Luck of My Life
Spanish filmmaker Alex de la Iglesia’s black comedy La chispa de la vida (2011) is context-dependent (heavily so) and situation-driven rather than a study in human character and individual traits. Set against the background of the socioeconomic crisis hitting Spain and Europe, La chispa de la vida is another step-by-step guide on how to overcome (and get caught in the grip of) unexpected events.
Although perfectly consistent with De la Iglesia’s trademark humorously dark take on solemn matters, La chispa de la vida, as said before, cannot be viewed in isolation, out of context, as it is built upon the economic crisis and joblessness sweeping Spain’s workforce. What De la Iglesia’s dark comedy does, perhaps, is provide soulful empathy with the victims of a crackup that’s more financial than economic, as the Occupy Wall Street and the indignados movements seek to prove.
Roberto Gómez (José Mota) is an out-of-work publicist who has been on the dole for two years. To better picture the situation, Argentine audiences ought, perhaps, to look back to 2001 and 2002, when an economic crisis of unprecedented proportion hit the country with no hope of fast recovery or amelioration.
Just like Pablo in Andrés Paternostro comedy La boleta, Roberto hops from job interview to job interview, CV in hand, coming home every night empty-handed and faking high spirits before wife and kids. In “As luck would have it” (the English-language release title of La chispa de la vida), Roberto suffers an absurd accident at the site of a recently discovered and restored Roman circus. After a teeth-grinding stunt fighting for his life, Roberto lands in the circus arena, but he is not home and dry, not exactly. Roberto lands on his back in a piece, but an iron rod is stuck in his head. As the culture authorities find themselves unable to inaugurate the restored Roman circus (which would have served their political plans to perfection), Roberto engineers a scheme to make the best out of his life-threatening situation.
Just like any good publicist would do, Roberto engages the services of an agent to strike a lucrative deal with a TV network for a live broadcast of his crucifixion and hislast words before he goes to Heaven. Roberto’s fatal head wound has caught the world’s attention, just like the 33 trapped Chilean miners had a couple of years back. As Roberto’s agent wisely and cruelly cracks, the only problem with the Chilean miners’ case (for a profit-making opportunity, that is) is that they eventually came out alive.
Roberto (fabulously performed by José Mota) is well aware that opportunity will not knock on his door twice, and that this is his one and only chance to secure financial protection for his wife (Salma Hayek) and their children, soon to go to college.
The ensuing media circus surrounding Roberto’s plight provides De la Iglesia with the kind of material he expertly translates into mordant irony and ethical dilemma. For De la Iglesia’s hordes of staunch fans, La chispa de la vida will prove intelligent, sardonic entertainment, but non advocates of his backbiting, thought-provoking humour will probably be left wanting for a more original and less moralizing finale.
