Music on Hold – no it's not a musical... although that might have actually helped the contrived plot in this hour-and-a-half long Argentine film.

Based in Buenos Aires, it follows a very middle-aged looking Ezequiel who is struggling to write atmosphere music to a film that is about to be released.

It's coming down to the wire, and even though his friend encourages him to rip off previous recordings and disguise them by increasing the tempo or slowing them down, poor Ezequiel sticks to his principles.

While it might help with any copyright suits that come down the road, he also finds himself in danger of losing the job, his house and any kind of respect he has for himself. That is until he has to call his bank to organise a meeting with his credit officer (he is, in fact, about to lose his house).

As with too many organisations, he has difficulty finding a human to speak to. As he gets transferred from one person to the next he is awakened by one extension's hold music. Sparks fly.

Before he can write it down Paula picks up.

Paula is a bank manager who is also nine months pregnant. She used to have a boyfriend, but he jetted when he found out she was pregnant and was going to keep the baby.

Her mother is coming to visit her in Buenos Aires to meet the boyfriend and presumably to see her grandchild born. Only Paula doesn't have a boyfriend. Can you see where this is going?

Ezequiel visits Paula to hear the hold music. Paula's mom shows up. The audience is now thrown into a pretty unbelievable position of seeing a pregnant woman invitea ragged-looking stranger obsessed with hold music into her house.

They make a trade. He will pretend to be her boyfriend while her mom is there and she will help him find the music on the central line.

In the next scene, he is going to the doctor with Paula to see 'their' baby on ultrasound – only it turns out the doctor is his ex-wife. Yes, in the 15 million population of Buenos Aires, her doctor is his ex.

Spoiler alert: the mom figures out Ezequiel is not the father of Paula's baby. They all end up happily ever after, after all.

Suspending reality is exactly what this director asks the public to do. Worst of all, while she has the child, he never finds the hold music.

Still, Ezequiel manages to write stupendous music for the movie. So the plot requires a heavy suspension of belief.

Why watch? Not sure, but the acting is strong and the directing is not bad so a few laughs are had.

All in all a terrible plot that is only carried by the strength of the cast and the direction. Added benefits for any one hoping to improve their Spanish.

This afternoon at Southside Theatre at 1 p.m. and Tuesday at Liberty Theatre at 6.30 p.m.