Queens (aka Reinas) (2006)

Synopsis: Director Manuel Gómez Pereira (BETWEEN YOUR LEGS) spins a fictional tale around a pivotal landmark in Spanish history with QUEENS. July 3, 2005 marked the day that gay marriage was legalized in Spain, so Pereira constructed this light comedy about the impending nuptials of three gay... Director Manuel Gómez Pereira (BETWEEN YOUR LEGS) spins a fictional tale around a pivotal landmark in Spanish history with QUEENS. July 3, 2005 marked the day that gay marriage was legalized in Spain, so Pereira constructed this light comedy about the impending nuptials of three gay couples, who are planning to tie the knot on the very day the law changed. But in an interesting twist Pereira shifts the focus of his film away from the soon-to-be happy couples and instead weaves an amusing narrative around several of the mothers (played by Verónica Forqué, Carmen Maura, Marisa Paredes, Mercedes Sampietro, and Betiana Blum) who are set to see their sons drift off into wedded bliss. As the mothers fuss and fight, a full range of concerns come to the fore, with issues of class and money raising their ugly heads, and Pereira deftly illustrating that there's very little difference between preparing for a gay wedding or a or straight one. The director throws in a few wickedly funny eccentricities throughout, with sex-mad Forqué's constant fornication threatening to throw a shadow over her son's big day, and Sampietro's homophobic mom being elected to wed all the couples. Pedro Almodovar's earlier comedies such as WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? frequently come to mind, although Pereira's film is lighter fare, with the director more interested in raising laughs than in raising awareness. But QUEENS isn't designed to make any deeply political points beyond its basic premise, just to provide some entertainingly mindless viewing, largely thanks to excellent performances from its leading troupe of actresses. [More]