Chicha tu madre

This movie was pretty good for a Peruvian one. (I'm from Perú, by the way.) The acting was pretty average, although the actor who played the main character - he's called Jesús - was a real discovery - the only real acting in the movie.

The sets looked kinda fake and there were some scenes that didn't belong to the movie and were put only to attract audiences. (The scene in which La Mujer Eléctrica does some striptease is a perfect example.) It may not be an excellent movie, but it's better than the likes of "Mañana te Cuento", or "Un día sin sexo." The acting may be pretty average, the sets may look kinda cheese and it may have some unnecessary scenes, but it handles some interesting themes without being a soap opera-like melodrama, and the main part is acted quite well.

"Chicha tu Madre" by Gianfranco Quattrini is great news for Peruvian cinema. This is a film that finally approaches our moral meanderings with a true vision. Julio Cesar is a beautiful character (charmingly portrayed by Jesus Aranda) who undertakes his life without major worries, even though his life is clearly astray. He simply stumbles along finding his way as the road unravels. Such as life truly is in this part (and many others) of the world, when numerous reasons lead one to put aside moral concerns when a quick opportunity may lead to some personal advantage.

The film is close to Satyajit Ray's style and simplicity. And the use of the Tarot, as a narrator in the film, is a fascinating element, contradicting Julio Cesar's dubious behavior with deep insight that he seems to ignore as he moves towards a new opportunity for himself. The film is bursting with intense colors, used with great expression to portray Julio Cesar's unsought-for process of transformation. There is great beauty in this film that is truly Latin- American yet also universal, as Julio Cesar is a true human being, with his strengths and weaknesses.

I highly recommend this film that dares to undertake popular culture and create a gentle contemplative film with wonderful performances and great cinematography. Latin America is expressed. After "Amores Perros" & "Y tu mama también", "Chicha tu Madre" takes a step sideways and tells a simple story of that resonates deeply in our rooted, unconscious day to day behaviors. A few years from now the film will be recognized as a landmark in Peruvian cinema.

Jesus Aranda portrays a Taxi driver in Lima , Peru. Although an 'ordinary' man, his life is by no means un-complicated, and his energy, passions, and need to survive, get him entangled in a series of complicated situations. His own way of trying to understand and solve his existence is... by reading Tarot cards. For himself, and for others. We visit Urban Peru in its strongest, most colorful and (in the eyes of many a viewer, I suppose) most tacky guise. But Quattrini directs with such fresh compassion, that our desire to 'judge' the characters who make up this rich and tasty meal, simply dissolve. So although our Protagonist spends the money he so humbly earns (or wins!) on booze and prostitutes, we STILL stand by his side as the film progresses.... He is a flawed human being, but he recognizes this. And the frankness and beauty of his relationship with his daughter, the sadness of his doomed relationship with his wife, of his pathetic business deals,of his dependence on whores, all make us know and 'feel' for him the more. This is greatly due to the main character's natural disposition. Aranda is like a ripe plum. Almost the unwilling star of a Bollywood movie. He is a smart-ass but also as disarming as a small child. Excellent casting indeed. The film is crude at times, realistic and never, in fact, 'vulgar'. All its characters are somehow lost in the desperate jungle of this colorful but difficult Third World city. They all try to survive. Some have no dignity, others do. We are taken into this planet, allowed to enjoy its colors, feel its heat, see its sweat and almost smell it. Truly a small wonder of a movie, although at first sight this may not transpire. A tricky rip-off in order to win a football match, a date with a hooker which is disarmingly pure, an Argentine business man who should be working for other people's health problems but has a severe one of his own; all these are but some of the quirky ingredients of this cruel but charming movie. Neo realism, when well employed, can still be an 'eye-opener'. See 'Chicha tu Madre'. I'm very glad I did.

Sometimes looking into the future does not really tell you what is going to happen. Especially if the means to do so, is by Carot Cards. But our main character here is obviously fed up with his life so far (but not in a furious way) and tries to change things. The family life is not shown in a bad light altogether, though there is a general passive nature to it all (something you may like or not).

Other characters get not so much shined upon - a doctor, a football/soccer official are the ones we get most out of ... and a prostitute is another person who'll play a major role. It's funny that some do rely on our main character, when it's obvious that he has no idea what he's doing (be it Carot Cards or anything else). Still the drama works in the context of the story this tells (real life situation), which makes it hard to grasp but might be what you're looking for