Sangre

Just finished watching this Mexican gem. The actual name,"Sangre"(Blood) is misleading. I would call it "The Unbearable Dullness of Being". As I see it, the moral of the story is that a dull life leads to losing any idea of honour, honesty, and after a while you don't know what's dear to you, what you're living for. And the point of selecting unprofessional actors is probably in proving that you and me and that guy might so easily lose our soul instincts if the life is filled just with 9-to-5 job routine, evening meal, TV and some copulation. So, if you're strong enough to have sat through this seemingly senseless film, then give yourself a bit of a mental job and probably you will get the point...

Technically it is a very good movie, the cinematography is excellent, the camera shots were carefully designed, the sound is top notch. It also succeeds in portraying the life of a medium-low class Mexican couple. And in my opinion the main character's performance as a dull individual with a dull existence is great.

The problem is that not much happens. The same story could've been told efficiently in 20 minutes (I don't see the point in investing 3 to 4 minutes of film time in watching the wife getting the table ready for breakfast and frying a couple of eggs). It has interesting elements but as a piece of cinema is way too slow and sometimes boring.

I was very surprised by this movie. It takes risks and shows something that I have never seen in a Mexican movie before. You can tell the director feels his country is going to the garbage and maybe is becoming just a disposable thing, like food from Mcdonalds ( that the characters seem to love to eat so much here). Sometimes it's hard for people to see themselves on screen, and they will maybe hate the movie most people. But for me it works to stimulate, and it was also very entertaining. I am very exited about these new movies with something new to say and that step away from the typical Mexican subject of violence and "hot" Latin melodrama. Like Jean-Claude Carrière said when he mentioned SANGRE in his conference at FICCO in Mexico City: "Welcome to the rebirth of Mexican cinema".

The movie is a like a monograph of how a lot of people live their lives. And it as you may expect. It sucks. Just like this movie sucks. It sucks so much that it's almost worth a couple of hours of your attention. Perhaps not to be entertained but to realize that life isn't as Romantic as it seems.

Boring, but necessary. Watch at your own risk. This movie made me experience existential dread for like 5 hours lol.

I don't understand the technique of NON ACTORS. The only thing that Amat and his mega hero Carlos Reygadas achieve, is to have the worse acting performance ever. This poor people, can't even interpret themselves. Please guys, read slowly the Bresson notes, or watch his movies...

Of course in France they can't understand the difference between a good dialog in Spanish, an the pathetic words that you put in the mouth of your non existing characters.

It is your responsibility, to take this only good faces, to the next level. But I guess that as usually, Mexican curious, sells...

anyway, I guess we have to thank that you are trying to do something different.. thanks?