Customer Reviews

A Day Without a Mexican

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

It is easy to think of Sergio Arau's 2004 film "A Day Without a Mexican" as a great idea poorly executed, especially when you check out the original 1998 short film version provided on the DVD. In both versions the citizens of California wake up one day and discover that all the "Mexicans" are gone. Actually, it is all the Latinos in the state, but as several people are quick to point out, everybody from South of the Border is a "Mexican," even if they come from Guatemala or some other place (like Israel or Armenia). "A Day Without a Mexican" attempts to show what would happen to California if suddenly one-third of its population disappeared.

But whereas the original short film sticks to the mocumentary approach, the full-length feature tries to be a real film as well. In addition to working in many of the bits from the original short film, Arau now includes several narrative threads following Caucasians with strong ties to missing Latinos: Mary Jo Quintana (Maureen Flannigan) is a school teacher whose husband and son have disappeared; State Senator Steven Abercombie III (John Getz) and his family have to overcome the loss of their maid (now they cannot get the peanut butter off the top shelf) and then he becomes the acting governor; and television news anchor Vicki Martin (Suzanne Friedline) is concerned about the station's missing weatherman. Then there is television news reporter Lila Rodriguez (Yareli Arizmendi, the co-writer and wife of the director), who would appear to be the only Latina who has not disappeared from California. Meanwhile, an eerie pink fog has surrounded the state, cutting it off from the rest of the world.

The result is a hit and miss proposition. All of the explanations offered by the experts on what has happened are the stuff of bad science fiction. There are those who are happy the "Mexicans" are all gone, but then there are also the normal citizens rioting over fresh vegetables. Arau obviously has a bit more money this time around, so ideas that were only talked about in the short film get expanded, so that now we get a television commercial for the "Disappearance Day" sale. There are a couple of points where the film tries to get poignant, and while Lila's big speech is fully of admirable sentiment, it just goes too much against the grain of the satire of the film. Going from tongue-in-cheek to heart in hand is tricky business, and "A Day Without a Mexican" never quite pulls it off. Besides, if anything I want to say that this film lets it audience off of the hook too easily. Even insipid racism deserves to be skewered and while there are parts of this film that remind me of a "MAD TV" skit, but without either the savage wit or the big laughs.

After watching both versions I have a preference for the original short film because I appreciate the irony that it does not include any Latinos outside of photographs: even the dramatizations have to use non-Latino actors (a fact which is duly noted). But it also has a lighter touch than the expanded film version, which often uses sub-titles to make points and provide statistics (e.g., how many Latinos are on the L.A. Dodgers, how many countries are south of the border). Basically it comes down to the difference between showing and telling, and the failure of this film is amplified by the fact that the underlying message is rather important.

The premise is as simple as it is ridiculous: California's day-laborers, domestic helpers and agricultural workers of hispanic descent are disappearing. Fast. The obvious consequences could be dismissed as farcical -- if less poignant. But the meaning is made quite real in ways personal as well as economic and political.

The story focuses on a young journalist's attempt to document the disappearances. There is a plot twist, which some may suspect a little before the end. The key themes of this movie could be summed up as (1) not all hispanics are Mexicans; and (2) some hispanics are not Mexicans. You'll understand why those are actually different statements after you see the movie.

The most remarkable thing about this movie is that it casts a bright light on often deliberately overlooked aspects of our uneasy relationship with our neighbors, without becoming preachy. Instead, infectious humor informs a border-defying humanity. Gringo's are not automatically painted as either Racist Neocons or Syncretic Liberals -- those these are certainly presented. Instead, each character is revealed through the deeds which define him.

Watch for the name of the band. I just about fell over laughing.

Trying to conceive of a "Left Behind" style film happening to a specific race in a specific State is pretty out there. But director Sergio Arau does so admirably in A DAY WITHOUT A MEXICAN.

Part comedy, part mockumentary, the film's liberal leanings are sure to turn some viewers off. Taking consistent jabs at prejudices (and hitting their target more often than not), the film takes on the premise that a strange, magical fog has surrounded California one fateful day, blocking all incoming and outgoing traffic, internet access, and all forms of communication. And this weird atmospheric disturbance has also taken away all of the Mexicans. The disruption to the Sunshine State is evident as fruit rots on trees, vegetable aisles in grocery stores go empty, and car wash patrons have to dry their own cars!

Lilia Rod(riguez) played by Yareli Arizmendi (LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE) is a televison news reporter who DOESN'T disappear. The supernatural phenomenon seems to have passed her by even though she's Mexican. Or is she? More unseen prejudices arise as we learn that most Anglos label anyone with a coppery-toned complexion as "Mexican." Lilia learns her true genetic heritage along the way but feels, in her heart, that she's Mexican and promptly vanishes in front of a televison audience.

