August 28, 2025
FILM: THE FANTASTIC GOLEM AFFAIRS
DIRECTED BY: JUAN GONZALEZ, NANDOMARTINEZ
STARRING: BRAYS EFE, BRUNA CUSI, JAVIER BOTET
RATING: 2 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Billed as an “absurdist comedy,” the Spanish film The Fantastic Golem Affairs definitely has some elements that are pretty absurd. The film as a whole also does have some heart and a few brief laughs but some might call it just plain “strange.”
At the start, Juan Martinez is playing a movie related guessing game with his best friend David on a rooftop in Madrid. The camera circles around the outside of the building’s frame until it reaches the perspective of David undressing while giving Juan his next clues. Suddenly, he falls off the roof much to Juan’s shock. As he swiftly glides down the side of the building, David’s body becomes a ceramic doll that crashes onto the rooftop of a car below. This, it turns out, is not some visual trickery that has nothing to do with the plot. In fact, we find out that David was a golem, created by a company and given to Juan by his father when he was younger to equalize his “deficiencies.” This, obviously, is one of the absurd parts of the story.
We’re not really supposed to take most of this seriously as it’s played for laughs. Even the opening theme music is brash and enticingly rhythmic. It’s steeped in Spanish sounds even if the film as a whole could be taking place anywhere. David is not the only character in the film that turns out to be a golem. There is at least one other that plays a central role in the narrative. Their “deaths” are dramatic but comical. Similarly, there are a number of characters that are smashed to death by pianos falling on them. Hmm… the fragility of life? Are we as breakable as ceramics?
I don’t think the film is trying to go that deep though. We’re supposed to be enjoying the humor which I found to be lacking for the most part. There are a few interesting characters that add a light touch to the film though such as what appear to be gay lawyers and cops who have various marriage squabbles. One of them, Carlos, is played by Javier Botet, an actor who has a genetic disorder known as Marfan Syndrome which affects the body’s connective tissue. As such, Carlos appears tall and very thin with a pear-shaped body. Are we supposed to find his physical body funny? The actor bravely reveals himself during one of many scenes when characters are nude or mostly nude. Clearly, Botet was up for the game.
Juan Gonzalez as Juan has the larger physical frame similar to a Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski or Jack Black in most of his roles. He’s also not afraid to appear naked in more than one scene. Still, he doesn’t quite have the charisma those other actors do. He comes across as a bit too serious and therefore less fun to watch. But then, the film as a whole is playing with the sad conceit that some people might need created companions to get through life (also calling to mind Joaquin Phoenix’s character in Her and Ryan Gosling’s in Lars and the Real Girl.)
The film has the look of a low-budget production including old fashioned rear projection and carved out studio sets in which fourth walls are missing. These also seem to be designed for some comic effect. The editing is quite skilled and seamless, particularly in the scenes when pianos crush characters. There is an intentional visual aesthetic that might call to mind old film comedies.
The whole experience watching this movie is harmless enough, unless you are bothered by nudity or the sudden deaths of characters. It’s a story with some heart that exists in a world created for adventurous movie fans who like stories that are left of center.
The Fantastic Golem Affairs will be released theatrically on August 29th.
FILM: THE FANTASTIC GOLEM AFFAIRS
DIRECTED BY: JUAN GONZALEZ, NANDOMARTINEZ
STARRING: BRAYS EFE, BRUNA CUSI, JAVIER BOTET
RATING: 2 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Billed as an “absurdist comedy,” the Spanish film The Fantastic Golem Affairs definitely has some elements that are pretty absurd. The film as a whole also does have some heart and a few brief laughs but some might call it just plain “strange.”
At the start, Juan Martinez is playing a movie related guessing game with his best friend David on a rooftop in Madrid. The camera circles around the outside of the building’s frame until it reaches the perspective of David undressing while giving Juan his next clues. Suddenly, he falls off the roof much to Juan’s shock. As he swiftly glides down the side of the building, David’s body becomes a ceramic doll that crashes onto the rooftop of a car below. This, it turns out, is not some visual trickery that has nothing to do with the plot. In fact, we find out that David was a golem, created by a company and given to Juan by his father when he was younger to equalize his “deficiencies.” This, obviously, is one of the absurd parts of the story.
We’re not really supposed to take most of this seriously as it’s played for laughs. Even the opening theme music is brash and enticingly rhythmic. It’s steeped in Spanish sounds even if the film as a whole could be taking place anywhere. David is not the only character in the film that turns out to be a golem. There is at least one other that plays a central role in the narrative. Their “deaths” are dramatic but comical. Similarly, there are a number of characters that are smashed to death by pianos falling on them. Hmm… the fragility of life? Are we as breakable as ceramics?
I don’t think the film is trying to go that deep though. We’re supposed to be enjoying the humor which I found to be lacking for the most part. There are a few interesting characters that add a light touch to the film though such as what appear to be gay lawyers and cops who have various marriage squabbles. One of them, Carlos, is played by Javier Botet, an actor who has a genetic disorder known as Marfan Syndrome which affects the body’s connective tissue. As such, Carlos appears tall and very thin with a pear-shaped body. Are we supposed to find his physical body funny? The actor bravely reveals himself during one of many scenes when characters are nude or mostly nude. Clearly, Botet was up for the game.
Juan Gonzalez as Juan has the larger physical frame similar to a Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski or Jack Black in most of his roles. He’s also not afraid to appear naked in more than one scene. Still, he doesn’t quite have the charisma those other actors do. He comes across as a bit too serious and therefore less fun to watch. But then, the film as a whole is playing with the sad conceit that some people might need created companions to get through life (also calling to mind Joaquin Phoenix’s character in Her and Ryan Gosling’s in Lars and the Real Girl.)
The film has the look of a low-budget production including old fashioned rear projection and carved out studio sets in which fourth walls are missing. These also seem to be designed for some comic effect. The editing is quite skilled and seamless, particularly in the scenes when pianos crush characters. There is an intentional visual aesthetic that might call to mind old film comedies.
The whole experience watching this movie is harmless enough, unless you are bothered by nudity or the sudden deaths of characters. It’s a story with some heart that exists in a world created for adventurous movie fans who like stories that are left of center.
The Fantastic Golem Affairs will be released theatrically on August 29th.