Tucking into a film from Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia (Mutant Action (review here), 800 Bullets (review here) can easily be compared to a masochistic game of Russian roulette. You don't know if you're going to be relieved to hear that oddly soothing sound of a click, or wind up blasting your brains out all over the back wall of the room. Relief may set in after the 'click,' but you know moments later, you're gonna have to pull that damn trigger again and eventual splatter is inevitable. Alex is one of (if not) the most original and dedicated filmmakers that you're likely to come across today. And he doesn't even live in the US - now THAT's a surprise, huh? His films are bold, funny and always cleverly executed, Ferpect Crime is no exception.

Rafael (Guillermo Toledo) is a womanizing salesman (working in the women's section mind you) at an upper class department store. Surrounded by HQT (that's high quality tail to you and me), Rafael makes his rounds with the fine ladies he works with (usually through a late night changing room rendezvous), women who are almost as indistinguishable by name as they are by cup size. Although there's one meek saleswoman named Lourdes (Monica Cervera) who seems eternally unable to grab Rafael's attention, no matter how hard she tries. In the mean time, Rafael is in the running for a promotion to floor manager and the outcome is solely dependent on a month's worth of sales between Rafael and Antonio (Luis Varela) of Menswear. A hefty day of purchases and one bounced check later, Antonio is declared the winner and proceeds to make Rafael's once suave lifestyle, a real living hell.

It isn't long before Rafael and Antonio find themselves in an actual physical scuffle, only this time; it's not just words that will hurt. Rafael inadvertently kills Antonio (through a disturbing, yet funny sequence of events) and unfortunately (or fortunately?) for him, there's a witness...Lourdes. Lourdes seizes this opportunity to take advantage of Rafael as the two embark on a bizarre relationship based off of joint murder and blackmail. Lourdes manages to convince Rafael to fire all of the beauties on the sales floor and hire her homely friends, and even has him spend some time with her equally bizarre family, just before it's too much for Rafael to take anymore. If he folds, she squeals. Question is, who's fooling whom?

It may sound pedestrian from the above description (and I don't want to give to much of the films' cleverness away here), but since this IS an Alex de la Iglesia film after all, it's anything but. Those familiar with the man's work, will know exactly what I'm talking about. Those unfamiliar, will just have to take my word for it. Ferpect Crime is unbelievably stylish and consistently hilarious, even during its depictions of murder, double cross, loneliness and mayhem. It's not hard to single out the films' strong points here, as there are many, and performances are a great place to start. All of the leads deliver impeccable comedic timing, and dig into their meaty roles with an enthusiasm that's almost unmatched. Iglesia's assured direction is spot on, and he winds up delivering a wholly unique and original cinematic experience that is still, at its heart, pure Alex. The films' script is clever and brutally honest, especially for anyone who has worked in retail or is tired of the 'beautiful people taking over.' Great to see that very little if anything is lost in translation here as well.

What starts out as a lighthearted comedy about relationships in a department store quickly spirals out of control into much darker, disturbing territory. All the while, the film manages to retain its uniquely bizarre sense of humor, right up until the films' final frames. There's a lot I'm choosing not to tell you here, like the 'undead advice' and bizarre fashion trends, so you'll have to seek out Ferpect Crime in order to see for yourself. Alex is a tremendously talented filmmaker and an equally tremendous human being. This is something that anyone who's met the man can attest to. Alex is a humble filmmaker (a rare quality to find in this day and age), who may not know just how talented he truly is. Ferpect Crime is an entertaining blend of all of the elements that make an Alex de la Iglesia film so special. This is one hell of a fun film, and a great way to kick off the 14th Philadelphia Film Festival. I think I speak for both Michael and myself when I say that it's great to be back!

Thumbs Up For the Ferpect Opening Night Film