John Getz (BLOOD SIMPLE) plays Senator Abercrombie who has to take on the position of California Governor Pro-Tem, as the current Governor and Lieutenant Governor were Mexican. Thrown into the spotlight, the new Gov has to deal with all of the chaos caused by the disappearances as well as the disruptions to his own household when their maid/nanny/cook vanishes.

Other characters include two border patrol officers who are forced to deal with their prejudices when they learn that they no longer have a viable job. This is one particularly hilarious portion of the film that will really tickle audience's funny bones.

As California tries to deal with the loss of an entire race, the remaining folks come up with some great reasons for the Mexicans' disappearance. Some say that the sombrero is shaped like a UFO for a reason <wink!> Others believe it's a form of the rapture, and the apocalypse is upon us. Still others believe that it is because the other races didn't appreciate the Mexicans and so they just up and left. Regardless of the reason (true or not) the effect is felt throughout the State. Anglos and other nationalities turn to looting and diving into black-market fruits and vegies in order to save their restaurants. Talk shows swing from one extreme to the other, some saying their glad that the Mexicans are gone while others struggle to stay on the air with a skeleton crew (many camera operators were Mexicans).

The film's faults are that this probably won't be for those who live outside California. A Day Without a Mexican has a fairly specific target audience. But the great message, often funny and poignant at the same time, cannot be denied: we all need each other, regardless of race.

Special mention of the film's musical soundtrack MUST be made, too. The mariachi version of California Dreamin' is outstanding, as is the theme song A Day Without A Mexican.

This film is vvvveeerrrryyyyy West Coasty! It only speaks about Cali. Characters make statements like "All Latinos are Mexican anyway!" You would never hear someone say that on the East Coast. I saw a film about the abuse of illegal immigrants in the San Diego area a few months ago. This movie uses comedy to address issues whereas that movie used tragedy.

This movie actually reminded me a lot of "Bamboozled." It doesn't take long to understand satire. Maybe that's why it does well on quick things like sketch comedy and not in feature-length films. I was the only non-Mexican American in the audience and some theatergoers left midway and I heard one woman say, "That was the dumbest movie ever!" It was okay for what it was trying to do.

Like many satirical works, the references weren't always subtle. The racist governor is named Abercrombie, obviously in reference to the lawsuits against store. Someone says, "The number two guy in California is Mexican and he vanished too." Can we say Bustamante? The one woman who doesn't disappear is labeled "the missing link." She is kind of a sellout/una vendida, so it's a swipe at Latinos that try to front. If this weren't a minority-made film, I'm sure folk would be upset about referring to any person of color as the missing link, and rightly so.

Class-privileged people may be rubbed the wrong way by this film. It implies that California would suffer without Mexicans because no one would be there to clean houses and pick fruit. There was no mention of Latino professors at Berkeley or Congresspersons Sanchez and Becerra and stuff.

This film also implies that if there were no Mexicans, then white, blonde women would lack their Latin lovers. The film starts and practically ends with a Latino male-white female married couple. You never see any white male-Latina couples even though they exist a plenty in California and around the nation. Not only is this portrayal cool with a stereotype, but it also kinda puts white blondes on a pedestal. This part of the film is somewhat of backhanded slap posing as a compliment. I think many should be rightfully outraged by this two-way fetishization.

This film also portrays whites and blacks as being against Latinos and Asians. I felt bad about this as a black man that supports black-brown unity. However, blacks did play a significant role in Villaraigosa not getting elected as L.A.'s mayor, so maybe it's real. I have seen blacks and Latinos have more in common than Latinos and Asians. It's hard for me to think that the main dividing line in the US is immigrant versus non-immigrant, even in Cali.

There is a metaphor of a dripping faucet and an overflowing glass of water. Perhaps it relates to the push-pull factors that explain multinational immigration. However, it was somewhat lost on its symbolism and I doubt most others would get it either.

But yes, I do recommend that people of any ethnicity see it. Independent films don't stay in theaters long, so if this is playing in your city, go see it. Whether I liked the flick or not, I want to support filmmakers of color and this sounded curious.

I'll allow a movie three impossible things to get itself moving. After that, is has to follow its own rules.
1) Suddenly, a purple fog appears around California, isolating it from radio, internet, phone, and travel in or out.
2) Suddenly, all the Mexicans in California swiftly and silently vanish away.
3) No third one, two was enough.

Once started, it wanders pleasantly between a plotless assortment of vignettes: a wife whose husband and son disappeared, a Latina reporter who didn't (!), a clueless governor pro tem whose naivete borders on racism, and a farmer's son who's blatantly anti-Latino. Parts of it are funny - like the fact that being "Mexican" has little to do with Mexico. Parts are warm and touching, and a few very human surprises keep it from dragging.

