Zama

 

Based on the novel by Antonio di Benedetto, Zama is the story of a magistrate living in a remote Argentine outpost as he awaits word from Spain for a transfer as he deals with the chaos of his situation and his environment. Written for the screen and directed by Lucrecia Martel, the film is the study of a man dealing with his situation in the late 18th Century as well as the fallacies of colonialism as he copes with being homesick but also the temptation in the land he is encountering. Starring Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Lola Duenas, Matheus Nachtergaele, and Juan Minujin. Zama is an intoxicating and riveting film from Lucrecia Martel.

Set in the 18th Century in Argentina at the Fermosa province, the film revolves around a magistrate who is awaiting word from Spain for a transfer to a nearby town in the hopes he can return home as he deals with political scheming, issues on colonialism, and other things. It is a film that follows the life of a man in Don Diego de Zama (Daniel Gimenez Cacho) who had spent a few years in this outpost in Argentina as he hopes to return home as he feels stuck in the assignment he is in as a magistrate. Lucrecia Martel’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as it often involve Zama in situations whether it’s doing odd assignment to get his transfer or win over anyone to get what he wants. There is a structure to Martel’s script as the first act has him dealing with the gossip over a criminal in Vicuna Porto which he ignores while trying to win over the Spanish noblewoman Luciana Pinares de Luenga (Lola Duenas) by doing favors for her. Still, he contends with his assistant Ventura Prieto (Juan Minujin) as they have a brawl over the ideas of colonialism when Zama decides to help a family in dealing with natives with Prieto criticizing Zama over the situation.

The second act involves Zama dealing with a new governor as it makes Zama’s own life difficult as he was forced to move from his home to something much smaller with an illegitimate child and the child’s mother joining him as well as a young official whom Zama befriends. It plays into Zama being forced into a conflict to get his transfer but it comes with a sense of humility that becomes too much for Zama. Even in its third act set years later where he joins on a hunting expedition to find Porto with some men lead by a soldier in Gaspar Toledo (Matheus Nachtergaele) through the jungles and swamps where many of the natives live in. It is in this expedition where it doesn’t just play into Zama’s own fall from grace but also someone who has become desperate to return to Spain where he also endures some intense moments and other secrets relating to this journey.

Martel’s direction is definitely entrancing in terms of not just the compositions she creates but also in its locations as it is shot on location at the Fermosa province in Argentina near its border with Paraguay with locations set on riverside beaches, jungles, and swamps. The film begins with this wide shot of Zama standing on a beach while native women are washing themselves with mud which he would gaze at later on as he was on the beach awaiting the arrival of an old friend. It would then go into a shot of a child who is the son of the friend with a monologue relating to a specie of fishes who are swimming in water that doesn’t play into their favor as they spend their lives fighting in the waters they’re swimming in. It is this tale that serves as a metaphor for what Zama goes through where Martel uses a lot of wide and medium shots to play into his sense of isolation and disconnect with the locations he’s in while there are close-ups that play into his anguish and confusion. Whether it is him trying to comfort a landlord’s daughter or attempting to connect with the family he initially didn’t want as it play into a man who is meant to be someone of importance yet he starts to become more disheveled as the story progresses.

Martel also puts in some odd elements into the film whether it is small details such as men wearing painted fingernails, Africans wearing these dusty coats, and Shepard Tone sound bites that would appear in rare moments that would sometimes drown out conversations. It is among these moments that play into Zama’s isolation and confusion as he is someone that is a colonizer as he would then see the many fallacies of colonialism as the film progresses as well as the fact that his role in colonialism has him taking orders to do this with little results. The third act where he would join Toledo to find this mysterious criminal in Porto as the location itself is this change of scenery with its palm trees, watery swamps, and other mysterious things including blind natives walking at night. There are also these surreal moments that feature these encounter with the natives while its final image plays into that monologue about fishes and how it plays into Zama and his own fate as he deals with the futility of his role in the scheme of colonialism. Overall, Martel crafts a rapturous and mesmerizing film about a magistrate dealing with the fallacies of colonialism in 18th Century Argentina.

Cinematographer Rui Pocas does incredible work with the film’s luscious cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting with many of the scenes shot in the day with available light with bits of low-key stylish lighting for scenes at night as it is a highlight of the film. Editors Miguel Schverdfinger and Karen Harley do brilliant work with the editing with its stylish approach to jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the drama with a lot of it also being straightforward in its presentation. Art director Renata Pinheiro does excellent work with the look of the house Zama was living in during the film’s first act as well as some of the places he goes to as well as the small shack he would move in for the film’s second act. Costume designer Julio Suarez does fantastic work with the costumes from the dresses that Luciana wears to the clothes that Zama wears that would deteriorate as the film progresses.

Special effects makeup artist Sebastian Molchasky does nice work with the look of some of the natives as well as a scene in the third act involving natives and paint. Visual effects supervisors Santiago Svrisky and Hans van Helden do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects for the scene with the fishes as well as some set dressing for some of the locations. Sound designer Guido Berenblum does amazing work with the film’s sound in the usage of the Shepard Tone as well as the usage of natural sounds to help create a mix that is just intoxicating in its presentation. The film’s music soundtrack largely consists of offbeat folk music that appears sparingly to play into Zama’s own misadventures where it has elements of humor but also to play into the drama as it is a highlight of the film.

The casting by Natalia Smirnoff and Veronica Souto is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Milo Alberto Gutierrez as Zama’s illegitimate son, Vicenzo Navarro Rindel as the son of Zama’s friend the Oriental, Carlos Defeo as a friend of Zama known as the Oriental, Gustavo Bohm as the governor in the film’s first act, the trio of Dolores Ocampo, Carla Diaz, and Paula Grinzpan as the landlord’s daughter whom Zama is fond of, Mariana Nunes as a black maid of Lucia, Daniel Veronese as the governor in the film’s second act who makes Zama’s duties difficult, and Nahuel Cano in a superb performance as a young government official in Fernandez whom Zama befriends because of his aspirations to be a writer despite gaining the ire of the second governor in the film. Juan Minujin is fantastic as a young magistrate assistant in Ventura Prieto who disagrees with Zama’s views on colonialism as he would manage to use his scheming to get favor from government officials and others to advance his career.

Lola Duenas is excellent as Luciana Pinares de Luenga as the wife of a Spanish nobleman who is someone Zama is fond of and hopes to woo in order to get some clout from her as she has this unique presence that is full of beauty but also power that allows her to win favors for the Spanish government. Matheus Nachtergaele is brilliant as a soldier named Gaspar Toledo who would help Zama in the film’s third act in trying to find this mysterious criminal as he is someone that knows a lot about the jungles and its natives while carrying a secret of his own. Finally, there’s Daniel Gimenez Cacho in a phenomenal performance as Don Diego de Zama as this Spanish magistrate who is waiting to be transferred and return home as he endures setbacks, humiliating assignments, and other things where Cacho brings that sense of gravitas as a man who thinks he is important only to then realize that he’s just a pawn in the scheme of things bigger than him with ideals that are outdated and obsolete.

