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Yar, you be here: Moon Over Parador > Customer Reviews Moon Over Parador Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 9 Reviews)Mazursky's Funniest Film
Say what you want about "Down And Out In Beverly Hills", but for me, "Moon Over Parador" is by far Paul Mazursky's funniest film. The reason? Raul Julia and Sonia Braga. Whether comedy or drama, Julia [who, sadly, passed away in 1994] and Braga were Hollywood's most underrated cinema duo. They were both denied much deserve Oscar nods for their incredible performances in "Kiss Of The Spider Woman", and not given nearly enough credit for their comedic skills in "Parador". Richard Dreyfus is supposedly the "star" of "Parador", but it's Julia and Braga who carry this little gem! A Sleeper Of A Movie From 1988
A banana-republic police chief forces a U.S. actor to impersonate a dead dictator. The cast includes Dick Cavett (playing himself), Richard Dreyfuss, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, Jonathan Winters, Michael Greene, Polly Holliday, Charo, Marianne Sagebrecht, Sammy Davis Jr. (playing himself), Edward Asner, Ike Pappas, and Paul Mazursky. Parador is an imaginary Country. The name is a combination of Paraquay and Equador. This movie is the best spoof of Latin American politics ever made. It is a comedic masterpiece. Banana-Republic sleeper
This clever film is a comedy sleeper; Paul Mazursky gathers a fine cast and puts over an amusing comedy about an actor impersonating a banana republic dictator. Yes, we've seen funny films about dodgey Latin American countries rife with ex-Nazis and goofy leaders, and yes, impersonation gags are nothing new in comedy films, but this has a certain freshness that makes this a minor gem. The film is shot in Minais Gerais, Brazil, and the slightly crumbling colonial architecture is the perfect background for the fictional Republic of Parador. Richard Dreyfuss is almost too believable as a second-rate actor Jack Noah. In fact, he is often overshadowed by the late and highly talented Raul Julia, who plays the power-mad, slightly homicidal genius behind Parador's dictatorship. When Il Presidente croaks, Dreyfuss is given the role of a lifetime, and the added perk of Madonna Mendez (Sonia Braga) as his lithesome mistress. The only flaw with the film is that Dreyfuss is not as funny as Julia, Braga or even Mazursky, who fills in as Il Presidente's redoutable Mama, a bit part in drag that was conjured up with other actresses who were to cameo in the role bailed out. Sadly, he's overshadowed by these huge talents, and that makes his critical part, the buffoon-like Alfonse Simms, President, a touch less amusing that it ought to be. And some of the cameos (Charo, Sammy Davis, Jr., Polly Holliday) could have been bigger. They were almost a waste. A fun fact: The first dictator, the "real" Simms, is played by Dreyfuss' brother Lorin, rather than doing a doppleganger scene with a stand-in for Richard Dreyfuss in both roles. A fun comedy, and one that is great to have in the DVD library. Best film ever made? No, but a good solid movie that is worth seeing from time to time when you need a good laugh.
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