Güeros (2014) Reviews

• Aimlessly existentialist (but in a good way)

  linkogecko2015-06-17

  First of all, there is a simple question to ask yourself in order to find out if you're likely to enjoy this movie: have you seen and enjoyed films like P.T. Anderson's "Inherent Vice" and "Punch-Drunk Love"; or the Coens' "A Serious Man" and "Inside Llewyn Davis"; or even that other work in the oddly specific Mexican cinema genre of "Mexico City's disenchanted youth living in unidades habitacionales (low-income housing complexes, similar to the British council estates or the U.S. projects), going from action to action without much ambition, peppered with existential and black humor and shot in black and white" that is "Temporada de Patos" ("Duck Season")? If so, boy are you gonna love this one! "Güeros"'s title referring to white people might make one think that this is a politically-charged deconstruction of racism and classism in Mexico, but much like the film makes a point of saying how difficult it is to define who IS a "güero" in Mexico, it also makes a point of saying how difficult it is to define pretty much ANYTHING in this culture. Politics and society unquestionably play a role in the film, but more as a backdrop (an inescapable one if you happen to live here) than as a main subject. Overall, the film is content in hopping from place to place and short mission to short mission, only offering glimpses of the reality it is set in, in order to make its grandest statement that is about, well... nothing. Much like most of the films mentioned at the start, "Güeros" is existentialist at its core, the aimlessness and lack of a point IS the point. Unlike other pointless films however, "Güeros" is rarely boring. The chemistry between the main characters, the tiny mysteries woven into their world, the gorgeously simplistic imagery, the unexpected twists (including some weird meta references and even an instance of the fourth wall being broken) and, most of all, the amazingly witty dialogue ("Güeros" is FAR more, and more universally, funny than the vast majority of Mexican films that have the gall to call themselves "comedies") make the experience of watching this film more enjoyable and more likely to stay with you than most other films of its kind.

• Simple, but effective

  edge5472017-01-06

  The story here is as clever as it is simple. Two brothers and a friend hit the road in search of a dying Mexican folk singer who, according to legend, once made Bob Dylan cry with one of his touching ballads. While there are numerous side stories and plenty of character development, the plot doesn't get a whole lot deeper than that, and it is all the better for it. In that sense, the filmmakers knew exactly what they were doing and they achieved it wonderfully. The film has a few flaws, but overall I thought it was pretty good. It could have been shorter, but the pacing is great. I felt like a few of the scenes were added just to ensure a sufficient running time and they could have been cut. One thing I loved about the film was that we never actually hear the music of the fictional Mexican folk singer that the brothers are following. Their car's cassette player is broken so they only ever listen to him via headphones. We are left to watch their silent reactions and fill in the missing pieces for ourselves. I'm not sure if the filmmakers had intended to possibly insert music during post production and then decided against it, but either way it is very effective and well done. Without giving anything away, the ending of the film is right in line with the rest of the film's pacing. It is slow and anticlimactic, but we still end up feeling like everything turned out just the way it should, much like the characters are left feeling. And it is totally hilarious, but in such a dry way that you just might miss it. Despite being a road film in essence, with characters traveling around and getting into adventures, Güeros isn't about story or characters so much as it is about a feeling. It's a feeling that most of us likely experience at some point in our lives, and for that reason most people will be able to relate to this film on some level.

• Very well made film.

  ataturkman2015-04-15

  This movie is black and white and it has a different frame ratio. At first, i thought they were going to do it because they wanted it to look like an art film but if you ask me, from what i watched, i am certain that this was done because of artistic and also satiric reasons. This movie is a great drama and also is a great comedy. Directing is really unique. Movie doesn't treat it's audience like they are stupid people. Movie respects the audience. For example, instead of a broken elevator sign, you see the inside of the elevator and you see that it doesn't come. When the character goes in a dark room, actor isn't pretending to be in a dark room, it is not a low lighted room that you can see but actor can't, you also can't see anything and it feels real. When a character closes other's eyes, before you see that, also your view is blocked by hands on the camera, which is your eyes. You feel like you are inside the film and it is amazingly done. When they listen to the song that should be amazing you hear nothing at all because they want you to imagine it since it will be different for everyone. And there is a scene in the school that it is really really funny and intelligently done. I won't spoil but i was laughing way too much at it. Movie tells a few different stories, panic attack, love, friendship, revolution and a whole other themes that are followed by their own scenes. Every thing in the movie leads somewhere and in every ending, it remind us that the world is cruel.Movie is funny, dramatic and exciting and overall it is very good. It makes fun of the Mexican so called art movies and also that maybe the cause of the black and white colour of the film. And it succeeds to be satiric in a good way. I am giving this 8/10 because i felt like it dragged a little on the last act. But, nonetheless i found it to be very intelligent.

• Journey of the CareFree

  fulrahul2015-03-10

  Gueros, the title refers to light-skinned or blonde-haired Mexicans as explained by the character in the film Santos; it also implies Gueros have it easier than their darker looking fellows. Director Ruizpalacios debut film is a Mexican indie film in which two brothers; Fede aka Sombra and younger Tomas along with Santos waste their lives living in a flat while those around them stage a massive student demonstration. Such politics is the backdrop of this playful, self critiquing yet grounded film in which the siblings embark on a search for an folk singer. Although the local college students have been boycotting the university for the past 163 days, Sombra not participating lays about in his apartment "on strike from the strike" with Santos. When his brother Tomas arrives and grows tired of that life in couple of days, they decide to search and pay respects to hospital stricken musician Epigmenio Cruz. They listened to his cassette, and believed his music drove Bob Dylan to tears. But the protests are never out of the picture as the journey takes a detour to the University with filmmaking breaking barriers into documentary style imagery informing us of the revolution and its cause, also at the same time filmmaker keeps it lighthearted with self criticisms of Mexican cinema like "We grab a bunch of beggars and shoot in black & white". "Gueros" isn't a film making some statement with a dramatic climax but rather is fulfilling journey giving its characters a realization of their place in society.

• Unusual Road Movie which makes up in charm what is missing in substance

  t-dooley-69-3869162016-03-19

  This starts with the story of Tomas who is sent to stay with his older brother in Mexico City after a water filled balloon incident goes awry. On arrival he finds his bro, Sombra living with his friend Santos in a flat where they steal electricity from a neighbour and are on strike from being on strike at the local University. Essentially what follows are scenes that are linked together by dint of the fact they are linked together. The subtle stories and plots are full of satire and swipes at society but without ever unpacking what that means. It is filmed in black and white in a narrow ratio aspect so at once looks out of place in line with the characters themselves. It is also art house but without trying to be – there is even a breaking of the fourth wall in places – which took me by surprise and that is what this film is about – surprising you by the ordinary. Part love story, part coming of age, part road trip and part search for a lost rock genius, this is a film that refuses to be type cast and is better for it. The actors all play this straight in that it just looks unrehearsed and they are adlibbing but you know that is far from the truth. This will not be to everybody's taste – if you like a start a middle and an end then probably best to avoid this but if you like to see things differently and are prepared for a journey that is as aimless as it is vital then you are probably going to really enjoy this really charming Mexican film.