Zama is a tremendous film from Lucrecia Martel that features a sensational leading performance from Daniel Gimenez Cacho. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, an unconventional take on colonialism and ennui, offbeat music soundtrack, and intoxicating sound design. The film is a fascinating look into the world of colonialism and how a man who seems to support these ideas only to realize its many fallacies as well as his own role in that idealism that ends up being a bunch of bullshit. In the end, Zama is a spectacular film from Lucrecia Martel.

Lucrecia Martel Films: La Cienaga - The Holy Girl - The Headless Woman - The Auteurs #65: Lucrecia Martel

© thevoid99 2023

Y Tu Mama Tambien

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron and written by Alfonso and Carlos Cuaron, Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too) is the story of two teenage boys who go on a road trip through Mexico with a Spanish woman in her late 20s. There, the young boys deal with the rules they have created as they fall for this woman as they all try to reach a secret beach. The film is a coming-of-age film of sorts set in 1999 Mexico where the political landscape was changing. With narration by Daniel Gimenez Cacho, the film stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, Andreas Almeida, Ana Lopez Mercado, Maria Aura, and Maribel Verdu. Y Tu Mama Tambien is a dreamy yet powerful road drama from Alfonso Cuaron.

With their girlfriends Ana (Ana Lopez Mercado) and Cecilia (Maria Aura) leaving for a trip to Europe, their respective boyfriends in Tenoch Iturbide (Diego Luna) and Julio Zapata (Gael Garcia Bernal) figure out what to do for the summer. Hanging out with their friend Saba (Andreas Almeida), the two have no idea what to do as they become bored until Tenoch’s sister is getting married as his father is a high-ranking government official. With the middle-class Julio also attending, the two meet up with a beautiful woman from Spain named Luisa (Maribel Verdu) whose novelist/professor husband Jano (Juan Carlos Remolina) is Tenoch’s cousin. After chatting with Luisa about a mysterious beach called la Boca del Cielo (Heaven’s Mouth), the two decide if they want to go to that beach.

After learning that Jano had been cheating on her, Luisa decides to go to the beach with Tenoch and Julio as they borrow Julio’s sister station wagon for this long road trip. There, Luisa learns about the boys’ manifesto that is filled with lots of rules as they drive through rural parts of Mexico as Luisa is still hurt over Jano’s confession. After the car’s radiator gets overheated as they stop in a town, the depressed Luisa would have sex with Tenoch to Julio’s confusion where makes a startling confession. Things start to get tense between the two friends as Luisa would also have sex with Julio where Tenoch would also make a confession driving a wedge between the two friends.

After Luisa eases the tension and taking over, the three finally land on a beach where they meet a fisherman named Chuy (Silverio Palacios) and his family who takes them to la Boca del Cielo where they hang out with his family and have a great time. There, the three would ultimately have the time of their lives while the two boys would face an uncertain future in the trip‘s aftermath.

The film is essentially a road drama where two teenage boys and an older woman travel through Mexico to go to a mysterious beach as they would deal with personal issues about themselves while the friendship of the boys is also tested by temptation and startling confessions. Throughout this coming-of-age journey through rural Mexico, there’s a lot that is happening around them told through a narrator who reveals bits about the lives of the characters as well as the surroundings where things are changing.

The screenplay that Alfonso and Carlos Cauron creates is a story that bends genres where it’s a coming-of-age film of sorts with elements of the road movie as well as a melodrama of sorts that concerns the character of Lucia who is dealing with a lot of things including her husband’s infidelity. It’s also a film about sex where Tenoch and Julio each have girlfriends but neither of them are very experienced as indicated by their many rules including their own sexual moments with Lucia. During this journey, the friendship between Tenoch and Julio starts to disintegrate because they each broke the rules that they and their other friends made. By the time they arrive at the beach and things seem to calm down between the three, there is an uncertainty over what will happen.

The screenplay also succeeds in not just creating characters that are very interesting as well as flawed but also manage to find a way to utilize the narration to be part of the story. Notably as it unveils some details into the lives of its characters while providing insight to the places the main characters encounter. Some of it involves a lot of the political changes that is surrounding Mexico as the film is set in 1999 as its penultimate scene reveals the end of the PRI party reign. Throughout the narration and the dialogue of the character, there is also an element where the Cuaron brothers take shots at the chauvinistic attitude towards homosexuality. Notably as Tenoch and Julio reveal that one of their friends is gay and they have a hard time dealing with it because homosexuality was sort of frowned upon in Mexico at that time. It’s a very complex and drawn-out script that does a lot while not straying into conventional ideas of drama.

Cuaron’s direction is truly entrancing in the way he presents the film through its wandering images and uncompromising ideas towards sex. Notably as the film opens with Tenoch and his girlfriend having sex as they make a vow to not stray into their relationship. Cuaron doesn’t shy away from the fact that the sex will be open and exposed though it doesn’t stray too far into explicit content. Plus, it’s presented with humor as there’s a scene of Tenoch and Julio masturbating on diving boards where a shot of semen is dropped onto the pool. It’s among the many uncompromising ideas Cuaron wants to display in his approach to sex as well as making it feel real.

Since the film is shot on location in various place of Mexico, there is a cinema verite style to the shoot as it includes a lot of hand-held camera work to get into some crowd scenes or smaller moments in the rural parts of Mexico to focus on something that is actually happening. Notably as the camera is always there to exemplify the beauty that is Mexico from its poorest areas to the rich parties such as Tenoch’s sister’s wedding where the Mexican president is present. Overall, Cuaron creates a truly delightful and hypnotic road film that bends various genres and gives a very uncompromising approach towards sex.

Cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki does amazing work with the film‘s rich cinematography that is filled with amazing natural lights for many of the film‘s daytime exterior shots and locations including the beach along with some gorgeous lighting schemes for some of its nighttime interior shots. Editor Alex Rodriguez, with Cuaron, does excellent work with the editing to play up some the rhythm of some of the film‘s sex scenes as well as hilarious comic montages involving Tenoch and Julio that doesn‘t delve into fast-cuts by emphasizing on a more methodical approach to the pacing. Production designers Marc Bedia and Miguel Angel Alvarez, with set decorator Roberto Loera and co-art director Diana Quiroz, do superb work with the set pieces such as the posh home of Tenoch‘s family to the middle-class home of Julio‘s family with some of the set pieces like a local ceremony Tenoch, Julio, and Luisa encounter.

