Will Ferrell is relentless. It’s not the irritating, every-movie-you-see-he’s-there kind of relentless, but he definitely doesn’t like to sit still.
“If you have some flexibility, I always like to keep people guessing and mix things up a bit,” Ferrell said in a conference call with The Diamondback.
For instance: His new film, Casa de mi Padre, is certainly not your average Ferrell fare. There’s no John C. Reilly, Mark Wahlberg or Adam McKay in the director’s chair. The movie, which comes out Friday, is entirely in Spanish with English subtitles, spurring its influence from both over-the-top telenovelas and a catalogue of lovably cheesy B-movies.
“If you watch some of the ‘Mexican comedy’ I’ve seen like Sabado Gigante and shows like that, it’s really over the top,” Ferrell said. “From talking to [costar] Diego [Luna], they really appreciate subtle humor.”
Yet, one must wonder exactly how subtle Ferrell wanted this movie to be, especially with a tagline of “From The Gringos Who Brought You Anchorman.” But, all declarations and preconceptions aside, a Ferrell film experience rarely fails in its simplistic yet noble quest of inducing a whole mess of belly laughs in a nearly 90-minute time frame. To assume this movie will be any different is unfairly pegging an artist for stepping outside of his realm.
Ferrell’s confidence regarding the project is striking; he expects nothing less than a warm reaction to Casa de mi Padre from both his dedicated and casual fans alike.
“I think it will be a pleasant surprise because you literally don’t know where the movie is going at any moment,” he said. “I’m very proud of its absurdist quality in the same way that we kind of did Anchorman, where we just threw all the rules out the window.”
It’s a hefty declaration, especially keeping in mind that his usual band of misfits isn’t behind this production (only McKay has a producer’s credit). And the subtitles may scare some viewers away, especially with today’s emphasis on passive movie entertainment.
But for a man whose utter opposition to mindless repetition has yielded comedy classics such as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Step Brothers and Elf, the situation isn’t “funny or die.” It’s laugh or laugh.
