support that same style, and with underdeveloped leads across the board, there’s not all that much to grab onto.

    Overall, My Big Night can be an entertaining watch at times, and its energy and style are certainly there to be enjoyed, but it’s a film that’s too big and convoluted for its own good, with director Álex de la Iglesia failing to make his signature style work, and a screenplay that misses the mark when it comes to strong satire. It’s not a terrible movie, but it’s a messy and overly chaotic one that just isn’t all that engaging, and that’s why I’m giving it a 6.9.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.6
    Review
    March 28, 20160

    1299. Modern Times (1936)

    8.0
    Review
    December 25, 20130

    394. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

    8.4
    Review
    December 31, 20140

    800. Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

    8.0
    Review
    February 1, 20200

    2841. Queen & Slim (2019)

    8.0
    Review
    August 12, 20200

    3052. The Last Supper (1995)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.