Drama/Mex (2006)

Simply A Masterpiece

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Admirable film.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

I saw some reviewer berate this movie at length and thus created this account so I can write in and say NO WAY.... This is definitely among the BEST Mexican movies I've seen for a while. There's definitely a class effect, as it seems to depict the "good life" as being a wealthy one as well, but damn. It took the heartaches of youth and developed them in three dimensions. And the craziness, stupidity. This film will bring you back -- Fantastic. Emotional. Proof that buried into the masculine psyche there is a deep emotion. A yearning hopelessly intertwined with erotic love, and all the agony that goes with it. Definitely among the ones that proudly stand out among the Mexican films to come out in the past few years. I recommend it!

The mere idea that Mexican actors, Diego Luna and Gabriel Garcia Bernal were involved with "Drama/Mex", was the main reason for watching this film written and directed by Gerardo Naranjo. This is, in many ways a movie that evokes better made ones by the likes of Alejandro Gonzales Inurritu, or Alfonso Cuaron, who have elevated the quality of Mexican cinema to new heights."Drama/Mex" seems to have been a project of love on the part of everyone involved in it. The result feels like a cross between cinema-variete and a road picture, as we are taken along to meet a group of unconnected seedy characters that populate the lower depths of Acapulco. The film, with its two different narratives can be confusing at times if one doesn't pay attention of what is going on.What Mr. Naranjo has accomplished is to create an atmosphere of people in turmoil where he sets his characters to live and play. Best of all, Fernando Becerril, a solid actor who conveys the anguish Jaime is going through. This is a tormented soul and Mr. Becerril gives a nuanced performance. Among the young players, who might be non-professional, Diana Garcia, who is seen as Fernanda, shows a promise. Also Miriana Moro, as a young prostitute, and Emilio Valdes make valuable contributions.One can expect better things from Mr. Naranjo in the future.

I have to admit I watched this film by mistake. I was checking previews on pay per view, and it seemed interesting but not enough for the $5.99 they charge. But then I pressed the wrong button and I found myself, regretfully, watching it. I hoped until the end it would go somewhere with the characters but it didn't. It reminded me a lot of "Amores perros" another film whose popularity I still cannot understand . Interconnected stories!!??? First of all, what stories? Yeah, they all happen in the same town and this town has a beach, so people end up there...oh, I forgot to mention that the stories happen in a hot day so the actors in these interconnected stories are all sweating, so there is some connection. I agree with other reviews, the camera work was interesting at the beginning but as the story became a bore, it made the film even more difficult to watch. The music (Beethoven on guitar) was so cliché that by the end I was keeping myself amused by guessing when would it start playing.

The best Mexican FILM for the last 8 years. A lesson to Reygadas and other ART filmmakers, it shows that you can go to Cannes as a consequence of your talent, not to your skills as a provocation seller.A lesson to commercial directors and producers, I dare them to touch and entertain the audience like this film does.Mexican cinema needs to encourage this kind of artists, we have to stop spending millions of dollars making trash, Lets do 10 of this beautiful human experiences instead of one big meaningless bullshit.Naranjo and guys like Iván Avila, Julian Hernandez, Fernando Eimbcke and other newcomers deserve to shoot something every yearThanks for the effort...Looking forward the next films of Naranjo.