These days, it seems like every studio is scrambling to make sequels out of modern classics: the biggest culprit being the long line of Star Wars sequels and spin-offs that are rolling out for the foreseeable future. Elsewhere, we have Blade Runner 2049 and even Dazed and Confused’s “spiritual sequel” Everybody Wants Some!. A sequel you were probably never expecting is The Queen of Spain, the follow-up to the 1998 drama The Girl of Your Dreams. (Never heard of it? Neither have I.)
To catch up on what you missed – The Girl of Your Dreams took place in Nazi Germany and followed a Spanish film crew filled with eclectic characters, led by director Blas Fontiveros (Antonio Resines) and actress Macarena Granada (Penélope Cruz). The crew face problems with their German counterparts and they ultimately help a Jewish extra avoid being sent to a concentration camp. The follow-up takes place nearly twenty years later – Macarena Granada is now an Oscar winner and a huge star in Hollywood. She returns home to Spain to star in a film about Queen Isabella I of Castille.
It’s difficult to understand why this film was even made in the first place – other than serving as an indulgent exercise for writer/director Fernando Trueba to revisit his beloved characters. The Queen of Spain also falls victim to the same issues as its predecessor. The tone wildly fluctuates, unsure if it wants to be a Hail, Caesar!-type caper or a sobering look at the realities of Francoist Spain. Despite this, when Trueba embraces his comedic side, the film has a few fun scenes exploring the humour and nostalgia of classic film studios filled to the brim with inside jokes – the American director in charge of the Spanish production is a clear parody of John Ford (with eye-patch and all); and J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls) has a cameo as a projectionist; Mandy Patinkin also has a small role as a screenwriter.
The film has its moments but these scenes never really come together to create a compelling story. Not even Penelope Cruz (who was also the highlight of The Girl of Your Dreams) can save this frankly bland film. Though her performance is expectedly dazzling – she seamlessly inhabits her role as a classic Hollywood star. Despite a few fun scenes which find the humour of classic Hollywood cinema, and a cast who give their all with what they have, the material is hardly engaging, calling into question why a forgettable sequel to an even more forgettable film from the 90s was even necessary.
Rating: 4/10