Costume designer Gabriela Diaque does wonderful work with the costumes from the casual clothing of its characters to the gorgeous white dress that Luisa wears at the wedding party. Sound designer Ruy Garcia does fantastic work with the sound from the atmosphere of the parties to the intimate sounds of the beach locations the characters are at. Music supervisors Annette Fradera and Liza Richardson do brilliant work in creating a music soundtrack that mixes to various genres. From low-key ambient pieces from Brian Eno, Bran Van 3000, Miho Hatori, and Natalie Imbruglia to wild alternative Mexico music from Café Tacuba and Molotov with Dub Pistols. Along with music by Eagle Eye Cherry covering the Bee Gees and Senor Coconut covering Kraftwerk, there’s also ranchero music and a wonderful ballad by Marco Antonio Solis in one of the film’s key moments. Playing in the closing credits is the soaring Watermelon in Easter Hay by Frank Zappa.

The casting by Manuel Teil is incredible for the cast that is assembled as it features appearances from Emilio Echevarria as Tenoch’s dad, Diana Bracho as Tenoch’s mother, Juan Carlos Remolina as Luisa’s husband Jano, and Silverio Palacios as the Campos-loving fisherman Chuy. Other notable roles include Ana Lopez Mercado and Maria Aura as the respective girlfriends of Tenoch and Julio in Ana and Cecilia. The film’s funniest performance comes from Andreas Almeida as Tenoch and Julio’s stoner friend Saba who always likes to get high and be cool with the people.

Maribel Verdu is phenomenal as Luisa, the wife of Tenoch’s cousin who is dealing with her own existential issues as well as her husband’s infidelity as she goes on a trip to escape while teaching the young boys how to seduce women as it’s a very entrancing yet mesmerizing performance from the Spanish actress. Finally, there’s Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna in outstanding performances in their respective roles of Julio and Tenoch. With Bernal as the middle class Julio and Luna as the more posh Tenoch, the two bring a lot of humor and energy to their characters as well as a sense of humility when the two betray each other. In the scenes they have with Verdu, the chemistry between the three is engaging and intoxicating in the way they play each other out as they all give very lively performances.

***Additional Text Relating to DVD Releases Written from 12/31/14-1/4/15***

The 2002 Region 1 DVD for the film presents it in its 1:85:1 theatrical aspect ratio in 16x9 widescreen enhanced for widescreen televisions with 5.1 Surround Sound in Spanish with English subtitles. The special features on the DVD include a TV spot and a trailer for the film’s U.S. release as a feature-length audio commentary track from actors Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Andres Almeida. The commentary is in Spanish where one of its drawbacks is that the commentary doesn’t feature subtitles yet it is quite humorous and lively for the fact that they talk about sex and aspects on the film’s production. The special features also includes 4-minutes of three deleted scenes from the film as two of them are scenes set on the road where they meet an old man and another where Tenoch, Julio, and Lucia talk about sex. The third deleted scene involves a scene where Cecilia tries to give Julio a hand job on their way to the airport.

Two other major special features on the DVD release is a 23-minute making-of documentary on the film as it’s one of the most enjoyable and in-depth looks into making the film. It’s a documentary that explores some of the elements of fun in making the film as well as a few pranks Alfonso Cuaron and his crew would do on Maribel Verdu because she is Spanish and the film is set on location in Mexico. Other things on the documentary involve some of the antics involving Cuaron and producer Jorge Vergara as it’s a very lively and fun making-of doc to watch. The final major special feature is a short film by Carlos Cuaron entitled Me La Debes (You Owe Me One) as this 12-minute short revolves a man returning home unaware that his daughter’s boyfriend is in the house while the man is having an affair with his maid. It’s a very funny short that plays into the world of sex from Carlos Cuaron.

The 2014 Region 1/Region A 2-disc DVD/1-disc Blu-Ray dual-disc release from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a brand new 2k digital transfer for its original 1:85:1 theatrical aspect ratio under the supervision of Cuaron and cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki. Along with a newly remastered 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound in Spanish with newly improved English subtitles translation as the film looks and sounds more beautiful in its new remastered presentation. The DVD set retains not just the TV spots, the trailers, the deleted scenes, the making-of documentary, and Carlos Cuaron’s short from the 2002 MGM DVD all in remastered form. It also includes two new special features relating to the film.

The first is a 52-minute section of interviews as it features 11-minutes of old interviews with the Cuaron brothers, Lubezki, Bernal, Luna, and Verdu during its production in 2001. Alfonso talks about the genesis of the idea dating back to the early 90s before he would helm his first feature in Solo con tu Pareja in 1991 as it took years to get the project going. The cast and crew talked about the production while Bernal and Luna talked about their longtime friendship and how they often competed for their roles. Lubezki also discusses his collaboration with Cuaron which dates back to the mid-80s as they both were yearning to evolve in their collaboration. The 2014 41-minute interviews with the same personnel, minus Lubezki, discuss about the film and how it evolved during the production as Bernal and Luna talked about their audition process as the former suggested the latter to Alfonso who was reluctant about hiring Luna because he was a soap star at the time. The biggest coup in the production was getting Verdu on board as she was a major star in Spain as Verdu talked about her experiences as well as the fact that Bernal, Luna, and Alfonso were all fighting each other to get her attention.

She also talked about the slang in the film and Cuaron’s approach to improvisation which she found freeing as an actress. Cuaron also talks about a lot of the film’s influences which were primarily films of Jean-Luc Godard and the French New Wave which inspired the film’s narration. It’s a very amazing interview segment that includes some rare onset photos as well as to see the cast and crew be quite upbeat about the film and its legacy. The nine-minute interview with philosopher Slavoj Zizek about the film’s political/social commentary on the film is a very enjoyable interview where Zizek discusses a lot of the film’s approach to narrative and why it shot Mexico as it is. Some of Zizek’s comments are quite humorous while playing into the main story about Tenoch and Julio as they each represent different classes and political backgrounds as it relates to some of the events that was happening in Mexico. Yet, Zizek also plays into the theme of maturity and how bitter it can be since the idea of change isn’t something easy to accept.

The DVD features a booklet that features an essay by film critic Charles Taylor of the Yale Review in an essay titled Dirty Happy Things. Taylor’s essay explores much of the film’s sexual content but also the theme of maturity that parallels with the sense of change that would emerge in Mexico. Taylor discusses the film with Cuaron’s other films in how they’re all related as well as discuss some of the political context that is in the background in the film. It’s a very engaging essay that understands the film as a road trip, a coming-of-age film, a political film, and a romantic film. The dual-disc set features character bios by Alfonso and Carlos Cuaron on the three principle characters that explores much of their background as it would be used in the film’s final product. The DVD/Blu-Ray set is definitely one of the finest additions to the Criterion Collection it deserves its place to be among the list of great films in that home video series.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

Y Tu Mama Tambien is marvelous yet evocative film from Alfonso Cuaron featuring top-notch performances from Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Maribel Verdu. The film is definitely not just one of the best films to come out of Mexico but also one of the great international film treasures from the last decade. It’s a film that show Cuaron being fearless in his depiction towards sexuality without going too far as well as a very human drama about a road trip that would be unforgettable. In the end, Y Tu Mama Tambien is an extraordinarily rich and intoxicating film from Alfonso Cuaron.

