Waiting for the Hearse (1985) User Reviews (19)

Esperando la...(Waiting for the Hearse)

[davidtraversa-1 · 7/10 · 3 December 2007]

This film, boisterously noisy and overcharged with frantic bursting vitality, shows us a slice of Mediterranean life in a Buenos Aires (Argentina) humble working class neighborhood (Buenos Aires includes 49 neighborhoods and 11 million inhabitants, including the surrounding jurisdictions). Only half a dozen of them could be considered middle class, another four or five high class; the rest the working, poorer class.

From the beginning the tottering figure of Mamá Cora (Antonio Gasella in drag and full make up as an old lady), dizzily walking alone towards the camera in a long shot, accompanied by Feliciano Brunelli's accordion yodeling a sort of polka music from the 50s (he was extremely popular with the masses at that time), sets the mood for what is coming (And what is coming is consistently and relentlessly amusing and in crescendo to the very end of the movie, here again, the very cheerful Feliciano Brunelli's accordion closes the last credits, and you feel like having eaten a great dish of tasty ravioli with sauce and grated Provolone cheese in abundance).

A crazily-quilted interaction of dislocated characters mouthing lively dialogue (Gross..., oh, SO gross... both characters and dialogue) and having a ball. They talk and talk at dizzying speed (I doubt very much that the translation can really catch up with the double entendre of half of the overlapping dialogue, for most of the time ALL of them are screaming at the top of their voices and simultaneously).

All actors grasp the screwball comedy style of this director (Alejandro Doria) beautifully. Subtlety is not even remotely connected with this outrageous comedy.

Mónica Villa (Susana) is outstandingly good as the long-suffering housewife always on the verge of an earth shaking nervous breakdown, looking like a wet mouse. One wonders if the actress didn't really break down! So authentic is her performance full of passion and vital detail (Bette Davies would have killed for this role).

Her mother in law, Mamá Cora (Antonio Gasella in drag) is driving her nuts with her full-fledge Alzheimer. Gasella does an excellent interpretation of this dizzy old lady loosing all her bearings, but I don't get it: Why was he chosen to play this role when towards the end appears a real old lady (A friend of Mamá Cora that comes to the house) that could have been THE perfect Mamá Cora (I think that Gasella must have been a popular comic at the time and maybe he made that character popular, I guess).

Betiana Blum (Nora), excellent (In very broad and obvious acting terms) as the flashy nouveau-riche wife of one of the three brothers in the story and the only pretty female in the cast.

China Zorrilla (a very well known and loved actress in Argentina, that even now, 22 years later is still going strong and is very convincing within the limits of her overheated and theatrical school of acting.

Darío Grandinetti: I failed to notice him in this old movie, maybe because he was too young then.

All performances are uniformly good. The director conventional but very efficient, since with his ear for tempo keeps everything firmly under control and makes it fun to watch, although it is blatant and flashy in a very heavy-handed way.

Only to be seen when you long for a Marx Brothers film but don't have one handy.

An excellent and beautiful masterpiece

[martinianoberwinturchin · 9/10 · 11 September 2018]

To watch this film is to open your mind to an extreme point of laugh. Excellent performances and a beautiful art direction, this film becomes in Argentina's greatest comedy ever.

family argues... goes like almodovar

[ksf-2 · 8/10 · 1 May 2020]

Or en espanol, Esperando la Corrazzo. Mama Cora has been living with Jorge and Susana for four years now, and is starting to go senile. She's doing crazy things that drive Susana crazy. The couple needs a break from mama, and they talk to the other siblings about taking her for a while. So much arguing, cussing, accusing, yelling, bringing up old conflicts, affairs... Meanwhile.... there's a report of an old lady found dead across town, so of course they rush over to see if it's really her. Mistakes are made, more arguing. Some really funny stuff in here. a farce. Lot's of surprises in this one! found this one on netflix while I was looking for something else. Great stuff! Original Play by Jacobo Langsner. Directed by Alejandro Doria. this one seems like an Almodovar film. family conflicts, arguing, secrets coming out. although the conversations are all faster and louder.

The funniest movie I have ever seen!!!

[vngf · 10/10 · 12 October 2006]

This movie is an Argentinean masterpiece. There is not a single moment when I don't find myself laughing. Every single actor, including the ones in supporting roles, are beyond excellent. The movie was just re-released for its twentieth anniversary and it is a must for any collector of comedy. This is comedy at its best. The character of Mama Cora, played by Antonio Gasalla is the most convincing portrayal of an elderly woman I have ever seen. His mannerisms, gait, etc. are superb. Although this story portrays an Argentinean family dealing with the dilemma of taking care of an elderly mother, this is a story that could happen to any family in any place in the world. Enrique Pinti has a minor role as Felipe, the family drunk, that is beyond belief. I highly recommend this great film.

