Ordinary person being unwittingly forced to take identity of someone important or powerful is motive that can work well in works of fiction, especially comedies. Not all of such works, however, fulfil that potential, like in the case of Moon over Parador, 1988 film directed by Paul Mazursky.
The film is based on “Caviar for His Excellency”, unpublished short story by Classic Hollywood screenwriter Charles B. Booth which served as a basis for 1939 film The Magnificent Fraud. The protagonist of the new version is Jack Noah (played by Richard Dreyfuss), a New York actor who comes to fictional South American country of Parador to star in a low budget action film. Following the shoot, the cast and crew is visited by country’s flamboyant dictator Alfonse Simms (also played by Richard Dreyfuss) who can’t fail noticing his physical resemblance to the actor and asks Noah to impersonate him. Noah does so in a way that would give him opportunity to play the most important and demanding role of his life. Few days later, just as he prepares to travel back to New York, he is summoned by Roberto Straussman (played by Raul Julia), chief of country’s secret police and Simms’ right hand man. He explains that the dictator has died of heart attack but that his death must remain the secret, because otherwise the country would plunge into chaos. Before proper transition is handed over, Noah should take President’s identity. Noah, partly because of intimidation and partly because of his own vanity agrees and begins meticulous work of playing the late Simms. Most of the people are fooled and those close to Simms don’t want to rock the boat. The exception is Simms’ mistress Madonna Mendez (played by Sonia Braga) who not only sees through deception, but also thinks that the new “President” could do something to actually improve the lives of their “countrymen”.
Mazursky (who also co-wrote script with Leon Capetanos) had an idea to use the plot as a way to mock something he knew very well – actors, their inflated egos and struggle with their insecurities. Unfortunately, he also used this film as an opportunity to take satirical jab at right-wing Latin American dictatorships which were at the time supported by anti-Communist US government (in the film represented through character of arrogant CIA agent played by Johantah Winters). The film never establishes proper focus and the quality of humour suffers a lot, with many jokes being weak or succumbing to cheap cliches, some of which would today be characterised as ethnic stereotypes. Even worse is Mazursky’s decision to tell the tale through flashback, with protagonist back in New York describing his adventures to the colleagues during casting for theatre show. This, in many ways, destroys suspense and makes melodramatic ending quite predictable. Richard Dreyfuss does what he can with the given material and obviously enjoys playing the complex double role. Raul Julia is also formidable as intelligent and imposing villain, but his character is in the second half reduced to pathetic wreck. Sonia Braga, on the other hand, lacks chemistry with Dreyfuss. Some of the casting choices are somewhat questionable, like Mazursky himself playing Simms’ old mother dressed in drag. While Dreyfuss makes this film somewhat watchable, he can’t prevent Moon over Parador becoming a huge disappointment.
RATING: 3/10 (+)
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