El analfabeto (1961)
7/10
A good-feeling and friendly illiterate man sometimes resorting to wordly solutions to problems
15 September 2021
Nice and entertaining farce upon the sympathetic Cantinflas as an illiterate cleaner with good intentions who works at an office where is deceived by the clerks . Cantinflas recital in which he usually wears his baggy pants, his two-piece mustache and talks nonsensical sentences . Dealing with a man who cannot read or write is given a letter that says he is the inheritor of two million pesos, which begins off a series of diverting and twisted events . Along the way our friend Cantinflas falls for a young woman : Lilia Prado , makes good acts , helping people , fine assistance , and clashes repeatedly with the usual villain : Carlos Agusti who has ambitious plans . Here Cantinflas is simply the coolest illiterate one eacher ever !

Good-natured and warmhearted Cantinflas comedy , here playing an atypical and likeable cleaner . A gentle, satisfying and agreeable comedy with a lot of humorous, enjoyable sketches about an unconventional illiterate man who delivers teachings , goodness , help and happiness . He is a sui-generis handy man at an office with virtues and shortcomings , but above all , a complete human being . Of course , Cantinflas using his comedy routine consisting of engaging in drawn-out, nonsensical chatter , as well as his physical aspect as two-piece mustache with wide, clean-shaven gap in the middle. The attractive plot is similar to another successful Cantinflas film ¨El Portero (1950)¨, as a hand man who cleans the building, sweeps, makes botched works and all kinds of activities . ¨El analfabeto (1961) is the hilarious all new adventure of that imprudent , impish , impossible droll role magnificently played by the splendid Cantinflas. Most laughs are supposed to come from watching the especial handy man do such outrageous things and organizing peculiar tricks to get his attractive purports , while concerning his various works , love , and education. This is a successful , though overlong satire, and in my opinion it results one on the best Mario Moreno Cantinflas movies . Alongside Cantinflas there appears some human and credible roles , special mention for Lilia Prado who was Luis Buñuel's regular actress including : Abismos de pasión , La Ilusion Viaja en Tranvia ,La reina del cielo, El malvado Carabel , as well as the Spanish Carlos Agostí as Licenciado Aníbal Guzmán , Antonio Garasa who played a lot along with Cantinflas and Sara Garcia , the legendary "granny of Mexican cinema" specialized in portraying mothers and grandmas, then her nickname .

This is a simple fun and exhilarating film about an unusual good guy versus a bad boy along with other adventures , romance and misfortunes shown in a mass collection of vignetttes . Cantinflas' career was very long from the Forties to Eighties . He is responsible for more than one word that is in the modern Spanish language dictionary, including the verb "Cantinflear", which roughly means to talk a lot but say nothing of substance. Cantinflas represents the humble Mexican who wants to overcome himself and accomplish something in life. His fruitful career Cantinflas performed good-tempered and kind people , mostly low-class characters .In 1936 Cantinflas made his first "film," a two-reel advertisement for a trucking company. A year later, he appeared in his first movie for the nascent Mexican film industry, "Asi Es Mi Tierra" : "That's My Country" . Equally , he played motley roles with all kinds of jobs, as he was street cleaner , a teacher , a doctor, an actor , an extra , a scientist , a clown, a fireman , a porter , an elevador operador, a photographer , a prospector , cowboy , a student , Hotel manager , an Ambassador , Bellboy , a police officer , magician , a priest , among others . These roles to be interpreted in films as El Profe , Bombero Atómico, El Supersabio, El Analfabeto, El Extra , Sube Y Baja , El Conserje , El Mago, Por Mis Pistolas , El Circo, Su excelencia, El Señor Doctor , El Señor Fotógrafo , El Patrullero, Por Mis Pistolas , and his last one : El Barrendero.

The motion picture was competently directed by Miguel Maria Delgado in his usual style , and he was Cantinflas' ordinary filmmaker . Delgado directed him in a lot of movies as El señor doctor, El patrullero 777, El profe, Por mis pistolas, El supersabio, Gran hotel, El señor fotografo, Los tres mosqueteros, El Gendarme desconocido, among others. Rating 6.5/10. The picture will appeal to Cantinflas fansRating : 7/10. Above average Cantinflas movie . A childhood favorite , appointed to tremendous fans of the great Cantinflas. Essential and indispensable seeing .
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