Alfonso Cuaron Films: Solo con Tu Pareja - A Little Princess (1995 film) - Great Expectations (1998 film) - Prisoner of Azkaban - Children of Men - Gravity - Roma (2018 film) - The Auteurs #11: Alfonso Cuaron

© thevoid99 2012

Cronos

Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, Cronos is the story of an antique dealer who finds a mysterious object as he becomes its owner as he’s targeted by an American businessman. The film is the feature-film debut of Guillermo del Toro as it marks the start of a glorious career who brings something new to the fantasy genre with a bit of horror in the mix. Starring Federico Luppi, Claudio Brook, Margarita Isabel, Tamara Shanath, and Ron Perlman. Cronos is an entrancing yet spellbinding debut film from Guillermo del Toro.

Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) is an antiques dealer who has just discovered something from the base of an old angelic statue. Inside the base is a device that looks like an insect as he and his granddaughter Aurora (Tamara Shanath) look into it as it pierces Jesus’ hand. Injured by that device, he remains entranced by it as he uses it again where it made him feel young. When he later finds his store vandalized, Jesus finds a card left by a man he had met a day earlier named Angel (Ron Perlman). Jesus meets Angel who needs the device because his dying uncle Dieter (Claudio Brook) needs it though Angel has no idea what the device does.

After meeting Dieter, Jesus learns that the device has powers revolves around eternal life as it was invented by an alchemist (Mario Ivan Martinez) back in the 16th Century. Jesus refuses to give the device to Dieter as he goes out to a New Year’s Eve party with his wife Mercedes (Margarita Isabel) and Aurora where Jesus encounters a man bleeding. With a taste for blood, Jesus tries to go after the man only to be assaulted by Angel who learns what his uncle wants. With Jesus managing to outwit Angel, he realizes that the device is more trouble than he thought as Angel turns out to be a real threat. With help from Aurora, the two decide to confront Angel and Dieter over the device that has caused a whole lot of trouble.

The film is about a strange, insect-like device with a mysterious creature inside that brings eternal life to whoever uses the device as a kind antiques dealer becomes the new owner. Yet, he would encounter all sorts of trouble as he starts to feel younger and more agile while dealing with an American businessman and his nephew wanting this device. While the idea of eternal life is tempting, it only causes trouble due to the differing motives for the user and the two men that want it.

Guillermo del Toro’s approach to the film isn’t just creating this idea of dark fantasy that revolves around youth. It’s really about the exploration of a man who is tempted with power only to realize that it doesn’t guarantee peace or happiness. While the film opens with a prologue about the alchemist who creates the thing where he lives for about four centuries only to die by an accident leaving behind his book about the device that later gets into Dieter’s hands. That prologue sets up what is to come where men of power and temptation would want this device for selfish reasons. In the hands of Jesus Gris, it’s more about his curiosity as a good man is seduced by its power while eventually realizing that it’s not worth all of the trouble due to the men that wants it.

The direction of del Toro is truly mesmerizing as he creates dazzling compositions and shots that is all shot on location in his home of Guadalajara, Mexico. The direction has del Toro create shots that are inspired by his love for Italian horror as well as his own sensibilities where it’s not about big scares or chills but rather have the camera follow this man on the journey he takes. There’s also some amazing shots inside the device where the shots of gears and a bug inside show the kind of ambition del Toro has while not be hampered by the small budget he has. There are a lot of intimate and grand shots that del Toro goes for while keeping it very stylish without over-indulging as he creates what is truly a solid feature-film debut.

Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro does a wonderful job with the film‘s photography from the use of stylish colorful lights for some of the nighttime scenes with blue and bits of green to emphasize the eerie tone of the film. For a lot of the daytime scenes, the camera work is mostly straightforward with its emphasis on a sunny yet yellowish look that is a standard of Navarro’s work with del Toro. Editor Raul Davalos does an excellent job with the editing to help create a wonderful rhythm to the suspense while maintaining a mostly straightforward approach to the editing and its leisured pacing.

Production designer Tolita Figueroa and art director Brigitte Boch do an amazing job with the set pieces created such as Jesus‘ antique shop and the factory that Angel and his uncle run including the uncle‘s strange yet cold room that he lives in. Costume designer Genoveva Petitpierre does a good job with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual while the dresses that Mercedes and Aurora wear at the New Year‘s party are lovely. Makeup effects artist Rigo Mora does a great job with the make-up effects made for the film‘s second half where Jesus is given a look that makes him realize what he‘s headed for.

The special effects Laurencio Cordero is great for the look of what is inside the device with a bug inside to emphasize what kind of power it has. The sound work by Fernando Camara is terrific to play up some of the suspense in the film as well as the intimate moments involving Jesus and Aurora. The film’s score by Javier Alvarez is superbly rich for its orchestral flourishes that features enchanting marimba melodies and dramatic string arrangements to play up the drama and suspense of the film. Alvarez also supervises the soundtrack as it’s a mix of classical pieces by Franz Schubert as well as some traditional mariachi music.

The cast for the film is brilliant as it features appearances from Juan Carlos Colombo as a humorous funeral director, music composer Javier Alvarez as the man with a nose bleed that Jesus encounters, Mario Ivan Martinez as the alchemist in the prologue, and Daniel Gimenez Cacho as a very funny embalmer. Margarita Isabel is good as Jesus’ dance-instructor wife Mercedes who is concerned by his behavior while Tamara Shanath is excellent as Jesus’ silent yet observing granddaughter Aurora. Claudio Brook is superb as Dieter, an aging man who seeks to have the device to gain eternal life while being abusive to those around him including his nephew. Ron Perlman is great as Angel, Dieter’s thuggish nephew who tries to bully Jesus into getting what is wanted while dealing with his uncle as it’s a dark yet humorous performance from the actor.

Finally, there’s Federico Luppi in an outstanding performance as Jesus Gris. Luppi brings a very innocent yet warm approach to a man that is good at heart as he comes across this strange device that gives him power that he couldn’t believe. Luppi also brings a real sense of the everyman as he deals with his foes as he and Perlman have some great scenes together to emphasize the world of good and evil as it’s a real treasure of a performance from the Argentinean actor.

***Additional DVD Content Written from 3/31/12-4/5/12***

The Region 1 DVD from the Criterion Collection presents the film with a newly high-definition transfer that is supervised by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and cinematographer Guillermo Navarro. Presented in a 1:78:1 theatrical widescreen aspect ratio for 16x9 televisions with Dolby Digital Surround Sound for both Spanish and English with English subtitles. Among the many special features for this release includes an optional voice-over introduction both English and Spanish preceding the film.

