Note: I sent a protest to the board of Col Needham, owner of IMDb, because this program presents original words in Spanish like spellings mistakes.
Compared with the other films of director Sariñana, very successful in commercial terms but nothing more than annoying trash, like "Todo el Poder" and "El Segundo Aire" this one it's a masterpiece ("Ciudades Oscuras" don't count because it's an attempt to do an "art film" to be taken by the critic like a "serious artist", doing a personal work after doing good box office, just like Spielberg did "Schindler's List" after "Jurassic Park").
A poor boy and a rich girl fall in love and must fight against the world for their love. She dies. The plot itself is anything but original and the end it's very predictable and even unbelievable, because the rich first boyfriend (some kind of Billy Zane in "Titanic") shoots her by mistake trying to kill or hurt the poor boy, after showing in another scene he have good aim.
The important thing with this film it's the recognition in a Mexican commercial film of the great racism and social and economical gap in Mexico. In that sense it's even superior to the overrated "Amores Perros", a good film but with some false notes (no way a supermarket in Mexico employs someone with the look of Gael García's brother in the film).
That racism in Mexico it's very different of the racism in USA before the civil rights movement. Because it's the racism of the minority against the majority. Sounds strange I know. After the Conquest of Mexico, with the destruction of the most of the culture of the Indian people (what you can see in The "Museo Nacional of Antropología" it's very little compared with all things destroyed) the Spaniards ruled the country, but made a division between Spaniards born in Spain and born in Mexico, the last were considered second class white people. So they developed the notion of a patriotism and lead the revolt against those born in Spain. I recommend the book "The First America : The Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriots and the Liberal State 1492-1866" by Dr. David A. Brading, of Cambridge University, if you want to know more.
So creole (criollos) became the new ruling class and race till today. The Mexican television presents as the model of beauty almost only white people (9% of population) in a country of half-breeds (60%) and indigenous (30%) to sustain this situation. In high paid jobs like public relations, employers demand good bearing but this means white skin because of the model imposed by television. You can read more in the biographical book about Mexican TV tycoon Emilio Azcarraga by Claudia Fernandez and Andrew Paxman (I can't write the title because like I said this program reject it like a spelling mistake). Even white Mexican like director Sariñana understand this situation it's unjust and only make Mexico a weak country with the division between first and second class Mexican based in the lighter or darker color of their skin. Some Mexican poster even writes the better could be Renata in Canada and never see again Ulises, that's the size of racism and class division in Mexico.
As the trivia informs, the line of the cameo of the director is "Pinches beep". "Naco" it's the greatest racial and social slur in Mexico with "indio" (indian). *beep* - the "N" word- can be an equivalent. It means someone dark-skinned,vulgar, stupid, corrupt...and poor. Some white high class people in Mexico are corrupt but they pretend their corruption is the corruption of "decent people".
The place of the story it's Santa Fe. A place full of poor houses. That was before the government give away some grounds there to Universidad Iberoamericana, a Jesuits private university for rich people. Now the price of the same ground are very expensive.
The film is full of class and racial slurs and street lingo and that helps to avoid melodramatic tone and give a more realistic impression. What if his mouth stinks with the smell of s u a d e r o' s tacos? la Güera (the Blond) says to Renata when they bet if Renata can kiss the "naco". The "tacos of s u a d e r o" are a very cheap greasy food sold in almost any corner of Mexico City. Nothing to do with healthy light food rich people eats (well, some really like street tacos but not gonna accept it in public).
So the film makes an important statement but falls with a poor end. The rich girl must die to give the "tragic" tone to the love story. But in the context of real Mexican society it's the conformist end.
The work of Luis Fernando Peña are remarkable giving Ulises the dignity many poor people have in Mexico, not accepting to be a kept man of the rich girl or accepting the stolen things from his friends. Martha Higareda are very natural in her debut. She's very pretty but very expressive unlike many pretty young actresses in Mexico.
Fernando Sariñana does an honest commercial film, and in some moments even have inspiration like when Renata and Ulises appear like the characters of a comic, the way of expression for Ulises. Even his nepotist insistence of casting his daughter, Ximena Sariñana,in his films works here. She's really annoying like the racist, alcoholic and stupid sister of Renata and does some musical work here. But she have the same acting talent and charisma of Sophia Coppola.
