Deb 4 Me 6
This is a rare movie from Mexico and it was good for me to see it. Usually when I think of Mexico I picture the northern border states, the ones that are desert and rely heavily on tourist trade to support their meager economy. But in the south Mexico is a fertile and hearty land with big cities and farms abounding. I remember being there in 1980 and thinking this is a great, quick way to get a European experience that is only hours away and much cheaper. So seeing this Mexican movie set in an upscale apartment and centered around an affluent Jewish family, I was pleasantly surprised.
The whole movie is built on the back of a Hemingway-esque guy named Jose (no surprise there) played by Fernando Lujan. He was great. Someone else could have been cast in this role, but this cat carried the weight of the film with quiet assuredness.
And it is a very quiet film. Slow and quiet. No big movements here. When it was over we both had criticisms and wondered about a dozen issues that were presented but not resolved. Normally that pisses me off. But this movie was like going to someone’s house for dinner. It was a nice way to spend the evening, but I don’t need to go back and I don’t really wonder how their issues get resolved. They were good people, we had a nice time and went home. Did I mention this is a Jewish family in a heavily Catholic land? This presents several cultural clashes that never occurred to me and I liked that. I liked the kids in the movie, normally I consider them a pain in the ass.
The movie kept me engaged through each snail-paced scene and I enjoyed it. I figure an average movie is a 5, and this was just a hint above average. For Deb it was a bit below. It’s nothing I’m going to tell you to go see, but if you have a free evening, looking for some harmless entertainment, this might fit the bill.
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