Two commentary tracks appear from the original 2002 DVD release. The first is from its writer/director Guillermo del Toro who discusses a lot of the themes in the film as well as some of his own biographical elements he injected into the story. Notably the relationship between Jesus and his granddaughter Aurora that del Toro sort of based on his own relationship with his very religious grandmother whom he dedicated the film to. He also states that his grandmother makes Piper Laurie’s character from Carrie look like a girl scout while he also delves into a lot of the mythology about vampires, alchemy, and all sorts of things that were inspired by comics and horror novels that he grew up reading. The performances of Ron Perlman and Federico Luppi are also discussed with great delight by del Toro as he also reveals the various cinematic influences he was inspired by for the film as it’s a truly engrossing commentary track.

The second commentary track from producers Arthur H. Gorson, Bertha Navarro, and Alejandro Springall has them discussing about the production of the film. With Gorson speaking on one track in English while Navarro and Springall talk in Spanish in another track. Gorson reveals the difficulty of producing films in Mexico as he revealed why it became a co-production between himself, the American producer, and the duo of Navarro and Springall so that there wouldn’t be a lot of interference from studio or government that is often the case with a lot of Mexican films during the early 1990s. Navarro and Springall reveal the film’s importance for the Mexican film industry while revealing what it took to ensure del Toro’s vision. Notably as the film would be a turning point for various Mexican crew members like art director Brigitte Broch who would go on to bigger things. The overall commentary is enjoyable in revealing a lot about del Toro’s passion as well as the film itself.

The six-and-a-half minute short film Geometria is an old 1987 unreleased short film by del Toro that he completed in 2010 specifically for this release. Loosely based on a short story by Fredric Brown, the film is about a kid who refuses to study for an upcoming geometry test where his fascination with the occult has him dealing with a demon who brings back his dead father with very dark results. It’s a very comical short that features intentionally-cheesy dubbing by del Toro while the woman who plays the kid’s mother is in fact Guillermo del Toro’s mother Guadalupe. The short also includes a seven-minute interview about the short film where del Toro discusses his influences and some tidbits about the short. He also revealed the changes he made which were mostly for its sound and sound dubbing where he did some re-mixing to get the better sound quality he wanted for the release.

The 10-minute segment Welcome to the Bleak House is a tour of del Toro’s home office. An avid collector of memorabilia, novels, art work, and such, del Toro gives a tour of his collection that is essentially his man-cave that is two stories high filled with lot of things. Models, toys, old books from 17th-18th Century, comics, and props from his own films while showcasing a room where has a fascinating library of films. It’s a truly enjoyable piece that will make anyone geek out.

The 18-minute interview with del Toro has him discussing the film and how it relates to everything he would do later on. Notably in finding the human soul in a monster as he’s always interested in the monster that is often seen as the antagonists in horror films. He also discusses about the things he loves about Cronos as well as things he’s irked by but won’t change. His collaboration with Ron Perlman is also discussed about how loyal Perlman is to him while del Toro also delves about the fact that every filmmaker needs limitations. Notably because he feels that too much freedom will only destroy everything a filmmaker stood for.

The 13-minute interview with cinematographer Guillermo Navarro has the cinematographer discuss his relationship with del Toro that spans back to the early 80s when they did films for other filmmakers where he was the camera man and del Toro was an effects makeup artist. Navarro discuss their visual style as well as their look for Cronos that would evolve into the films he would make with del Toro and other filmmakers. It’s a wonderful piece that explores the art of cinematography and what Navarro doesn’t use to maintain his visual style.

The seven-minute and twenty-five second interview with actor Ron Perlman has him talking about his friendship/collaboration with del Toro. Perlman talks about how he got involved with del Toro for the film as he was fascinated by the script and del Toro’s love for Perlman’s work prior to this film. Perlman recalls about his confusion about the language of the film where he had to learn some Spanish. Perlman said that this film was a career turning point where it broke out of playing character acting parts and into a new level of films that would have him work internationally with other filmmakers.

The five-minute and twenty-five second video interview with actor Federico Luppi about the making of the film comes from the film‘s original 2002 DVD release. Luppi talks about working with del Toro as it features footage of the film being made. Notably as Luppi discusses the enthusiasm of working with someone as young like del Toro as well as the scale of a production as unique as this film. The stills gallery section includes many pictures about the production of the film including rare photos of the production of del Toro‘s early shorts along with the design and making of the Cronos device in grand detail. The highlight of the stills gallery is a look inside the book about the Cronos device. Another special feature of the film includes the film’s original theatrical trailer.

Accompanying the DVD release is a book that features two different text material relating to the film. The first is an essay by film historian Maitland McDonagh entitled Beautiful Dark Things. McDonagh revels on the film’s importance for Mexican cinema and how the film managed to find its way with American audiences despite the market at the time where it would be a few film critics who would help champion the film. Notably as it would springboard the career of a filmmaker who would help re-define the monster movie by adding a soul to the monster for audiences to care for. McDonagh likens del Toro to a filmmaker like David Cronenberg for the fact that both men were able to put more care and thought into a genre that is often dismissed by elitists.

The second piece of text in the booklet are production notes from Guillermo del Toro that dates back to 1991. The notes unveil a lot of detail into the look of the film as well as stories behind the characters in the film. Some of which features biographies with hand-written note by del Toro for the changes he wanted to make for the film. The details about del Toro’s insistence in adding Gothic themes to the film is unveiled along with the notes about alchemy. It’s truly an insightful read to see how much del Toro was willing to put in his first film. The overall DVD itself is a must-have for fans of del Toro as well as fans of horror/suspense films.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

Cronos is an imaginative yet exhilarating film from Guillermo del Toro featuring two great performances from future del Toro regulars in Federico Luppi and Ron Perlman. Fans of suspense and horror films will be taken aback by its lack of gore and big chills though they will be engaged by its story and del Toro’s stylish direction. For the fans of del Toro, this film is truly something they should see in where he gets some of his visual ideas for later films as well as how inventive he was early on. In the end, Cronos is a spectacular debut film from Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro: Mimic/Mimic (Director's Cut) - Blade II - The Devil's Backbone - Hellboy - Pan’s Labyrinth - Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Pacific Rim - Crimson Peak - The Shape of Water - Nightmare Alley (2021 film) - Pinocchio (2022 film) - The Auteurs #10: Guillermo del Toro

© thevoid99 2011

Solo Con tu Pareja

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/16/07 w/ Extensive Revisions & Additional Edits.

