La primera noche de mi vida (1998)

Perfect cast and a good story

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

"The First Night of My Life" is a romantic comedy with amusing moments , brief drama and charming relationships among attractive roles setting in outskirts Madrid . ¨My First Night¨ is a plain and simple comedy with some diverting moments and other briefly dramatic ones . Based on the screenplay written by known novelist Elvira Lindo , Miguel Albadalejo's usual screenwriter , carrying out a well written script delving into the ordinary people psyche . This endearing and intimate film , well directed and well acted takes place in Madrid during New Year's Eve of the Millennium where lives two expecting parents , pregnant Paloma (Leonor Watling) and her young husband , Manuel (Juanjo Martínez) . It deals with a couple that sets out for a dinner party on the millennium eve , they are Paloma and Manuel . In the meantime , they are expecting her father's visit (veteran Emilio Gutierrez Caba), who's come to their home but he doesn't know anything about the house's location . To make things worse Johnny (Carlos Fuentes) and Litri (Roberto Hernandez) appear as the young ones who steal Paloma's father car . Johnny lives with his crazy mama and his youngest brother , and he has a beautiful girlfriend (Mariola Fuentes) who subsequently meets the Paloma's daddy . Other fun characters are the attendants (Adriana Ozores and Antonia San Juan) of a gas station/convenience store . This is an acceptable witty comedy , adding a bit of drama . The film is full of nice moments , tenderness , with an attractive relation between an upper-class man and lower-class people . As being well developed an enjoyable relationship between a deranged , unsettling man whose car has been robbed , and a spontaneous and outspoken girl of lower-class well played by Mariola Fuentes . The picture has crossed-over from Spain to become a hilarious family entertainment ; being narrated in great sense of ductility and fairness . It's an adorable , quiet film , dealing with ordinary townsfolk , being compellingly acted and concerning the narration about the relationship between a misfit bunch agreeable roles . The film attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , with its amusing sides but also including familiar discussions . Not trying to be unrealistic and make everything as in a domestic tale but giving way to mirth and humor . Plenty of emotional and family feeling in which solidarity triumphs and humor despite the poorness and penury . In addition , the film gives us a nice panorama about a lower-class family , its pity , goodness , sacrifice , work , shortage , companionship and various situations happen in its existence . Entertaining as well as tender screenplay by the same director and Elvira Lindo , the latter is a notorious Spanish writer and journalist , creator of the Spanish famous literature character Manolito Gafotas and she performed Manolito in a radio program for several years . Supporting cast is frankly nice such as Maria Jose Alfonso , Manuel Zarzo , Ana Lizaran , Adriana Ozores , Antonia San Juan and brief appearance by writers as Elvira Lindo and Antonio Muñoz Molina . In addition , special mention for veteran Emilio Gutierrez Caba . The picture achieved several prizes such as : Bergamo Film Meeting 1999 Won Golden Rosa Miguel Albaladejo , won Butaca Awards 1998 Best Catalan Film Actress : Anna Lizaran ; Mar del Plata Film Festival 1998 Won Best Film ; Málaga Spanish Film Festival 1998 Won Best Film , Best Actor Emilio Gutiérrez Caba , Special Mention Íñigo Garcés ; Ondas Awards 1998 Won Special Jury Award ; Peñíscola Comedy Film Festival Best Actress Adriana Ozores , Best Screenplay Miguel Albaladejo Elvira Lindo and Best Film Miguel Albaladejo and Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Award Best Screenplay . There stands out the colorful and atmospheric cinematography by Alfonso Sanz , a good cameraman who has photographed most films directed by Albadalejo , being and filmed in Madrid . Lively as well as adequate musical score by Lucio Godoy , a good professional who has composed soundtracks in a lot of successful movies such as ¨All about my mother¨, ¨Blackthorn¨, ¨Fin¨, ¨Amador¨. ¨Cuento Chino¨, ¨Mataharis¨ , ¨Melissa P¨ , among others . Besides , catching songs at the end . The motion picture was professionally directed by Miguel Albadalejo , a fine craftsman expert on comedy and drama as proved in ¨Bear Club¨, ¨Volando Voy¨, ¨Rencor¨, ¨Ataque Verbal¨ , ¨Cielo Abierto¨, and this ¨The first life of my life¨, among others . Rating : 7 . Better than average as well as funny comedy/drama . This a good-feeling movie filled with love , serenity , humor elements , drama and amusement . The flick will appeal to Spanish cinema buffs . Worthwhile seeing

It's the last night of the year. Pregnant Paloma and her husband, Manuel, are preparing to go to her parent's home to celebrate the arrival of the new year. Paloma and Manuel live in the outskirts of Madrid, in what appears to be a new development where nothing appears to be much populated yet. Manuel, who has borrowed a delivery van from a friend, is not prepared for the vehicle to stall in the middle of nowhere. What to do? This quick paced comedy, written and directed by Miguel Albaladejo, touches on the lives of several different people that fateful New Year's Eve. It all takes place in the hours before midnight as everyone is getting ready for the celebration. Unfortunately, for the people we meet in the picture, they are not going to have a great time at a party, but they will come closer as Paloma gives birth right after the Millennium has arrived.Leonor Watling and Juanjo Martinez appear as Paloma and Manuel, the expecting parents. Carlos Fuentes and Roberto Hernandez are seen as the men who steal Paloma's father car. Adriana Osores and Antonia San Juan have some funny moments as the attendants of a gas station/convenience store. Emilio Gutierrez Caba is Paloma's father.This production was part of several films commissioned by a French movie company with the theme of the arrival of the Millennium.

a small , intimate movie about little people with small dreams. i had a few of my friends watching this film. everyone liked it on a different level. there are some touching characters in the plot. especially i liked Johny's girlfriend. isn't she something. and Spanish always help. it's the perfect language for this movie. especially if u understand Spanish. i think everyone can find a little bit of himself in some of the characters. if not, it's a shame. it all happens in the millennium eve. everyone wants to feel a bit special this time of the year. the rich and the poor. there are some different stories, which end up connecting to one another. Johny is a provincial guy. he is "criminal light", but he is not a bad person. his girlfriend ,another provincial girl ,thinks he is her way out of her miserable life. he lives with his crazy mom and young brother. during this eve he stills the car of a bourgeois, wealthy man. during this eve he (and the rest of the characters) will go through a funny / sad night, which will make u, the spectators, think about your life. enjoy . Ido

La primera noche de mi vida is a cute little movie that would have a big future...if only anybody knew it! And it's quite difficult to do just that. To know it. I consider myself lucky to have seen it because I guess it's quite difficult to find it anywhere but on TV. And what's so great about that, you'll ask. Nothing apart from the fact that it's small (from the budget to the duration) and beautiful. The story includes a couple that sets out for a dinner party on the millennium eve. The funny thing is that the woman is pregnant, the guy has no money and no car and has borrowed one from a friend of his. The car of course is not exactly top class and crashes down after few miles. And that's where the film really starts. The couple start fighting and trying to find a way to the parents' house before midnight, hitchhiking on the way and getting into several cars whose passengers seem to be the funniest characters you've ever met and get themselves involved in the funniest situations, the climax of which is the pregnant girl going into labor and ending up in the house of an abortion clinic employee that finally delivers the baby! The plot is so clever that you can't resist to love it and the end just reminds us of the end of a fairy tale. The characters leaning over the newborn baby under the poor house's Christmas tree just after the new millennium has downed and the camera slowly retreating from the window is the scene that I'll keep always remember from this cute little thing called La primera noche de mi vida.