Busco Novio Para Mi Mujer

Decent performances make up for the predictable plot and light humor in this Spanish-language romantic comedy, which relies on the old "take my wife, please" joke and henpecked husband cliches. Dana is undeniably cringe-worthy at first, the kind of narcissist who delights in pointing out how everyone around her is an imbecile with nothing valuable to do or say. But as the movie continues with its unrealistic premise -- i.e. Paco hiring a Casanova to pursue his wife so their marriage can end, instead of simply telling her they need to separate or go to counseling -- viewers start to sympathize with Dana. She evolves from being a one-dimensional curmudgeon who nitpicks over everything to someone who's uncompromising in how she expects people to behave. The actors are well cast in their roles, with de la Torre doing a fine job of acting spineless and believably horrified at his wife's vitriolic rants and Echeverria going all in with her "I hate everyone who's lazy, puerile, and ignorant" persona.

And Ochoa? He's great as the fiftysomething Taiger, who in no way looks like a professional pick-up artist but manages to convince audiences with his suave ability to really observe and listen to the women he's assigned to woo. While at first it comes off as a joke (the actor's no George Clooney), the screenwriter does a good enough job of showing why Taiger is successful at his vocation. Still, there's no turn the movie takes that will surprise anyone who's seen a romantic comedy. Of course just as Taiger begins hanging out with Dana, Paco develops buyer's remorse, making Dana -- happier than ever with both professional and personal attention -- more desirable than ever.