There are some dreams that are just too big not to pursue, and these are the ones that usually come to us at the most seemingly inopportune moments, which is part of why it is important to never shut down any possibilities, even if they can be borderline absurd at the best of times. This is at least what we find to be the case for Carlo Padial, who uses this as the foundation for Pizza Movie, the strangely titled film he co-writes and directs, in which he explores the idea of how one crazy idea can have fascinating results if one maintains an open mind. The film is set in contemporary Barcelona (or at least a similar city in the region), and follows Thais and Alan, a couple who find their usually very pleasant marriage put under strain as a result of financial difficulties, made worse by Thais’ inability to find a way to contribute to the household, refusing to allow her husband to bear the burden of being the sole breadwinner. Almost by accident, she comes up with the perfect idea to get themselves out of this economic slump: she will realise her long-gestating dream of opening a pizzeria, with the hook being that it will be film-themed, every pizza they produce being inspired by the many movies that has inspired them and their consumers. An ambitious idea made only more bold as a result of neither of the couple having any experience running a pizzeria, let alone designing the many artisanal dishes on which the entire concept is built. Nevertheless, they make it and, by hook or by crook, turn it into a success – but once the novelty wears off, what will their next step be? A charming film that never takes itself particularly seriously, but instead offers the audience something memorable on which we can perch for a little while, Pizza Movies does what was expected, which is ultimately more than enough for a film with such a seemingly abstract premise.

The premise behind Pizza Movie is extremely simple, and Padial certainly wastes no time in establishing the key themes that drive the story forward. The idea of a film critic who struggles to find consistent work (an all-too-familiar situation for those in this specific vocation, and one that I imagine will hit quite close to home, even if the film doesn’t revolve around the inner workings of the industry beyond using it as the backdrop for the early stages of the plot) who turns to an entirely different field, in which she and her business-savvy husband find ways to apply the knowledge she has earned to make a success of the new business, is one that does immediately draw the viewer in. We find our curiosity being piqued purely on the novelty, since the combination of pizza and cinema, which are not uncommon bedfellows but certainly not in the way it is presented here, makes for very interesting storytelling possibilities, even if most of it is just seeing the extent to which the film goes to maintain the central concept. It proves to be quite effective, since not only does it pull through on the premise for the most part, but it adds some additional discussion around further themes, such as economic strife, the challenges of being a freelancer in a world driven by corporations, marital tensions and the importance of pursuing one’s dreams, as unrealistic as they may seem at first. This makes for very entertaining viewing, and the director is quite clear in his intention to craft a memorable story that looks and feels genuinely intriguing, rather than just promising a fun story without actually having the willingness to follow through on all of its core ideas. The novelty remains mostly intact throughout, and it’s only as the film begins to flesh out some of its more extensive themes that we see any seams beginning to show, and that is relatively minor in comparison to the more offbeat.

To its credit, Pizza Movies is not trying to be overly original or all that unique, even at its most seemingly subversive. No one involved in its creation seemed to be interested in creating something that redefines the medium or does anything we’ve not seen countless times before. At its core, this is a film about two people trying to find a solution to a problem that keeps them both up at night, and as we would expect from a fictionalised story, their choice is the most absurd and strange, since a logical and well-conceived plan may be realistic, but it lacks originality. From this point onwards, the film just becomes an exercise in seeing how far they can take this premise, and how it sometimes can touch on themes slightly more profound than we would have expected at a cursory glance. This all aligns with the intentions of the director, who was aiming to tell a delightful and irreverent story without redefining the genre or saying anything particularly challenging. He’s helped in this regard by the two leads, who are splendid in their own way. Berto Romero is the pernickety Alan, a man who enjoys order and logic, while Judit Martín is a hoot as his loose-cannon wife who has dreams far larger than any film could possibly contain. This is where the film is at its most subversive and original, finding interesting ways to rework the subject matter to have a deeper and more profound meaning, while also presenting us with a couple of eccentric protagonists who are certainly not too dissimilar from the kinds of people we find in our day-to-day lives. Martín and Romero play off each other splendidly, finding a terrific rhythm that gives them remarkable chemistry, and where we truly can believe that these two oddballs are a longtime couple, since their chemistry is exceptional, anchoring the entire film and making it such an absolute delight.

Pizza Movies is a film that is at its strongest when it allows the story to be carried by the eccentric characters, both only because of the terrific performances that lead the film, but also because this is a film that builds itself on strong dialogue between characters who have clear chemistry, since nothing else in the film is quite as consistent as these elements, which lends the film an innate warmth and humour. It is also notable that the director’s approach is remarkably lacking in pretension, having a lovable quality that makes it much less condescending than we may have initially imagined based on a cursory glance at the premise. It can sometimes struggle to maintain its momentum beyond the initial novelty, but it remains an agreeable and entertaining film that knows precisely what it wants to be, acknowledging that it is no revelatory masterpiece, nor is it some scathing indictment on contemporary society and how the economy seems intent on destroying those who can’t keep up, but rather functions as a well-meaning, delightfully irreverent comedy that may not always be quite as consistent as we perhaps may hope, but which nevertheless has a raggedy charm that sustains some of its more ludicrous ideas. The result is a playful, dialogue-driven romp that may not offer much in terms of being an incisive deconstruction of social issues, but rather a refreshingly honest and deeply funny two-hander about modern life, delivered with sincerity and an abundance of humour, finding pleasure in some unexpected places and making some astute observations that are always worthwhile, even at their most obvious. Pizza Movies is not a film that aims to linger longer than necessary, but functions as an affectionate, irreverent comedy about two people trying to find their footing, proving to be more than sufficient as a pleasant diversion, which is more than enough for such a peculiar gem of a film.