I can appreciate this movie as it has many great visuals, great hand held camera shots, not a slowish pace, some tension building elements, good editing, good raw or realistic non-actor performances, and more great tech specs for a low-budget production, but it graphically tells a story that for me is very hard to watch, as no matter all the magical elements present or the “happy and uplifting” message, the story is so unsettling that it even made me feel sick while or after watching, and the feeling stayed with me for a long time.
This movie has been called by many an American Magic Realism representative because, according to them, it shows reality and fantasy blended in a magical way. But let me share with you a brief description of Magic Realism.
In literature, the term magic realism describes contemporary fiction, often from Latin America or the third world, whose narrative blends magical or fantastical elements with reality. Was coined early last century in Europe but got wider use later in an effort to differentiate the work of Latin American writers from the European Surrealist movement. Eventually, the term was transferred from literature to other arts, including films. The key element is that the magic and the reality blend so flawlessly that readers cannot differentiate them, or if they do, it does not matter to them.
I’m quite familiar with many of the very different Latin American cultures, and as you can tell if you are a regular reader of this blog, I highly enjoy Latin American movies. In my experience, I have seen beautiful magical realism in the movies of directors like Carlos Reygadas, Claudia Llosa, Alfonso Arau, Lisandro Alonso, and many others. Movies that exquisitely blend magic and reality to make watching a very enjoyable ride no matter what the story is all about, and most stories are about very disturbing issues like discrimination, poverty, oppression, repression, abuse of power, a bleak future, sexual taboos, etc.
In my opinion, this movie does not blend magic and reality. What it does is show us some magical moments and many raw reality moments—perhaps too many. My problem starts the moment I realize that to see many of the “real” things shown, I just have to walk or drive for a while and I’ll be able to see them for real. But it doesn’t stay there. The “real” things are shown so barbarically raw in the name of creative license and art that they become intolerable to watch, and I say this considering the many films I have seen that show us very raw realism with NO magic at all.
But also believe that viewers from the so-called “first world” do not have the sensibility that viewers from the “other worlds” have regarding the issues shown and understand why they like the story as it has a positive message of pride, choice, belonging, prevailing, overcoming, individualism, freedom, surviving, etc. When you read American critics and viewers reviews, you notice that many talk about the “politics” in the story; some go as far as to give interpretations of what the story is about when seen from the left and the right of the political scale. Others say that they are sure that many only got the evident message and that the real message was lost in the “beauty” of the film. But all end up praising the film, and some foresee the possible awards that will be collected in the American award season.
Yes, film as a whole can be good—so good that it captures your attention and holds it in a very hypnotic, mesmerizing way. That’s why I was able to watch the entire film, which otherwise I would have stopped watching as soon as I started to feel sick. My honest feeling is that I wish I stopped watching, as I have no need or desire to see what is shown in film. It is undeniable that the story, the narrative, is essential in filmmaking, and many times a great story makes a great movie; conversely, a terrible story makes a terrible movie no matter if everything else is good. So, is this movie good, no matter the story it tells? The answer is up to you. My answer is no, as the whole experience gave me a negative cinematic experience.
Do I recommend the movie? No, I don’t, especially for those viewers that are not from “developed countries,” as your sensibilities will probably be touched in a very negative way. Will this movie continue to collect honors in the American awards season? Probably, especially the young non-actor that is the lead character.
