Review of The Great Madcap

A completely original film. A man's family tries to stop him from drinking himself to death by pretending that his drinking has driven them to the poorhouse, and that he has been in a coma for a year. When he finds out the ruse, he turns the tables on them. He convinces them that he really is bankrupt, and that they will have to continue with their odd jobs in order to make ends meet. His daughter, the only member of his family who is not a layabout, discovers that a poor but hardworking boy who lives near the hovel the family lives in now is far more worthy of her than the rich fiancée/gold digger she had abandoned. The closest this sort of storyline has come to being made into a movie is "Trading Places," but this story is a lot more original... and more interesting. While it certainly isn't typical Bunuel, any director would be proud to have made it. Surprisingly, all of the loose threads are tied up tight.