Before creating masterpieces like Y Tu Mama Tambien and last year's Children of Men along with being part of the Three Amigos gang that included fellow Mexican directors Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Guillermo del Toro. Alfonso Cuaron, like many Mexican directors before and since, started out working in TV including soap operas while serving as an assistant director for films all over Latin America. Then in 1991, Cuaron would make his very first feature about a playboy who catches the AIDS virus just as he has fallen for a beautiful flight attendant. The film was called Solo con tu Pareja (A Tale of Love & Hysteria).

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron with a script written by his brother Carlos based on their original story, the film is about a yuppie playboy whose life changes by a health report claiming he's got AIDS. The news couldn't have come at a worst time as he was about to give up his lifestyle when he falls for a flight attendant living in his apartment building. With a cast that includes Daniel Giminez Cacho, Claudia Ramirez, Astrid Hadad, and Dobrina Liubomirova. Solo con tu Pareja is a funny, smart, sexy comedy from Alfonso Cuaron and company.

Tomas Tomas (Daniel Giminez Cacho) is an advertising agent that considers himself to be a modern-day Don Juan. From the many women he sleeps with including his boss Gloria (Isabel Benet), he seems to have it all. During a doctor's appointment where his doctor is his friend/neighbor Mateo (Luis de Icaza), he meets the nurse Sylvia (Dobrian Liubromirova) whom he flirts with. When Mateo and is wife Teresa (Astrid Hadad) go out of town, he borrows Mateo's apartment for two dates where in between the ledges. He catches a glimpse of a beautiful young flight attendant named Clarissa (Claudia Ramirez) who changes his life.

The presence of Clarissa brings trouble to Tomas' womanizing ways as Sylvia is upset that he has more than one lover. Even worse is that Tomas learns that Clarissa is engaged to a pilot named Carlos (Ricard Dalmacci) as his usual routines such as running down the stairs naked to get the newspaper goes wrong. After telling Mateo about Clarissa, Mateo asks him to take a couple of Japanese tourists (Toshiro Hisaki and Carlos Nakasone) around the city. The next morning, Tomas learns from a lover (Claudia Fernandez) about a health report claiming he's got AIDS. Devastated, he tries to reach Mateo, who is at a conference with his wife and co-workers, only to become suicidal.

During his suicide attempt, Clarissa finds Tomas in his apartment where she is troubled by some awful news of her own. With the two deciding to go kill themselves at the Latin American tower, Mateo receives Tomas' message while learning what really happened as he and his entourage try to save them.

Given the circumstances that AIDS had become a very serious issue during the early 1990s, the fact that the film is an AIDS comedy is pretty radical in its subject matter. Particularly to people who might feel sensitive about the issue at a time when AIDS couldn't be funny. To Alfonso Cuaron and his younger brother Carlos, the film isn't about AIDS but rather about a man whose own lifestyle gets the best of him. Even as he starts to question it himself after falling for a flight attendant in the middle of his own philandering. The film's plot is simple yet told in a very funny way with the humor being spot-on through the misadventures of Tomas' life. Even some of the dialogue and events that drive the plot is well-written by the Cuaron brothers.

Then there's Alfonso Cuaron's direction which is just as enigmatic and stylized that would define his work in the years to come. The film, like his 2001 masterpiece Y Tu Mama Tambien opens with a couple having sex to illustrate the story. Unlike that film, Solo con tu Pareja's approach to sex isn't as explicit where it's done with great humor. Even the scenes of Tomas running down the stairs and back up to get the paper is one of the most memorable moments. Then there's the scenes involving suicide where it's also done in great humor like in Hal Ashby's classic film Harold & Maude (whose Mexican film poster makes a cameo in Y Tu Mama Tambien). Yet, Cuaron's direction with its stylish camera work, scene compositions, and shots of Mexico City is breathtaking. While it's not perfect, it shows of what was to come from this great director.

Helping Cuaron in his imagery is a longtime collaborator Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki. Serving as a cinematographer for every film Cuaron did (minus Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban), Lubezki's colorful imagery in the film's interior scenes are breathtaking with its use of green colors and lights to complement the look of both Tomas' spacious apartment and the naturalistic tone of Mateo's apartment. Lubezki's cinematography along with additional camera work by another fellow Mexican cinematographer in Rodrigo Prieto (serving as a second-unit director & second-unit photography) is just amazing including a lot of the exterior settings for Mexico City including the aerial shots.

Production designer Brigitte Broch (the longtime production designer for fellow Mexican auteur, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu) helps create the film's unique imagery with the greenish-look of the apartment building that Tomas lives while the home of Mateo is filled with plants, a fish tank, and everything that looks earthy. Costume designer Maria Estela Fernandez does some excellent work in the film's costume weather it's the designer-dress that Sylvia wore on her date to the flight-attendant uniform that Clarissa wears. Alfonso Cuaron and editor Luis Patlan do some excellent work in the film's editing whether it was doing some slow-motion cuts to convey an emotion or jump-cuts in some of the film's car sequences. Sound editor Rene Ruiz Ceron does some excellent work in recreating the sound of airplanes to convey the atmosphere that Tomas is being drawn to in relation to Clarissa.

The film's soundtrack featuring an original score by Carlos Warman with some traditional, Mexican-folk music is often filled with mariachi songs and most of all, classical music. The classical cuts featuring the works of Mozart and Francois Couperin are excellent to convey the dream-like feel of the film as well as a theme for the presence of Clarissa to Tomas. The classical stuff played on the film is memorable and enchanting.

The film's cast features some notable small performances from Luz Maria Jerez & Claudia Fernandez as two of Tomas' lovers, Ricardo Dalmacci as Clarissa's boyfriend Carlos, and the duo of Toshiro Hisaki & Carlos Nakasone as the Japanese tourists. Isabel Benet is good as Tomas' boss Gloria as is Dobrina Liubomirova as the sexy Sylvia who are both disappointed with his love-making skills after hearing so much about him. Astrid Hadad is excellent as Mateo's wife Teresa, who was the first person who suggest Tomas to take an interest in Clarissa before he even met her. Luis de Icaza is also excellent as Mateo, the doctor who tries to warn Tomas about his philandering and the trouble it would lead him.

Claudia Ramirez makes a wonderful impression as Clarissa. Ramirez's sensual innocence is really intoxicating as she brings a beauty to the film as a woman who has it all until an event that shakes her innocence completely. Ramirez definitely sells her despair as she and Cacho have great chemistry. Daniel Giminez Cacho is brilliant in his role as the philandering Tomas. Cacho is great in the way he does comedy and drama by being this very flawed individual with a very dangerous lifestyle. When he starts to make a change, his character becomes sympathetic but also performed in a funny way that he's a character that's enjoyable. Cacho, who is famous for his work in Pedro Almodovar's La Mala Educacion and being the narrator in Y Tu Mama Tambien, gives a phenomenal performance.

