Aguruphobia

Richard Montes, 'Aguruphobia', is a film that makes you laugh but once the film is over, you find yourself thinking about the film and it's themes. There is a wonderful energy to the film. It's outrageous, gaudy, clumsy, preachy, bawdy, bizarre and is a political protest and a pop-culture explosion. It's a vibrant community mural of a film. Along the way, the execution of the narrative gets muddled, but there's no denying that this risk-taking film has a pulse. A strong pulse. Playful and piteous, touching and tragic, full of sound moral judgment and thigh-slapping wit, it's a film of sharp intelligence examining social ills that will, one fears, never entirely change. The film doesn't always work, but it's a film that dares to take chances. The performances are strong across the board, in particular it's star Jade Puga, who carries the film.

Aguruphobia is unlike any other film I've seen, comedy or otherwise, and that's saying something in today's world of formulaic movie making. I saw this in the theater on a whim, and it resulted in seeing it twice. Not sure what to expect I was greeted to a uniquely hilarious and curious storyline, populated by a cast of dazzling, standout characters. It's a roller-coaster ride of strange that always keeps you guessing where things are going. The humor runs strong throughout, but never at the expense of the film's heart: a story about a woman (played excellently by Jade Puga) suffering from a crippling phobia, and her questionable guru Nanak (perfectly embodied by Pepe Serna) who may or may not be exploiting her attempts for a somewhat normal life. The entire experience had me laughing and cheering. If you're a fan of the silly and the heartfelt-offbeat, this is the medicine to cure your phobia of the same old thing. A comedic success!