The Game of Truth (2004)

Comical as well as romantic comedy is loaded with irony , humor with tongue-in-cheek , jokes and fun . Spanish comedy filled with laughs , fun , bemusing situations and ordinary actors . Funny comedy with romantic touches here and there ; being full of entertainment , humor and sheer amusement . It is a diverting story about friends, and the challenges we face while Ernesto's (Tristan Ulloa) a sad as well as ill young , living with his fiancée Lea (Maria Esteve) at his parents', about to lose a job he got through his best friend , Alberto (Oscar Jaenada) and badly working as a mall announcer . Ernesto is also hopelessly in love with Alberto's girlfriend, Susana (Natalia Verbeke) . Lea has gotten a job as the sign-language interpreter on a local TV news show in which Susana anchors, a job Lea is about to lose , too . The truths that come out during the ¨Truth Game¨ , especially Ernesto's desire for Susana, originate wreak havoc . Then , jealousy , betrayals and double-crosses emerge . And Alberto and Susana's wedding and Ernesto's new test about his deadly illness results in coming soon .Nice and funny Spanish comedy starred by good actors , including ridiculous situations , entertainment , amusement and with a distinctly Spanish sense of style . The main premise is the following : our four friends as well as antagonists -two couples- get together at home , there takes place the game of truth and the high stakes crop out . As they play a game of truth on the evening after one of them, Ernesto, is mistakenly told by a doctor he has only three months to live ; all of them mixed up in all kinds of absurd , hilarious and even romantic incidents . The principal issue about the continuous meetings and ongoings disagreements between the protagonists and their intertwined loves , it is so repetitive and that makes it a little boring . This is a slightly bemusing film with entertaining events , giggles , emotion and two agreeable love stories . Humor is sometimes cheesy and gross-out with numerous picaresque situations such as sex jokes , profanities and absurd scenes . The film explores the relationship among a motley quartet and their triangular love story , being well played by known actors . However , it moves in fits and starts most of which would be desirable , with more traps the viewer resists any kind, and some moments of enjoyment and others quite a few embarrassing ; so, the tone of the film is light-hearted and the most part results to be rich in implausibilities and absurdities . The motion picture was well written by the same director and Robert Santiago ; the latter is an expert writer/director of notorious comedies such as ¨Hombres Felices¨, ¨Club De Suicidas¨ , ¨El Penalti Mas Largo Del Mundo¨, ¨El Sueño De Ivan¨ , ¨Solo Para Dos¨ , and ¨Al final del Camino¨ . This is a 2004 typical Spanish comedy with the customary ingredients such as enjoyable humor topped with a little bit of original touches here and there ; including mayhem , confusion , loving triangles and a lot of fun . The picture benefits a likable main cast such as Natalia Verbeke , Oscar Jaenada and Maria Esteve . Special mention to Tristan Ulloa , as a depressed guy , he steals the show as a crazed-sex man who often gets into trouble with his friends so that he can get to regain a new lover . The movie is played mostly for laughs as the boy get into scrapes trying to score with the girl . A few of the scenes are amusing , they elicit chuckles but no serious laughters . The picture attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , friendship and love , including its amusing sides . The roles in this film are all lovable despite being rather pathetic and silly .The cinematography by Aitor Matxola is luxurious as well as colorful . Atmospheric and lively musical score , adding some catching songs . Being skillfully proceeded by Álvaro Fernández Armero and turned out to one of the most box office movies of 2004 and certainly one of the most amusing . This director Alvaro Armero was born in 1969 in Madrid, location where he often shoots his flicks . He is a good director and writer, expert on comedies and especially known for ¨Todo es Mentira¨ (1994), ¨Salir Pitando¨ , ¨El Juego De Verdad¨ , ¨Nada en la Nevera¨ and ¨Brujas¨ , though also shot a successful slasher titled ¨El Arte De Morir¨. Rating : Acceptable and passable : 6/10 . The picture will appeal to Spanish comedy enthusiasts .

Susana, a television hostess for a news program, had her friend Lea hired as a person to interpret for deaf people as she reads the news. The problem is that Lea is not deaf. Susana, who the producers tell they are going to get rid of Lea because they find her distracting, agonizes because she doesn't want to tell her friend, afraid what it would do to their friendship.At the same time, Ernesto, who is Lea's boyfriend, goes for an MRI at a hospital and the technicians decide to make love while he is going through the scanner. Another assistant comes in and labels the previous patient's results as though it's Ernesto's, who according to the x rays, has a malignant tumor and has only about three months to live. Ernesto, who works for a supermarket that belongs to Alberto, Susana's boyfriend, is also about to be fired because of the way he shows no interest to promote things for shoppers at the big store. Alberto, who is a loyal friend, is against having him fired.Alberto and Susana, knowing their friends are going through a rough time in their lives, invite the couple to stay with them in their big house. Things begin to change when Lea and Ernesto sense their friends are not being completely truthful to them. Which seems to be the theme of the film. Can we keep the truth from friends we love, or just be hypocrites and act as though nothing is wrong, which is what Lea and Ernesto ask their hosts. At the same time, Susana, who is going to marry Alberto, begins to realize she likes Ernesto and the same thing goes for Lea, who finds in her boyfriend's best friend a kind soul.This Spanish sex comedy is directed with great style by Alvaro Fernandez Armero. He also collaborated on the screen play, in which he questions how can friends can hurt more than help by holding vital information that will affect their lives. The director kept the comedy under tight rein and at less than ninety minutes, this movie has the right length.Best thing in the film is Maria Esteve, who shows a knack for comedy and a great chemistry with the other actors, especially her relationship with Susana, played with ease by Natalia Verbeke. The male actors are equally up to task. Tristan Ulloa, who is excellent in these types of comedies, and Oscar Jaenada, appear as Ernesto and Alberto. The four principals show they can do great work with the right material and guidance, something not found too often.

Ernesto is not happy with his life, he and his girlfriend Lea live in the shadow of their rich friends, Susana and Alberto. But when Ernesto, due to a medical mistake, thinks that he has cancer and is going to die in 3 months, all changes, lies are forbidden and the most cruel truth will appear in their lives. A good script for a well built story. Only 6 actors for something that could perfectly be a theatre drama. The character and the personality of the characters is depth and structured, and the film takes its time (no more than the essential) to describe how are they, their likes and their fears. The actors are not bad, but I think that they are not as good as they could be (all are good actors), only Jaenada plays a really good part, and that splits the result. This is a drama about how can change our living a little excess of faithfully, the fact that we live in a world of lies and half-truth. It is not totally well done, but the result is decent.

Four actors in a state of grace, a simple yet clever screenplay and an engaging story make of "El juego de la verdad" an extremely watchable movie. With only six characters and their relationships to play with, Álvaro Fernández Armero achieves his best film so far in the shape of an intelligent and entertaining comedy.Tristán Ulloa is charming as the leading character, Natalia Verbeke has never been so sexy, and Oscar Jaenada plays winningly against type. But the heart and soul of the film is María Esteve, whose personal acting skills make all her performances appealing and unaffected. In this case she is the highlight of the movie as Lea, the protagonist's troubled girlfriend.I don't think anybody will feel disappointed with "El juego de la verdad". If you're looking for a fairly entertaining movie and four great performances by four great actors, this is your film.Overall rating: 7/10