Two years ago, the European Union was voting on its Constitution. While in Madrid, I asked a friend why Europe had finally decided to unify when Hitler wanted the very same thing and failed. He said, "You can't force people, but you can pretend to give them a choice and they will go with the flow." That is what "The Girl of My Dreams" is about. Made in 1998, joining the soon-to-be-formed EU was topical. Is this movie a warning by contrasting present with past? Was Spain once again going with the flow? Although the flow in 1940 Spain was Franco or death and unlike the fall of Nazism, Franco's regime lasted 40 years. What most people don't realize about Franco's Spain is how in-bed the dictator was with the Nazis, despite his neutrality. Over 10,000 Spaniards were sent to Nazi concentration camps. Survivors and their families are now attempting to repatriate, hoping to receive social security. And now, we learn from this movie that Spanish cinema became a small part of the Nazi propaganda machine. What other movie has given us this Spanish perspective? A troupe of Spanish actors head to Germany in a co-production effort, which has failure written all over it. The set and extras are sub-par until Goebbels gets involved and falls for Macarena (Penelope Cruz). Although Goebbels was a mastermind, a monster and a womanizer, I can believe he would fall for such a beautiful woman. He too was human.The naive troupe soon learns first hand the horrors of Nazism. Spain is known for its gypsies and its persecutions of its natives and the gypsies and Jews are the extras in the movie. The comparison is not lost on Macarena. Her sympathy for Václav Passer, the Russian Jew, is a parallel of her father's plight. How could she not empathize? How could they not save each other? Any other ending would be tragic.Maybe Francoism isn't so bad after all, they think. All of them desperately want to go home. Throughout the troupe acts like Spaniards. To the untrained eye, the viewer may think they are being trite or ridiculous, acting out a farce. I disagree. These are Spaniards being Spanish in a German world. There is a crucial scene where the troupe sits around a table and swears allegiance to Franco, but in name only. Their body language says otherwise, which you'll miss if you're reading subtitles.The subtitles don't do justice to the dialogue or the actors. The ensemble cast is a who's who of Spanish cinema. And Penelope is affecting an Andalucian accent that is a joy to listen to. This is a very funny film with dark overtones, much like "Life is Beautiful," although not so tragic and yet the comedy works. Also, there are nods to great films and period pieces. Don't be fooled, dear reader, in thinking Spanish cinema is so trite as to try and rip off "Casablanca." (How could anyone think that? It's called a "nod".) Not to mention, how else do you escape Goebbels? The only way to watch this film, if you are not fluent in Spanish, is to watch it twice, once for the dialogue, once for the acting. Penelope has powerful scenes where her body language and tone should not be eclipsed by understanding her words. Goebbels doesn't speak Spanish but understands perfectly, which shows what a monster he is. Don't let his limp fool you.Give the movie a chance, and if you are disappointed, it's not the movie's fault. You missed something crucial and historic. Go back and watch it again.

I have just got this film on DVD I saw it a couple of years ago during a Penelope Cruz season in Manchester, I enjoyed it then & I enjoyed it just as much now.As a non-Spanish speaker I still got the comic elements & the historical references to a point & now I have it on DVD I can go back & check any bits I have missed.I just like the characters in this film, the fish out of water element of the Spanish in Nazi Germany is very funny the off the cuff one liners are priceless.Cruz & Resinas may be the focus of the film & they are lead the way but everyone gets a moment to shine in this film, segura is my favourite he always steals some or all the limelight in any film he appears.I would heartily recommend this film it may not be up to Belle Epoque but its not far behind.

