Review: Como Caido Del Cielo
The genre that is most difficult to appeal to a universal audience is comedy. Jokes often make cultural references that don’t carry across cultures. Yet, despite not understanding all the comic moments in this film, Como Caido Del Cielo is an incredibly funny film that takes a unique concept and develops it into a traditional romantic-comedy. It is full of clichés but is at the same time, so fresh and entertaining, that it keeps the audience engaged throughout. The film follows famous musician Pedro Infante who returns from the dead in another man’s body in order to amend the mistakes from his life, and earn a place in heaven. In this new life, Pedro grapples with multiple complex relationships, including that of the other man’s wife and mistress and his own granddaughter, whose perception of him isn’t entirely favorable.
This Netflix original isn’t writer-director Jose Pepe Bojorquez’s foray into films. In the early 2000s, he made a name for himself with various short films before attempting the feature film. Most of his feature films till date have had characters from his own culture, at many times speaking in Spanish as well. Como Caido Del Cielo follows this practice, the entire film in Spanish, set on the border between Mexico and the United States.
The idea is so outlandish that it is difficult to pull off. Taking a real life character and placing him in a fantasy situation requires deep deliberation and understanding of plot. With the liberty to create original art, the director also has a responsibility towards the real life personality, and must take care not to completely misrepresent him, even if it is in a fake situation. Pedro Infante is a legend whose legacy must be taken care of. Writer Alfredo Felix-Diaz and writer-director Jose Pepe Bojorquez use the music of Pedro Infante to keep the legacy alive amongst the chaos. The imposter would often break out into song to express complex emotions, and thus, the film is bound by the flow of music.
One of the strongest elements of this film is the emotional impact in between the comedy. While a universal audience may not understand every bit of the comedy due to cultural references that are hard to translate through subtitles, empathy is a universal emotion. The audience strongly empathizes with the main character and his inner turmoil. He is struggling to maintain many relationships that span both of his lives and is constantly demotivated as all those people are slowly being snatched away from him. The conflicting emotions he is grappling with, including the growing love for the other man’s wife fed up of his womanizing ways and the nostalgia attached to his granddaughter, are constantly clashing with the goal he has come with to this new life. Though there are scenes in the middle of the film that lag, ultimately, the comedy and dramatic tension leads to a fruitful climax.
Omar Chaparro is delightful as Pedro Infante in the body of Pedro Guadalupe Ramos. He not only has swift comic timing but also a charming demeanor that allows the audience to fall in love with him despite some of Pedro’s dubious ways. It is difficult to step into the role of a real life star, especially as the latter is attempting to be someone else. Yet, Chapparo does it with such ease and fluidity that the character is immediately identifiable with today’s audience despite originating from many generations earlier. The remaining actors are extremely fitting for their roles. While the comedic scenes are heavily dominated by Chapparo, the emotional elements of the film are emphasized by the other actors, specifically Ana Claudia Talancon as the imposter’s wife, Raquel, and Yare Santana, as Infante’s granddaughter.
Como Caido Del Cielo is a sweet and simple romantic comedy. It doesn’t delve into deep sentiments, yet it is never superficial. It manages to create a perfect balance between the comedic and dramatic scenes, and thus keeps the audience thoroughly engaged throughout.