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A very funny Spanish farce which adds piquancy to the 'meet the parents' comedy subgenre through its focus upon a Palestinian fiancé's introduction to his Jewish in-laws. Things do not go according to plan when an accident with some undefrosted soup sparks off a series of uproarious events, involving a literal lame duck, a blind Holocaust-surviving grandfather, a hooker, a random belly-dancing interlude and an unusual use for a liquid soap dispenser.
The breakneck speed of the comedy and the often hilarious arguments which erupt between the characters are tremendous fun, but it is the skill of the performances which really stand out. Norma Aleandro, a serious Argentinian actress who won the Best Actress award at Cannes for The Official Story, displays remarkable comic timing as the harried Jewish matriarch, refusing to allow her role to descend into crass stereotype. Krampack's Fernando Ramallo is also terrific as the orthodox Jewish son, who hides all the family's phones on the Sabbath and wishes to change the family name from Dali to Dalinksy. Although the happy ending is never in doubt, the otherwise unpredictable Only Human is a joy from beginning to end.

 

Alex Davidson on 5th September 2005
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