''Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health'' ( es, El amor perjudica seriamente la salud, links=no) is a 1997 Spanish

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Manuel Gómez Pereira Manuel Gómez Pereira (born 8 December 1958 in Madrid) is a Spanish screenwriter and film director of comedies. His 1999 film ''Between Your Legs'' was entered into the 49th Berlin International Film Festival. He is the nephew of the film dire ...

and starring

Ana Belén María del Pilar Cuesta Acosta (born 27 May 1951, Madrid), known professionally as Ana Belén, is a Spanish actress and singer. Life/career Born in 1951, Ana Belén is the oldest of three children. Her father was a cook in Hotel Palace, and ...

Juanjo Puigcorbé Juanjo Puigcorbé (born 22 July 1955) is a Spanish actor. He has appeared in over 100 films and television shows since 1977. He starred in the 1993 film '' The Window Over the Way'', which was entered into the 44th Berlin International Film Fes ...

Gabino Diego Gabino Diego Solís is a Spanish actor, born on 18 September 1966 in Madrid. He was educated at Runnymede College, in Madrid. His credits include: ¡Ay Carmela! and Belle Époque. Awards *Goya Awards **1999 - Nominated - Best Actor for '' ...

and

Penélope Cruz Penélope Cruz Sánchez (; ; born 28 April 1974) is a Spanish actress. Known for her roles in films of several genres, particularly those in the Spanish language, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British A ...

Synopsis

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. King

Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

offers a diner at Hôtel Crillon. Diana (Ana Belén) meets Santi (Juanjo Puigcorbé), an old lover, who now is the King's bodyguard. They remember how they met each other, 30 years ago, in another hotel, in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

. Diana (Penélope Cruz) and Santi (Gabino Diego) met when The Beatles were going to play. He works in the hotel. She hides under John Lennon's bed because she's in love with the singer. But, what starts is an attraction between them. It is an impossible love because she wants to be rich and famous, and he is poor and has to join the Air Force. When they meet again, Diana has become a socialite, and Santi is a pilot. Both are married, but the love goes on...

Cameo appearances

The film uses cameo appearances by real figures from vintage footage and other fields to great comic effect. They include

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

Carmen Polo María del Carmen Polo y Martínez-Valdés, 1st Lady of Meirás, Grandee of Spain (11 June 1900 – 6 February 1988) was the wife of the dictator, General and "''caudillo"'' Francisco Franco and is considered the most influential woman in Franco ...

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...

King Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

and his daughters. There are other cameos during the film: actors

Javier Bardem Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem (; born 1 March 1969) is a Spanish actor. Known for his roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and foreign films, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the psychopath, ...

Aitana Sánchez-Gijón Aitana Sánchez-Gijón de Angelis (born 5 November 1968) is a Spanish-Italian film actress. Biography She was born in Rome on 5 November 1968, to a Spanish father , a history lecturer exiled from Francoism, and an Italian mother, Fiorella d ...

or film director

Fernando Colomo Fernando Colomo Gómez (born 2 February 1946) is a Spanish film producer, screenwriter and film director. He has also acted in small roles in his own and other's films. He is regarded as the father of the so-called '' comedia madrileña''. Fil ...

have got small roles.

Production

The film was produced by Sogetel and BocaBoca Producciones.

Reception

The film opened on 110 screens and grossed $982,575 for the week finishing second at the Spanish box office behind fellow opener ''

Ransom Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice. When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''red ...

''.

References

External links