Un mundo maravilloso

A WONDERFUL WORLD (dir. Luis Estrada) A savage political satire that rashly promotes class warfare and advocates the violent redistribution of wealth within the context of an extremely bitter fairytale. A homeless man is trapped on a windowsill at the Mexican World Financial Center building, and although it appears to be a suicide attempt, it's not. The CEO of the WFC offers a bribe to get him to publicly acknowledge that draconian anti-poverty measures played no part in his decision to end it all. And, through a surreal turn of events, this leads the Mexican federal government to declare 'War On The Poor' rather than to continue the pointless and unwinnable 'War On Poverty'. The film is a bold and impetuous attack on fascist global policies, a complacent and corrupt Fourth Estate, and the 'filthy rich' (AKA 'job creators'). Kick Out The Jams Brothers And Sisters!!!

When I watched this movie I thought I was going to sit down and enjoy a comedy and while it is very funny it is much more than a comedy. Immideately after every laugh I found myself thinking the same thing, "Wait, that's not supposed to be funny." Laughing at the shacks that thousands of people have to live in. Or, laughing at the fact that system is so mucked up that not even university-educated men and women can get a job as a janitor. These things are not supposed to be funny but Un Dia Maravilloso makes you laugh at them. Not that this film is evil for doing so. On the contrary, great satires make fun at things that are not supposed to be funny. The best example of this is Dr. Strangelove. The fate of the entire world is in the hands of these fools up the screen yet, we laugh at them (our world leaders included).

This movie is more than a black comedy. It is a comedy that makes you regret every laugh. It makes you regret every time you laughed at the dirty hobo up the screen. I watched it while in Mexico City last week and loved it. It's as thought-provoking as it is funny. It truly made me change my outlook towards poor people (truly poor people, people who don't know if they'll survive another day because lack of money). After leaving the movie theatre on my way to the hotel, I gave every beggar I came across fifty pesos. It isn't much, but I'd like to think that I eased their battle in a small way.

Besides highlighting poverty in Mexico it also brings about issues of corruption and social injustice. And which country in the world doesn't have any of those 3 things? Which is why you don't have to be Mexican to enjoy it. Run, don't walk, to Un Dia Maravilloso.

Not bad, but you get a feeling of a missed opportunity. Essentially it is nowhere as good as La Dictadura Perfecta or La Ley de Herodes. The movie just drags on for too long while one of the key subjects, the Panglossian views of the. Minister are hardly explored. Towards the end of the movie we learn a bit by accident that 60 million Mexicans live in abject poverty. The Porfirio Diaz connexion is just mildly suggested, Had Luis Estrada shortened the tramp scenes and developed more the economic "Casi el Paraiso" (after Spota's comic novel), we would have had a stronger story. In any case it is entertaining, and definitely not two hours wasted!

Not the best movie I've seen... not even dark, acid enough. It is to be taken as a farcical look at Mexican social reality.

Some things aren't shown the way they really are in my country, such as the ideal family portrayed in it or even the house or neighborhood they live in.

But the way public officials deal with matters such as those they are confronted to in this movie is close enough. The way super-rich live also pretty close to reality, houses and all (and yes, there really are super-rich people in Mexico... one of them even ranks just below Bill Gates according to Fortune Magazine).

As for the poor... millions of people live like that in my country, way below any concept of dignity or any other ideas or social values we are fortunate to have been taught and live by. They are born and die in misery, without the faintest hope of ever getting out of poverty. To be sure, they are not that articulate or sympathetic, of course, so you need actors and a script to play their roles, and that way it is actually possible to be entertained for two hours by their coming and goings, which in real life are much too harsh and painful to be called tragedy.

But particular features of any given human existence taken out, the movie lets you catch a glimpse of what could be called the results of the World's economic and political organization.

And then, it could also be called tragedy.

With regard to the comment entitled "Political propaganda by leftist artists" I'd like to point some things out. I saw this movie when it came out a few months ago in Mexico, where I had been studying all year. Like one of Estrada's first movies (La ley de Herodes), this one is also a severe political critique that attacks both the former PRI government (supposedly left wing) and the current PAN government (supposedly right wing). I think it should be noted, however, that while Fox's victory 6 years ago marked a BIG step towards political progress for Mexico, overall Mexicans are disappointed in the administration and the lack of significant changes that followed Fox's entrance into the office (not all entirely his fault, of course, given the left over PRI population that still has power in the government). And even though the PAN politicians might have cleaner hands than former PRI politicians, I don't think that the majority of the people in Mexico really distinguish between them that way. That is to say, I really think they just assume that all politicians, regardless of their party, are stealing money. Everyone I talked to while I was down there said they didn't have the slightest idea who they were going to vote for because all of the candidates were unappealing and untrustworthy, and it was all going to come down to the question, "Who's the lesser evil?"

So this leftist propaganda seems unlikely to me since López Obrador would be included in that category; even more so since he was originally a member of the PRI, and the PRD (his current party) is really just considered PRI #2, composed of unhappy PRI members who weren't being chosen for the positions they wanted. So, to sum all that up, the movie is critiquing Mexican politics in general and no party or politician is free from scrutiny here.

And finally, it's worth a rental if for no other reason than Damian Alcazar is absolutely wonderful!