Film Reviews by PR

Watched it twice and I'm still not sure whether to like or laugh at this film. Has all the elements of a "naff" distorted mythology action movie but is somehow captivating. The darkness and unusual muted colours it is filmed in are mesmeric and, surprisingly, the well-over-the-top costumes of the Gods are somehow convincing - as are their antics and prowess. The violence may seem exaggerated, too, but I guess war was not sanitized in ancient Greece, contrary what we may be led to believe by Hollywood and the censors.

Plot: lone yachtsman faces one life-threatening disaster after another and tries to cope as best he can. That's it. Does this make a good film? Yes, it does, and a thrilling one at that! Because the film is so unforced, so natural, it is easy to be taken in and to share the anxiety and frustrations of the character. I deliberately do not call him "hero" because, thank goodness, we get no sentimental background stories, no far fetched physical prowess, just a man trying to get out of danger by keeping his head. As it is in real life when we don't have an audience to perform for. Extra points to the director for not trying to bulk up the film with mood-enhancing music and sweeping marine vistas.

I never expected this film to be good - I only took it out because I like one of the actors - but I was to be pleasantly surprised. It is very funny and very well observed.

A satire of "Class of 92" , and shot as a series of reminiscing interviews, this film mocks football megastars and the insane amounts of money they make, their wives, the North/South divide, politicians, brand sponsorships, dodgy entrepreneurs, you name it. Light-hearted entertainment with a sting of veracity in the tail.

It is a testament to the calibre of the actors that the dialogue is improvised on the spot, there was no script; perhaps that is why it is so convincing.

Excellent film, and not for any of the obvious reasons: it has no plot to speak of, the characters are neither tragic nor heroic, the situations are commonplace. Yet its very "normality" is what makes the film disturbing, because it clearly shows what drama and strangeness even the most (ostensibly) normal of lives entail - the surreal interludes are almost unnecessary.

This is a very sad film because of what it says about the human condition. In spite of their desire to "be good", every character is caught in a web of pathos and evil either brought about by the need to survive, sheer existential dissatisfaction, or simply because of man's inherent dark side. Which explains, I imagine, the presence of the Devil in the film.

It is not easy for non-Mexicans to appreciate this, but the portrayal of everyday life in all echelons of Mexican society is outstanding; you would be hard-pressed to distinguish individual scenes from real life documentaries , and this alone sets it apart from most films I have seen. And, thankfully, the film avoids the cheap clichés about "class struggle", the "exploited" etc. etc. Everyone suffers, in their own way.

As a bonus, British audiences get a chance to be awed by Mexico's landscapes and wild nature (the storm scenes, for instance, are not exaggerated for effect; they really are like that!)