I recently had my arm twisted to see this film: a new comedy, produced by Antena 3 television under the new Spanish laws that say that television stations have to make so many films a year to help keep the ailing Spanish film industry afloat. They'd said, on the telly, it was the number one film in Spain that week. However, when we went we were the only two people in the cinema. I now know why. Unfortunately, this film is a prime example of what tends to happen when a government obliges the production of creative material to meet a quota. While it tries to copy the American wave of films like 'American Road Trip' or 'There's Something About Mary,': films that shock and make you laugh at the same time. It really fails on all counts humorously. I think the only part I found really funny was when David Fernández got up and did a Chiquito de la Calzada impression in front of the English staff and family. Most of the humour is based around farcical concepts of dramatic irony, which would have been funny in the nineteen eighties, but now are just corny. There's also a trend in Spanish productions to ignore real-life premises, so they can do anything for the sake of the situation, even when it would not be possible in the real world. This, for me, is an easy way out, because you don't have to worry about how the characters will resolve a situation, because there are no limits on what they can do. A man with two degrees does not accept pills from a stranger in real life, because they could be anything. If one of the characters has a disability, then the girl they fall for, and who falls for them, does not have to have a similar disability. The situations set up are resolved in the most predictable ways, and, although they try to shock, do not create a funny situation. I have seen some very funny Spanish comedies: 'Va ser que nadie es perfecto' 'Perdona bonita, pero Lucas me quería a mí' 'La Comunidad' etc. This film just wasn't up to it.

I went to see this movie just by chance. I couldn't envisage my surprise when I started laughing from the beggining to the end. This is a group of drpouts, losers and nerds that manage to get enroled in "Oxford University" only to be near the girl of his dreams of one of them. One is a nacker who happens to be a hacker; another is a blind chap that wants to become a soccer player; another is a very handsome lad who is completely shy; another is a seller of semen who wishes to make a fortune with his man's fluid, and so on... Everything is surreal and totally crazzy, but laughable. The picture got the Public Award at Malaga Film Festival and even a sequel was produced three years later. The gags, characters and situations are not to everybody likes, but are really funny and surprising. Give it a try.

In Spain, the eighteen year-old Emilio (Mario Casas) has been in love for Natalia (Amaia Salamanca) since he was five; however, he has a series of physical problems and is too shy to declare his love for Natalia. His best friends are the outcast José Manuel Flash Sanchez Expósito a.k.a. Flash, who is blind but acts like a normal teenager; Wheels (Gorka Lasaosa),who is paraplegic and sexist; Goat (Canco Rodríguez),who is a hacker and drug dealer; and Corneto (Pablo Penedo),who is a womanizer.

When Emilio is ready to tell Natalia that he loves her, she is informed that she has been accepted with scholarship in Medicine in the Oxford University. Goat uses his hacker abilities to falsify documentation and scholarships in the Medicine course in Oxford for the five friends. When Emilio meets Natalia, his friends decide to help him to get closer to Natalia; however, for each plan that they plot to get Emilio closer to Natalia, the result is always a great disaster.

"Fuga de Cerebros" is a brainless and corny comedy that follows the style of "American Pie"; therefore it is the type 'love or hate' film. The pattern is always politically incorrect with scatological and sex jokes, funny and surrealistic situations and definitely a movie that will never be indicated for an Oscar. The "good guys" are flawed, otherwise it would not be funny; and the "girl" is sexy and very beautiful. The result made me laugh a lot and I really liked it. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Garota dos Sonhos" ("The Girl of the Dreams")