Compared with the other films of director Sariñana, very successful in commercial terms but nothing more than annoying trash, like "Todo el Poder" and "El Segundo Aire" this one it's a masterpiece ("Ciudades Oscuras" don't count because it's an attempt to do an "art film" to be taken by the critic like a "serious artist", doing a personal work after doing good box office, just like Spielberg did "Schindler's List" after "Jurassic Park").
A poor boy and a rich girl fall in love and must fight against the world for their love. She dies. The plot itself is anything but original and the end it's very predictable and even unbelievable, because the rich first boyfriend (some kind of Billy Zane in "Titanic") shoots her by mistake trying to kill or hurt the poor boy, after showing in another scene he have good aim.
The important thing with this film it's the recognition in a Mexican commercial film of the great racism and social and economical gap in Mexico. In that sense it's even superior to the overrated "Amores Perros", a good film but with some false notes (no way a supermarket in Mexico employs someone with the look of Gael García's brother in the film).
That racism in Mexico it's very different of the racism in USA before the civil rights movement. Because it's the racism of the minority against the majority. Sounds strange I know. After the Conquest of Mexico, with the destruction of the most of the culture of the Indian people (what you can see in The "Museo Nacional of Antropología" it's very little compared with all things destroyed) the Spaniards ruled the country, but made a division between Spaniards born in Spain and born in Mexico, the last were considered second class white people. So they developed the notion of a patriotism and lead the revolt against those born in Spain. I recommend the book "The First America : The Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriots and the Liberal State 1492-1866" by Dr. David A. Brading, of Cambridge University, if you want to know more.
So creole (criollos) became the new ruling class and race till today. The Mexican television presents as the model of beauty almost only white people (9% of population) in a country of half-breeds (60%) and indigenous (30%) to sustain this situation. In high paid jobs like public relations, employers demand good bearing but this means white skin because of the model imposed by television. You can read more in the biographical book about Mexican TV tycoon Emilio Azcarraga by Claudia Fernandez and Andrew Paxman (I can't write the title because like I said this program reject it like a spelling mistake). Even white Mexican like director Sariñana understand this situation it's unjust and only make Mexico a weak country with the division between first and second class Mexican based in the lighter or darker color of their skin. Some Mexican poster even writes the better could be Renata in Canada and never see again Ulises, that's the size of racism and class division in Mexico.
As the trivia informs, the line of the cameo of the director is "Pinches beep". "Naco" it's the greatest racial and social slur in Mexico with "indio" (indian). *beep* - the "N" word- can be an equivalent. It means someone dark-skinned,vulgar, stupid, corrupt...and poor. Some white high class people in Mexico are corrupt but they pretend their corruption is the corruption of "decent people".
The place of the story it's Santa Fe. A place full of poor houses. That was before the government give away some grounds there to Universidad Iberoamericana, a Jesuits private university for rich people. Now the price of the same ground are very expensive.
The film is full of class and racial slurs and street lingo and that helps to avoid melodramatic tone and give a more realistic impression. What if his mouth stinks with the smell of s u a d e r o' s tacos? la Güera (the Blond) says to Renata when they bet if Renata can kiss the "naco". The "tacos of s u a d e r o" are a very cheap greasy food sold in almost any corner of Mexico City. Nothing to do with healthy light food rich people eats (well, some really like street tacos but not gonna accept it in public).
So the film makes an important statement but falls with a poor end. The rich girl must die to give the "tragic" tone to the love story. But in the context of real Mexican society it's the conformist end.
The work of Luis Fernando Peña are remarkable giving Ulises the dignity many poor people have in Mexico, not accepting to be a kept man of the rich girl or accepting the stolen things from his friends. Martha Higareda are very natural in her debut. She's very pretty but very expressive unlike many pretty young actresses in Mexico.
Fernando Sariñana does an honest commercial film, and in some moments even have inspiration like when Renata and Ulises appear like the characters of a comic, the way of expression for Ulises. Even his nepotist insistence of casting his daughter, Ximena Sariñana,in his films works here. She's really annoying like the racist, alcoholic and stupid sister of Renata and does some musical work here. But she have the same acting talent and charisma of Sophia Coppola.