Film: Quién Dice que es Fácil? (Who Says it is Easy?)
Studio: Rizoma Films
Principal actors: Diego Peretti, Carolina Pelleritti
Director: Juan Taratuto
Screening Date: May 18, 2008 Toronto Hispano-American Film Festival (www.thaff.com)
Film Length: 108 minutes
Rating: Unrated 

Reviewer: Rodrigo Toromoreno (Toronto Correspondent - Canada)

A special breed of comedy appears to be making an impact not only in North America, but also in the western hemisphere's most southern country. The type of humour alluded to is the one made popular by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) which mixes bawdy humour with sentimentality. Transcending the barrier of language, the Argentine film under question proves that the same kind of comedy has the ability to make people laugh, even if the material seems oddly familiar to its Toronto viewers. 

Similar to Knocked Up, the film follows a relationship-in this case between a neurotic landlord named Aldo (Diego Peretti) and his laid-back tenant Andrea (Carolina Pelleritti)-that slowly deters as Andrea's pregnancy advances. Aldo owns a carwash in Buenos Aires while his lodger is a fashion photographer whose work is most likely to be seen in at an art school exhibit rather than on the pages of Vogue. However, it is her new-age work that awakens Aldo's curiosity and lures him into her room. After a comical moment displaying of the landowners ‘impotent' will against Andreas advancements, a rollercoaster-romance ensues between the odd couple that carries out until the end of the film. To differ itself from the more familiar Apatow production, Who Says it is Easy? adds a twist to the narrative: Andrea, pregnant before meeting Aldo, does not know the identity of the father. Since his new love interest is unable provide him with an answer as to the culprit of the mystery, Aldo is forced to come up with his own theories that result in some the film's most awkward, yet humorous, moments.    

Nothing seems to bee taboo for Juan Taratuto's male protagonist. At one point Aldo asks the gynaecologist whether it is possible to use the ultrasound images to determine the fetus' race and, therefore, its father. A topic such as this would be difficult to find amusing if the character that said it were not depicted as a caricature who is simply intrigued by the entire situation he confronts. By making Aldo a Hispanic version of Steve Carell, the script is given carte blanche to address as many unusual topics as it pleases.

Unlike its American counterpart, half way through Who Says it is Easy? the film trades in comedy to concentrate solely on the emotional aspect of the story; this would be fine had it not previously established a light-hearted quality that conflicts with its sudden attempt at realism. To use Knocked Up as a point of contrast, Apatow disguises his film with vulgarity, but the sincerity of the issue underlies is the entire time. Taratuto, in comparison, seems to arbitrarily insert moments of discord between Aldo and Andrea only to then feature scenes of reconciliation accompanied by melodic music. The second half becomes a forced demand for pathos that undermines everything prior.  

Ultimately, the film excels in providing the audience with a script that, for the most part, is consistent in delivering laughs. It also adds to, rather than copies from, the better-known films of this genre. Sadly, Taraturo has yet to work on his familiarity with tragedy to make this the great tragic-comedy it can be.