***Additional DVD Content Written from 7/25/11-7/27/11***

The 2006 Region 1 DVD from the Criterion Collection presents the film in its original 1:78:1 theatrical aspect ratio for its widescreen format and improved subtitles for the film. The film is also restored and remastered in a new digital transfer under the supervision of the film’s cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki with approval by its director Alfonso Cuaron. The look of the film is truly more gorgeous than it has ever been along with a remixed sound for its DVD release.

Among the special features presented for this DVD includes a 30-minute making-of documentary featuring new interviews with Alfonso Cuaron, screenwriter Carlos Cuaron, and actor Daniel Giminez Cacho. The featurette has the Cuaron brothers talking about their own childhood, a brief history of Mexican cinema and the show Hora Marcada where they also worked with future cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and fellow filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. The brothers also talked about the inspiration for Solo con tu Pareja that was due to a lot of things happening Mexico as well as the macho attitude towards AIDS at the time. They were also inspired by the films of Ernst Lubitsch and Blake Edwards that helped them make the film into a comedy of sorts.

Daniel Giminez Cacho talks about being cast as he knew that Cuaron was going against the traditional idea of casting by just simply getting unknowns including theater actors, singers, or TV actors. Particularly as it was to give the film a realistic feel while Cacho got help in doing comedy from his co-star Luis De Icaza. For the look of the film, Alfonso wanted a heightened look to add a style to the film that was helped by Lubezki as they wanted Mexico City to be a character of its own. For the impact on the film’s release, it wasn’t an initial success as the critical reaction at the time wasn’t very good. Yet, it attracted an audience that was looking for something new. The overall documentary is an excellent piece about the film and its importance as part of New Mexican Cinema of the 1990s and 2000s.

Another big special feature for the DVD are two short films from the Cuaron brothers. The first is Alfonso Cuaron’s 1983 24-minute student short film Cuarteto Para el Fin del Tiempo (Quartet for the End of Time) is a black-and-white film about a lonely man dealing with his own isolation as he rarely goes outside and his only friends are a little turtle and a goldfish. It’s a pretty good short that doesn’t have much plot and story as the look of it is quite grainy. Yet, it would have ideas including long tracking shots that would be a part of Cuaron’s filmmaking style.

The second short is Carlos Cuaron’s 2000 five-minute short Noche de Bodas (Wedding Night) where the short includes a text piece about Cuaron’s inspiration for the short inspired by an actual incident. The short is about a wedded couple’s wedding night that starts out great until an interruption. It’s a very funny short about a wedding night with a bit of a twist and lots of humor that stars Vanessa Bauche of Amores Perros fame. The last special feature in the DVD is the film’s theatrical trailer presented in a rough look as it’s marketed as a comedy.

The DVD also comes with a booklet featuring an essay and a fictional biography about the film’s protagonist. The essay entitled Sex, Lies, & Mariachis by Ryan F. Long discusses the film and its importance to the history of Mexican cinema. Particularly when there was a group of new filmmakers including Alfonso Cuaron that wanted to create movies that was about Mexico as it is instead of the stereotype and stock characters portrayed in the state-funded Mexican films of the 1980s. Long also talks about the film and how it took a horrifying subject matter like AIDS and made it funny which was ahead of its time. Particularly as it was used for a character’s sense of despair as Long’s essay is truly a fun read about the film and why it is a pillar for the movement that is New Mexican Cinema.

The second piece of text in the booklet is a fictional biography by Carlos Cuaron about Tomas Tomas that Cuaron wrote for Daniel Giminez Camacho to get in touch with his character. The bio talks about Tomas’ life where he seems to have a way with women since he was young while being very attached towards his mother. Notably as he and his mother rooted for the Red Sharks of Veracruz while his older sister and father were fans of Club America. Tomas became his own man as his fascination with women grew during his teen years leading him to become the lothario despite some bumps as a teen. The piece is a very funny yet compelling piece from Cuaron as he also writes other fictional bios for other characters at the film’s Criterion webpage. The overall DVD is a must have for fans of the film and of the work of Alfonso Cuaron.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

While it's nowhere near as great as masterpieces like Y Tu Mama Tambien or Children of Men, along with other films like A Little Princess and Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban. Solo con tu Pareja is still an enchanting, funny debut film from Alfonso Cuaron and company. Fans of Cuaron's no doubt, will find this film as a nice starting point into his visual language and such. Even in where his later films, fans would see where he would get a few of his ideas from his first feature. In the end, Solo con tu Pareja is an excellent debut feature from Alfonso Cuaron.

Alfonso Cuaron Films: A Little Princess (1995 film) - Great Expectations (1998 film) - Y Tu Mama Tambien - Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban - Children of Men - Gravity - Roma (2018 film) - The Auteurs #11: Alfonso Cuaron

© thevoid99 2011

Bad Education

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/19/07.

Following the back-to-back Oscar-winning success of his films with 1999's Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother) and Hable con Ella (Talk to Her). Pedro Almodovar was clearly on top of the world where the latter film, won him an Oscar for Best Screenplay and gave him a nomination for Best Director. Following the success of those two films, Almodovar decided to return to far more personal work that represented his own childhood. Turning to the works of Alfred Hitchcock and film noir, Almodovar released what some called one of his darker films with 2004's La Mala Educacion (Bad Education).

Written and directed by Almodovar, La Mala Educacion is a multi-layered film about a film director who was recently visited by an old childhood friend whom he hadn't seen in years. The friend gives him a script that is based on their own life in Catholic school and their involvement with a priest, who had abused them physically and sexually. A far more complex film than Almodovar's previous work, the film shows the director taking risks into genres as well as his own personal childhood experiences. Starring Fele Martinez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Javier Camara, Lluis Homar, and Leonor Watling. La Mala Educacion is a harrowing yet powerful film from Pedro Almodovar.

It's 1980 as a film director named Enrique (Fele Martinez) is trying to figure out a new project to work on. Arriving into his office is a young man named Ignacio (Gael Garcia Bernal) who claims to be the childhood friend of Enrique back in school during the early 60s. Calling himself Angel now, Ignacio gives Enrique a script called La Visita (The Visit) where part of the film was inspired by the two men's days in Catholic school as boys and the other part is inspired by Ignacio's life. Enrique reads the story which rings true in some parts.

La Visita tells the story of a drag queen named Zahara (Gael Garcia Bernal) who attracts the attention of a man named Enrique Serrano (Albert Ferreiro). Zahara seduces him only to learn who he really is as he and friend Paquito (Javier Camara) steal Enrique's bike as they figure out what to do next. Going to a church nearby an old school, it is the same school that Zahara's brother Ignacio and his friend Enrique used to go to. In that church and running the service is Father Manolo (Daniel Gimenez Cacho) who was Ignacio's favorite teacher. Zahara tries to talk to Manolo while Paquito steals objects from the service as Zahara later gets into Manolo's office. The discussion became about Ignacio.