You will never laugh so much

[natachapoggio · 19 February 2001]

If you want to know about people behavior in Buenos Aires, specially from middle class, with lots of acid critics to the society and its traditions, this is the best movie to watch. Here you'll find amazing actors in a really funny story and if you pay attention beyond the details you can recognize many things that argentineans inherit from their close ancestors: italians and spanish immigrants as well.

Best Argentine movie ever!

[Horacito · 10/10 · 10 September 1999]

I saw this movie plenty of times. My kids remember every line. And every time I discovered myself laughing, thinking and getting inspired more and more. Some magnificent actors, an exceptional screenplay! "Esperando la carroza", that could be translated as "Waiting for the funeral" is a perfect exposure of a lot of Argentine´s shortcomings and some Argentine´s virtues. China Zorrilla is superb...

Great movie

[gaston_ · 10/10 · 13 May 2005]

I've seen this movie recently and I really enjoyed it.

Although it shows a problem many families deal with (having an old person in the family, and not knowing what to do with him/her), it shows it in a funny way.

It tells the story about Mamá Cora (Antonio Gasalla), a woman in her eighties who apparently, it's disturbing in her bigger son's house. Her son's wife wants her out of the house, as she is driving her mad. Mamá Cora tries to help, but unfortunately, everything she does, she does it wrongly.

The family goes through lots of trouble, trying to solve what to do with Mamá Cora. While all this happens, a confusion makes the family believe she dies, and that leads to the funniest scenes of the comedy, although the whole movie is hilarious.

If want to rent a good comedy, I strongly recommend you to go for "Esperando la Carroza". Not to mention the outstanding performances of actors like China Zorrilla, Betiana Blum and Luis Brandoni, among others.

My score 10/10. Excellent movie.

An out of the ordinary weekend in the life of an Argentine family

[abeltio · 10/10 · 10 March 2012]

Esperando la Carroza (Waiting for the hearse) was voted the best Argentine comedy ever. Well deserved title. The pace is unrelenting and the characters are spot on. This comedy of errors is so well played by artists at the top of their careers that you cannot stop laughing from start to finish. Antonio Gasalla (Mamá Cora) took his character out of the movie and gave it a life of its own on Argentine TV. China Zorrilla and Antonio Gasalla, with due respect to all the other players, make the movie turn around them. This movie reached its 25th anniversary and will reach the 30th with the same vitality, for people born and raised in Buenos Aires: seems like this movie could have been shot yesterday May 9, 2012 - is timeless, is funny, is "a feel good" movie. If you want to know what means living a weekend with everyday people in an everyday neighborhood in Buenos Aires you cannot miss this movie. If you can, listen to the Spanish dialog with an Argentine friend or relative: the subtleties are priceless.

One of the funniest comedies I ever saw

[erzebethina · 10/10 · 2 December 2014]

I watch a lot of movies, but this one is exceptional. First of all, it's a comedy, and a hilarious one; it's dark and twisted and each character is perfectly and utterly designedm from the leadings to the supporting roles. It also has great performances, the cast is something like an Altman or Woody Allen movie in which you can find the most famous actors doing a small but superb appearance. It reveals all the human misery in its neuroses, the egotistic, the addicted, the superficial, the martyr, the stupid, the fascist, etc. But it does so in an incredibly funny (plainly funny) and sarcastic way.

Major!

the best film I have ever seen

[gosti82 · 10/10 · 16 November 2004]

This movie is extremely interesting. It shows the reality of a typical Argentinian family (In the 80s, but more or less the same story is happening nowadays). Basically the movie is about an *ancient* lady who is almost left alone by her own family, because as she is old and annoying nobody want to live with her. So every member of the family tries to avoid the idea of having *mommy* at home, but when they find out that she got lost, they start to seem worried. You should see this film if you enjoy sarcastic comments, funny dialogs and lovely characters. Every actor/actress in this movie is a real good one.

One of the most overrated movies I've ever seen

[brunoccassiano · 4/10 · 3 February 2020]

For me it's really hard to understand why this movie has such a high socre at IMDB.

I'm a huge fan of Argentinian movies, but it was very hard to laugh watching this one. Maybe China Zorrilla's character is the only one who's made me laugh a little, but overall I found this movie a waste of time.

