Danzón

It´s a great movie

I saw this movie 13 years ago in a premiere in the former cinema picasso, from then and now I see over and over again this movie.

This movie talks the life of julia (maria rojo) his behavior in the job (operator phone) his daughter, and his principal passion the dance calls "DANZON".

Every wednesday she goes to dance with a friend and she meets with his partner in dance carmelo, One day he don´t return to dance and then julia are looking for him (she thinks he has a problem with the mexican laws and he runs away to veracruz), she´s sad by the notice and she runs to veracruz for make a search for him.

In this movie we looking in a frame the old mexican rairoad calls "EL MEXICANO" and all the city of veracruz.

She meets new people, new friends (specially a man dressed like a woman)a hooker, the owner of the hotel and a younger man when she discover she´s still atractive by the men (the russian guy, carmelo, the young man).

The movie take´s a trip in the life of julia before and after and finish when she leaves veracruz and meet again carmelo and they dance

If you have the oportunitty to see the movie in tv or dvd or vhs SEE IT because it´s the few mexican movies made perfectly

my qualification 10/10

"Danzon" is a "chick flick", no doubt. Directed by a woman, its main star is a woman--and it is concerned mainly with woman's issues. The setting is contemporary Mexico City. The danzon--a slow, graceful dance of l9th century Cuban origin--is the force that brings the heroine Julia together and her long time competition dance partner Carmen. When Carmen vaporizes, Julia heads for the coast--Veracruz--to search for him. Once there, she meets a series of unique characters, which add up to a wonderful viewing experience. I feel that Julia also meets herself there--discovering her real value as a woman and human being. When she returns to her job in Mexico City, she's a changed woman for numerous reasons--all good. A strong subtle movie.

Maria Novaro has made a mini-specialty of what might be called the "women's road movie." (She has described her later "Without a Trace" as "Thelma and Louise" with a happy ending.) Danzon gives us Julia, a 40-ish telephone operator and single mother of a sulky teenager, who leaves her Mexico City routine when her dance partner--about whom she knows little more than his name--seems to disappear. The movie opens up into lush panoramas when Julia reaches Veracruz, a metaphor for her own blossoming self-discovery. The soundtrack alone--old-fashioned "danzons" (Mexican dance music imported from Cuba)--is worth the rental price.

I just saw Danzon at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery, which was selected as part of the theme for Milestones in Mexican Cinema. It was a wonderful, simple story about a woman who's love of dance forces her to realize her independence.

Danzon director María Rojo stars as Julia Solórzano, a timid working class woman (just to show you the cultural and economic differences between the states and Mexico, it was 1989 when this movie was released, and they were talking about the "modernization plan" and the development of 'long distance telephone'). At night, she and the girls from work go to the popular Mexican night spots and spend the night dancing the Danzón.

When her Danzón partner mysteriously disappears without word (although there are several rumors), she feels completely helpless. Dancing is what she loves to do, and with Carmelo (her dance partner) gone, she falls into a state of disrepair.

Julia takes a trip to Veracruz, where Carmelo was from (this being where the majority of the film takes place), and looks for him. There, she meets several interesting people, and her friendship forces her to rethink things about herself, namely her independence.

Danzón is a wonderful, funny, and simple story, qualities that I had appreciated more after having seen the pretentious Adaptation. There is something about Julia and the townspeople that are so interesting, and so engaging, even though the point is so simplistic. Among the best characters in the film were Carmen Salinas as Doña Tí and Tito Vasconcelos as Susy (Julia's cross dressing friend who is perhaps the funniest character in the whole movie). I recommend seeing it.

DANZON (dir.María Novaro) Julia is a long distance telephone operator in Mexico City who has a passion for the official dance of Cuba, The Danzon. When her partner disappears, she travels to Veracruz to try and discover what happened to him. The film becomes a tender and affectionate journey of self-discovery which leads to a reaffirmation of her sexuality. The various colorful and quirky characters that she meets change her life in subtle, yet fundamental ways. This is not exactly a 'Chick Flic', but Maria Novaro has crafted a film in which femininity is celebrated and revered in an honest and creative manner. A color saturated 35mm print makes this a delight to see-the absolute antithesis of the stark and clinical look of digital photography. Winner of numerous awards.