Enrique then reads the part that is about his own childhood back in Catholic school. He reads of an unusual attraction between Manolo and the young Ignacio (Nacho Perez) as the two enjoyed each other's company. Manolo was Ignacio's favorite teacher as during a futbol game, Ignacio finds himself the center of attention in front of another student named Enrique (Raul Garcia Forneiro). Ignacio and Enrique immediately become more than friends as they would often sneak out of school to watch the cinema to see Esa Mujer starring Sara Montiel. Then one night as Ignacio was coughing, Enrique followed him where they were caught by Manolo. Manolo expelled Enrique while deciding not to punish Ignacio.

Angel returns to hear that Enrique wants to do the script as his next feature. Angel is interested in playing Zahara though Enrique isn't sure. During a night when the two decided to hang out, Enrique becomes suspicious over a pop song Angel doesn't remember. Things get even stranger when Enrique is wondering if Angel really is Ignacio while Angel decides to take his time to study in being a drag queen with help from a performer named Sandra. Enrique goes to Valencia to meet with Ignacio's mother (Petra Martinez) where he learned that Ignacio had a brother named Juan. The suspicion grows as he learned some truths about Ignacio and a man named Berenguer (Lluis Homar).

After deciding to give Angel the part of Zahara for the film version of La Visita, Enrique moves forward with the film as he changes the ending in which the meeting between Zahara and Manolo is given more dramatic tension with help from another real-life character in Father Jose (Francisco Maestre). During this last day of film, Enrique receives an unexpected visit from Berenguer whose identity is unveiled. There, Enrique learns the dark truth about Juan and Ignacio and what happened in this aftermath.

While the film follows the traditional guidelines of film noir, Pedro Almodovar doesn't entirely follow traditions of the genre. Yet, he uses guidelines to move his story forward while trying to make the audience guess and such. The suspense that Almodovar goes for definitely works in building a momentum for the audience to figure out what's going to happen. While some audiences might be confused into what was fiction and what's real, the ending has a big payoff where the major characters come together. Yet, the film isn't really about child abuse, Catholic schools, cinema, or anything. It's really about a love triangle between two young men and their priest and how fragile the relationship becomes. When Berenguer's story is revealed in relation to Juan and Ignacio, his identity is already known to audience but the aftermath of this relationship becomes very complex and tragic in the end.

Almodovar deserves a lot of credit for telling a personal story of his own childhood in Catholic school by making it into a film noir-like story. While his script and direction isn't entirely perfect, Almodovar's visual language and complex layering of subplots is purely masterful. Even some of the scenes like the futbol scene is done with some wonderful, slow-motion editing and direction to give the sense of poetry to the story. Even the references that Almodovar puts in the film whether it's a couple of movies reveal the roots of where Almodovar gets the inspiration to write this story. In the end, it's the complex nature and haunting approach to storytelling that proves Almodovar's mastery in filmmaking.

Cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine does some wonderfully, vivacious camera work to bring a lot of style to the film's layered stories. Whether it's the dark intimacy in the stories of Ignacio and Zahara to more colorful schemes in the scenes with Enrique to the more, wider shots of the young Ignacio, young Enrique sequences. Longtime editor Jose Salcedo does some amazing editing to take some of the film's unique plot structure to play with the audience's mind and such. Art director Antxon Gomez and set decorator Pilar Revuelta do excellent work in creating the colorful look of Enrique's home and the differing places the film takes place whether it's the church or the land of Valencia. Costume designer Paco Delgado does some wonderful work in creating the film's clothes, notably a few of the costumes Gael Garcia Bernal wear in drag along with a costume during a performance that was created by Jean-Paul Gaultier. Sound editor Rosa Ortiz does excellent work in creating the suspense of the film, notably a scene where young Ignacio sings Moon River with Manolo.

Longtime composer Alberto Iglesias creates a wonderfully, dramatic score with a harrowing orchestra to create the suspense while using the music of Henry Mancini for the film's opening and closing credits sequence. Standards are also featured along with a pop song that was referenced during the film.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled that features cameos from Almodovar as a pool man and Hable con Ella's Leonor Watling in a cameo as a wardrobe assistant. Small roles from drag queen Sandra, Petra Martinez as Ignacio's mother, Juan Fernandez as Enrique's assistant Martin, Francisco Maestre as Father Jose, and Francisco Boira as a fictional version of Ignacio are wonderful. Nacho Perez is excellent as the young Ignacio along with Raul Garcia Forneiro as the young Enrique. Alberto Ferreiro is good as the fictional Enrique while Hable con Ella's Javier Camara is very funny as Paquito. Lluis Homar is excellent as the shady, complex Berenguer who reveals his guilt and desperation into the role he played in the mystery. Daniel Gimenez Cacho is excellent as the sympathetic yet troubled Father Manolo in a compassionate yet eerie performance.

Fele Martinez gives an amazing performance as Enrique, the film's protagonist as a man who tries to uncover the truth about his childhood friend. Martinez's performance is very subdued in how he reacts to things while trying to seduce Angel into rekindling their childhood passion. It's a great performance from the Spanish actor. Then there's Gael Garcia Bernal in what has to be one of his essential performances. The Mexican actor truly brings a layer of complexity to the roles he plays in the film. None of the characters he plays are the same nor are they performed in a similar manner. In drag, Bernal truly captures the look and feel of a woman from the way he walked to the way he does his arm movements. In the role of Angel, he acts very shady and with a lot of restraint. There's something that Bernal does that is truly a marvel to watch. It's truly one of his greatest performances that further establishes himself as one of his generations best actors.

Released in 2004 and opening the Cannes Film Festival that same year, the film drew controversy in the U.S. over some of its sexual content. The film received a NC-17 rating though it didn't hurt the film's modest performance in the box office. Yet, some claimed the rating was undeserved that only further the claim that the MPAA was homophobic. Still, the film did give Almodovar more praise but was overshadowed by another Spanish film that same year in Alejandro Amendabar's The Sea Inside, that would win an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

La Mala Educacion is a wonderful film from Pedro Almodovar and company. Fans of his work will no doubt consider this as one of his finest while fans of film noir will enjoy his take on the genre. Fans of Gael Garcia Bernal will no doubt, enjoy the young actor's complex performance as it’s a film that definitely challenges its audience. In the end, La Mala Educacion is an excellent, complex film from the great Pedro Almodovar.

Pedro Almodovar Films: Pepi, Luci, Bom - Labyrinth of Passion - Dark Habits - What Have I Done to Deserve This? - Matador - Law of Desire - Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! - High Heels - Kika - The Flower of My Secret - Live Flesh - All About My Mother - Talk to Her - Volver - Broken Embraces - The Skin I Live In - I'm So Excited! - Julieta - Pain & Glory - (The Human Voice (2020 short film)) - (Parallel Mothers)

The Auteurs #37: Pedro Almodovar Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2011