There's a political subtext, rubbed in our collective faces with occasional comments scrawled on-screen. It never crosses into the shrill, however. The director has the good sense to realize that I'd turn off a blatant rant. He also knows that, if he wants to make use of my attention, he'd better give something in return - and what a movie returns is amusement. I consider myself repaid, mostly.

It wanders back and forth between a few sub-plots, and it has a happy ending. It's pleasant and just a little thought provoking, but I don't feel that my library needs it.

//wiredweird

When I heard about the concept of the film, I laughed. I looked forward to seeing this film and really wanted to like it, but I gotta say that I was disappointed by the final result.

ALL the characters in the film came across as charicatures, and that includes the Hispanic characters. Don't even get me started on the white characters. If this movie hadn't been made by a Hispanic person, this would have been called out a lot more.

The writing was TERRIBLE. NOBODY talks that way! NOBODY ever says stuff like that. The fact that the acting was even worse didn't help this fact.

The facts presented in the film were interesting, but I hate being clubbed over the head with stuff like that. They were all presented with the subtlety of an 18 wheeler speeding down a crowded sidewalk. Way too preachy.

It's a shame this movie was so bad. The idea was brilliant and there certainly was no lack of available matieral.

I've heard people complain that they were expecting more from this film. First of all, I'm wondering what it's missing. Conceptually, this film is genius; the title in and of itself perfectly portrays the brilliance of the film's discourse: what if all the 'illegal immigrants' simply disappeared? The economic, not to mention social, effect on our country would be devastating. The film does a great job of illustrating and extrapolating upon this idea while maintaining a satirical, humorous worldview of capitalism; that is, the film is incredibly self-aware. In fact, I might venture to say that most of the complaints alleged at the substance of this film hinge on a misunderstanding of the concept. If 'A Day Without A Mexican' were to take itself too seriously, it would undermine the critical and discursive effect that it might actually have on a capitalist superstructure. By playing it 'tongue-and-cheek' (alongside admirable performances) ADWAM is capable of illustrating the seriousness of the situation in manner that spurs activism and provides hope for a solution. If anything, it's one of the most topical films in stores right now and, given the protests in Los Angeles a month ago, is a must-see. Form your opinions then. You might just learn a thing or two. It's not an Academy Award winning screenplay, but the concept is simply thought-provoking and enlightening.

The resistance which this film is greeted doesn't surprise me. It isn't the norm in present day America that the Hispanics among us are seen indispensable, especially in light with the immigration conflict. The presence of Hispanics in this country had always been consider convenient at best and perish the thought if it was more that that. Another critique against this movie is that it's a pro-leftist and pro-Hispanic fantasy, gearing up to bring down the U.S. economy. Only one part of that sentence is correct: It is a fantasy. More than that it's a "What if..." film. It starts as a satire and then the film goes beyond. It's that beyond that brings this film, "A Day Without a Mexican" to the level that includes everyone in this nation as indispensable. The film state that all Americans--and those who aren't---should not be seen in terms of dollars. Aside from the movie making its case that we Hispanics are indispensable to America, America, in turn, is indispensable to the rest of us.

I will make this short and sweet for those reading this. This movie is not worth the money. Not even on sale, would I spend my money on this. One more thing, I had bought this movie. Started to watch ten minutes of it, then stopped the movie and then gave the movie away. It's starts off really badly. You will find yourself wanting the movie to start off good, then slowly feel yourself drifting away. Almost like falling asleep at the wheel of a car. So if you take the advice or not....dont buy it. *signed* Fellow Movie Buff

I laughed out loud several times while I watched this movie by myself; sometimes I laughed the harsh laugh of recognition; sometimes it was more broad and slapstick than that. I didn't mind the wandering narrative as some reviewers did; it felt consistent with the gradual realization of the folks "left behind" that not only were people missing - they were missed. I enjoyed the little mysteries: why was the son of the white mother and Latino father missing, but not the daughter? Why was the Latina reporter still around? Why did she subsequently disappear?
the only thing that I found truly unsatisfactory was that we never found out where all the Latinos/Hispanics (the subtitles make it clear that not all of them are Mexican) WENT while they were gone. Nor was they any clear moment of change that would bring them back.
But I found this film funny, and no more full of caricature than any other comedy. I found most of the caricature to be true, especially that of the governor pro tem, who was entirely too familiar. I think I work with this guy.
I recommend seeing this movie, in spite of its weaknesses as a FILM; it fills a gap that has long existed in the media, telling a familiar story from a less familiar point of view. Especially if you live in California, it will land on your doorstep in some way.