Having given the world the jazz-flute-dabbling, multiple-leatherbound-book-owning comedy icon that is Ron Burgundy, Will Ferrell could not be begrudged a spot of laurel-resting. In fact, even if he never worked again, Ferrell would retain a god-like status in the eyes of anyone who enjoys laughing.
As such, the man’s obvious desire to keep trampling boundaries is to be admired. Having successfully dipped his toe into dramatic acting with excellent turns in Stranger Than Fiction and Everything Must Go, Ferrell is now going one further by venturing into the realms of foreign language film.
Casa De Mi Padre (translated as House Of My Father) is a spoof western in the style of a Mexican soap opera, charting the story of big-hearted — but miniscule-brained — ranch worker Armando Alvarez (Ferrell, above, holding a fake calf), who becomes unwillingly embroiled in a fearsome battle with one of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords (Gael Garcia Bernal).
Aside from Ferrell’s impressive ability to be amusing even in Spanish, the film’s other major selling point is Genesis Rodriguez — last seen in Man On A Ledge and Entourage — who plays the dim-witted Armando’s fiery love interest.
The bad news? It’s not due to arrive in UK cinemas until June. So, in the meantime, if you want to see an American comedian riding across a Mexican desert in a ludicrous outfit, you’ll just have to dig out your Three Amigos! DVD.
