Reviews

Considering how Mexican cinema was 20 years ago, it is much to say that a film like this is not nearly as good as some other proposes by other talented contemporary Mexican directors. It is in tone with the style and rhythms that have been very present in recent Mexican art-house cinema, opposing the commercial films that more and more try to emulate Hollywood (i.e. Derbez'Instructions not included). Even so, this film ultimately fails in achieving the human deepness and the emotional impact it expects to give. That though to what some might consider, the influence of old school Mexican cinema and the influence that the big Mexican film schools and their ever-present teachers have on the emerging talents. Mexico has a love-hate relationship with it's biggest TV broadcaster, Televisa, and it's film company Televicine which was stronger than ever in the nineties when it delivered weak scripts and even weaker acting and directing, and the same people who made this movies are the ones teaching the new national filmmakers. Even so, this new talents have more access to all kind of cinema and art from around the world and this allows interesting mixtures. This film for example has a very strong influence from Lost in Translation (being unnecessarily and painfully obvious in a frame that is exactly the same as that film's opening frame). Young women lost in a big city meets old actor/actress going through a crisis and each of them bring the other one afloat. Still an enjoyable view if you have the patience and time to sit through it, and I wouldn't be surprise if eventually Beristain delivers a film worthy of the age international cinema is living in.