Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Connianatu How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

jotix100 Imagine the dreary life of Martin, a bus driver in Madrid. His job has gotten the best of him, as well as his bored colleagues, but only Martin wants to do something to remedy the situation. When one night he climbs atop a viaduct over a busy intersection, a passerby, Salva, convinces him not to jump. After all, what would he accomplish? Instead, Salva has a different plan for Martin. Why not 'borrow' money from the local mafia. He can have millions with just the promise that he will repay at a high rate. For that, he must go into a clinic, where an old lady, lying on what appears to be her death bed, will decide whether to approve the loan, or not. At the end of the term, the mafia will "take care of him" when he can't come up with the money he owes.The new riches brings Martin to a life of luxury. He doesn't care how he spends his money. When he decides to throw a party, he goes all out. A young waitress, Lola, who is let go because of her inefficiency, catches Martin's eye. They begin a whirlwind tour of the fine places in Europe, and Madrid. Lola, it seems, has her own agenda about what to do with Martin's money."Living it Up", this Spanish comedy, has a glossy surface given by its director, Antonio Caudri. What doesn't make much sense is the screen play by Carlos Asorey and Fernando Leon Aranoa, a director, himself. We don't buy for a moment that even the criminal element would consider Martin worthy of a loan they are not to get repaid. Of course, we realize that Salva, is the key figure in the larger scheme of things, and we go along for the fun. The explanation as to why Martin was selected, makes no sense at all! And Lola's role in the whole thing is false from beginning to end.The film tried to capitalize having attracted Salma Hayek for the role of Lola. We don't recall this film being released commercially in this country, maybe in some markets, but no big distribution. Ms. Hayek's charm doesn't work miracles for her character, but she is a pleasant presence in the film. Carmelo Gomez, one of Spain's leading actors, has good moments. Best of all is Fernando Valverde who is seen as Salva.The film is mildly amusing, but it doesn't make much sense.

prolific_writer2000 Wow, I rented this on a whim just because I'm a huge Salma Hayek fan. I must say, I really enjoyed it. I'm pretty sure most people already know the basic concept of the story (if you didn't you wouldn't be here), so I won't go into it. But I will speak on everything else. The acting all around was very good. Salma was a good choice for the feisty, opinionated Lola, Carmelo Gomez was the perfect choice for the goofy yet lovable Martin. He sort of reminds me of Mathew Perry. And Fernando Valverde was awesome as Salva. The script was very witty, and inventive. Also, the chemistry between Salma and Carmelo was truly special. I also enjoyed the aggressive rhythmic soundtrack. Some people will complain about the third act, and say it is a little to mainstream (read: Hollywood), and maybe it is. But it works! It was totally unpredictable and it resolved the story nicely. La Gran Vida also, makes for a great date movie, if she's into foreign films.

Alek Davis Spoilers The first scenes of the movie look very promising: interesting situation, good character, cinematography... Up until the main character (Martin) is about to jump from the bridge. The rest of the movie is an insult to intelligence.First of all, why would the Mafia give Martin $1 M (or whatever amount it was) in the first place? How did they expect him to pay back $1.5 M? What kind of agreement was it? Yes, I know that if he wouldn't pay they would have to kill him, but how did they expect him to pay? Do they just give away money to every stranger? This would be the stupidest (if there is such word) Mafia in the world. OK, since he didn't pay (anyone surprised?), why didn't they kill him immediately? Why didn't they go after Salva, since he introduced Martin to them? Why did Martin start asking for time extension? Was he really hoping to make this amount of money? Why do all characters behave so irrationally and make the worst possible choices? Why are all rich guys shown as perverts? Why does Salma Hayek behave like a brat in the beginning? I can go on, an on, and on. It just does not make sense. I was so irritated by this movie that I stopped the tape after watching for about an hour. I don't even care about the characters and the rest of the story.3 out of 10.

LoayOmran I came across La Gran vida at a friend's place, when I was asking him to suggest a movie for me. I am glad he recommended this. This is like a breath of fresh air! It is a light movie, about how desperate life can become, or... how interesting it can be. It all depends on how much money you have as the movie suggests. So Carmelo Gómez (Martin), a bus driver with not much of a life figures out that its not worth it ... Suicide is the answer. But as he attempts to commit suicide, some guy tries to make him change his decision, with a very tempting question: How about Living for one week with 100 million dollars in your hands then die after that? -- Now that is an interesting offer for sure. He will take 100 million dollars, but he must return them as 150 after one week, or else he gets killed, well he is about to commit suicide so why not delay it for a week? And so ... we join the ride, one poor man's 7 day journey with excessive wealth! Salma Hayek (Lola), looking better than ever, is very convincing in her role. Don't look for a great script with twists, look for a warm and interesting story! Avoid some draw backs from the writers and you will enjoy this. Enjoy Carmelo Gómez's acting, very good! It doesn't demand much, so don't ask for a lot! 7/10