I understand that when it was release, 35 years ago, it could be a nice form of comedy, but watching it today sounds more like going to a museum than watching a comedy movie.

this movie is argentina

[Cinema2kMendoza · 10/10 · 6 September 2021]

In alot of ways, times movie shows all the kind of argentinian people, so is a classic , any year you watch it, you feel the people in the movie are real argentinians.

An humorous portray of the Argentinian middle class family (and a masterpiece as well)

[julian_abadia · 10/10 · 21 June 2009]

Today I saw this movie again after ten years or so, and let me tell you something, it never ages.

There are some films that even now continue to be relevant, and "Esperando la Carroza" is one of them. Why?, you may ask. Because despite the fact that this movie was made twenty four years ago,the core of this movie (family costumes, traditions and relationships during a difficult financial time), are pretty much the same in Argentina (as well as the country's financial situation). Even now today, we have the old decaying grandfather/grandmother who gets more annoying day by day, the drunken family member, the different economical situations between brothers and sisters in the same family, the silent hatred between the people who come form other families (the brother's wife or the sister's husband) and the list could go on and on. But what makes this movie be so great, is that it has such an unforgettable Argentinian touch. Needless to say,the story of the film could have happened in every country, but I bet it wouldn't be half as funny as this one.

I highly recommend this movie for anyone who might be interested in knowing the life and issues of an Argentinian middle class family. Also, I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to have some laughs; because despite the numerous Argentinian elements in the movie, this is a comedy, and a very damn good one.

Best Argentina comedy ever

[candymantilla · 10/10 · 10 March 2010]

Esperando la Carroza its a masterpiece, there is not a single moment when I don't find myself laughing. It's a crude image of a our culture. The excellent performances makes every Character reflect really eloquent different prototypes of typical Argentina people, and i think, part of why people laugh so much here, its because here the families are big and its common to have all those prototypes, like an drunk uncle, or a lazy cousin, or a shameless politician, a new rich uncle, etc I love it,but i understand that to fully appreciated you may have to be an Argentine. Its tragic, funny, surreal, ironic and crude. The movie keeps you laughing all the time. I really recommend to watch it! This movie its an Argentine classic,the performance of Antonio Gasalla, China Zorrilla, Beatiana Blum and Luis Brandoni are extraordinary.

The only and the best

[ivancalvi · 10/10 · 20 July 2021]

This is a master piece, a unique profuction that never get old!

Best argentinean comedy ever

[maxialda-74763 · 10/10 · 13 February 2023]

Not many people will truly understand the essence of this film and get all (and I can assure there are lots) the subtleties depicted here. After probably more than 33 years of first watching this true gem, I still enjoy, laugh, get fairly emotional, repeat dialogs, etc. Great opportunity to get to know my culture (take it ir leave it), in a quite stereotypical way, with lots of italian and spanish ancestry manners embedded. Funny script, nice locations but SUPERB acting, and as far as I can remember there's never been a film from my country with so many and intense performances as in ELC.10/10.

It Should have been 17 million reviews instead of 17

[zmekky · 10/10 · 22 April 2022]

This movie is the epitome of comedy,you can't blink for fear of losing the slightest nuance. Every second is immersed in comedy. I was blown away when I watched for the first time,I didn't have an idea that Argentina have the potential to make spectacularly grand movies like this.

Great screenplay awful acting and delivery

[scarface_76 · 3/10 · 30 June 2019]

Reading the reviews of people saying this is one of the greatest comedies ever makes me cringe.

This is a very bad movie overall. It does have its moments and some decent acting. The role of the old lady is portrayed by a man in a custom of an old woman and the acting is probably the worse Ive ever seen. Single handedly made this movie bad.

Women acting is superb and male acting is mediocre. Story line is good and script is a little above average.

The setting of a family of 3 brothers each high-mid-lower class and how their status males them different although having the same issues deep inside. Its a look of what families go through when a old mother/father is alone and has to be taken care of by family members. A real look in a comedic way to show the true colors of people and the hypocritical respect families creat in order to keep a family united.

A good look at real life problems in an acting debacle. If this can be remade with better acting it could be a great film.

Yelling without timing

[mformoviesandmore · 4/10 · 18 July 2023]

In standup comedy there are some performers who have to resort to profanity or shouting to make their material work with an audience.

In this movie the profanity is limited but everyone is shouting. They shout continuously and there is no room for pacing or timing which are essential for comedy.

The mother is played by a man whose inability makes the movie look daft from the start.

I don't know how it ends and frankly I don't care.

A short review is not accepted here so people have to add more and more just to reach the number that the people here think makes for good content - but they are wrong.