Living It Up

Perhaps fear of being supplanted by J Lo led Salma Hayek to re-establish her roots to the Latin-American community and star in this Mexican comedy, in which--with its annoying English dubbing (on VHS), clumsy direction and obvious studio sets--something must have gotten lost in the translation. Carmelo Gómez stars as a sad sack, suicidal bus driver. Poised to leap from a bridge, Gómez is accosted by a passing stranger who makes him an offer he can't refuse: borrow $1 million from the mob, live it up for a week, and then kill himself. In the guise of a millionaire, he meets Hayek as a fiery waitress, and they predictably fall in love--only if he is not who he seems to be, neither is she. Memo to anyone in Hollywood considering an American remake: get a more dynamic comic actor in the lead. Not recommended. (K. Lee Benson)