Without trying to offend anybody I have to agree with another reviewer in that an explanation for the bad reception of this film among the non-Spanish speakers reviewers was exactly that: Spanish is not their first language and this is sometimes, as another reviewer has pointed out, a difficult film to understand if you are not a native speaker. A full understanding of the dialogue would help to clarify some of the bizarre scenes in the film. It might not be the best script written by Rafael Azcona, without any doubt one of the best scriptwriters in the history of Spanish cinema, but at times it is hilarious. A better grasp of Spanish history and culture would also come quite handy. So what else can you say about Penelope Cruz in the scene where she dances and sings for Goebbels?. As one her shoe is missing, she unintentionally imitates Goebbles, as she approaches him in a frontal shot, who is lame.Jokes on the Spanish fascist are more than just clichés. For example the cuckold Spanish ambassador played by Juan Luis Galiardo and his nymphomaniac wife, played by Maria Barranco. And the wisecracking remark made by the pro-fascist Spanish troupe leading man, Jorge Sanz, wooded by his German counterpart "Yo doy todo por mi patria menos mi culo", he would give anything for his country except his ass. They are both an amusing pisstaking on fascist patriotic macho culture. This subject of patriotism being a hot issue right now in Spain where the right-wing government of Aznar is endorsing the notion of "Patriotismo Constitucional" or Constitutional Patriotism developed by the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas. Unashamedly, the film upholds the necessity to produce espanoladas. As the film director Blas Fontiveros, played by Antonio Resines, remarks that the life of a Spanish hero has more relevance to Spanish audiences, as they feel more identified, than for example Al Capone's. 5 Spanish (espanoladas) films were, in fact, made in Nazi Germany. Two starred by Imperio Argentina and another 2 by Estrellita Castro both stars of the "cine folclorico espanol".As already remarked by some reviewers the film copies scenes from other films, the most obvious being its final sequence, which is a rip off of the end of Casablanca, but to suggest that it is a carbon copy of such and such a film is pure overstatement and a rather facile critique of the film. Yet its politics are not at all convincing, not to say rather naïve. The introduction of the Russian Jewish character signals the fall of the film into sentimental humanism and vacuous romantic trifle from where the film does not recover. Nevertheless La Nina de tus Ojos has its charms too and I found it extremely funny. The cast is excellent (Penelope Cruz playing an andalusian, a role she had already done in Almodovar's "Todo Sobre mi Madre" as a prostitute). Resines and Sanz are a surprise as well as Santiago Segura. But special mention deserves Miroslav Táborský, playing Vaclav the interpreter. Subtle looks at Macarena tell of his unrequited love for her. His increasing fascination with Macarena moves him away from his non-interventionist stand to resignedly accept his fate by the end of the film, along with Fontiveros who is Macarena's lover, at the hands of the Nazi. Yet this is never overdone as the change of views underwent by the other characters towards the Nazi regime, in particular the case of Julian Torralba. This little subplot of the film is quite moving rather sentimental and its quiet essence contrast sharply with the bombardment of dialogue coming from the rest of the cast.

Fernando Trueba, the man who brought us the Oscar-winning Belle Epoque, does NOT deliver the goods in his latest film, the Girl of Your Dreams. This movie, a carbon copy of so many others, tells the story of a group of actors/dancers from Spain, who come to Occupied Germany in the late 30's to make a 'propaganda' film. (Of course, what else was Germany putting out back then?)Naturally, you can predict the rest of this story. The group is ignorant to the Nazi atrocities, and as they slowly discover what's happening, they cannot help but be affected by it. Yes, it's the same old story, told so many times before, and in much better films.The story is sometimes comical, or at least it attempts to be. There is a series of cliche events that are simply not funny. A homosexual actor makes advances at Spain's leading man. The Nazi's are gun-toting buffoons (a la Hogan's Hero's). And the women are bitchy to the point of being just plain silly. There is little redeeming about this film. I did like the set design for some of the scenes. The colors were great. But this stuff has all been done before. Scenes are literally stolen from other 'great' films. You will see Casablanca and To Be or Not to Be in several scenes. Penelope Cruz offered the most energy in this picture. It is her character that first comes to terms with what is going on around her. The problem is, the character is not smart enough for me believe it. Sorry Fernando ... but The Girl of Your Dreams is a forgettable nightmare.