Los pajarracos

I was able to attend Pajarracos at its Premier and found it a funny, tongue-in-cheek entertainment experience which, by the way, does not take itself too seriously. Hence, I believe, its power and allure. The script, enriched through a Sundance scriptwriting seminar, creates a world of its own influenced (or paying homage to) contemporary movies such as Snatch and oldie Pop-culture home video auteurs the Almada Brothers. In between is every Mexican icon, old and new- luchadores, ficheras, the Saint Patron of drug smugglers, and so on. Indeed, the film was not meant to change the world or alleviate mankind's sufferings. It was conceived, on the other hand, to take on serious issues through an outright tragicomedy approach-- a very Mexican way of dealing with nasty issues. Last but not least I also found it amusing to see old-time actors having the chance to grace the big screen once again.

This story revolves around a wrestler who dreams of fame and success if only he can jump the border fence of Tijuana into the land of opportunity. Although the film comes across as a socio-political satire look into the politics of bordering countries under post NAFTA agreement, it is also a comedy of errors with a keen observation into the colorful and culturally rich people of Mexico. As a first feature film for the filmmakers, I see tremendous potential and a sign of strong directorial vision. The production design is outstanding, the cinematography well executed and the sound track is of particular originality. I recommend this picture for those who appreciate foreign films that don't take themselves too seriously when showing to the world a portrait of their own society, its virtues and faults. The vibe and energy of the film reminded me of Emir Kusturica's 1995 Underground.

I must confess I don't like Mexican movies. Quality is the main issue. Anyway, I must recognize there is people out there trying to make decent films. While we have great directors like Cuarón, Iñarritu, Del Toro, etc. we still have their counterparts who try to keep 'cine mexicano' being as bad as it has been for so many years. It's a shame 'Pajarracos' was on a film festival. It's a shame we show this to foreign audiences. Please don't judge Mexican films from this movie. It would be pretty unfair for lots of talented Mexican people waiting for an opportunity in the film industry. (sorry for any mistakes on my English =P)

Saw this one at Guadalajara Movie Festival. Utter crap. Bad acting (for most of the part), horrible photography and one of the worst excuses of a script, even for Mexican cinema standards. It's evident that the filmmakers were trying to appeal to the public using lots of Mexican pop culture references (lucha libre, drug cartels, many b-movie comedy icons from "cine de ficheras" era), but ultimately without an at least coherent script, they failed miserably and should NEVER be given any more precious money to waste in this kind of turd.

Recommendation if you did not get my subtle opinion: avoid like an Uwe Boll movie.

I have read a lot of comments about this film. Good things a not so good. Sincerely when I saw it I was amazed. I really thing that this story shows the real Mexico. I mean, the real way the people in Mexico they are, their idiosyncrasy and their relationship with the "others", in this case with Americans. This film is unique, it is a good joke well told. It contains brilliant performances and hilarious dialogs. Certainly this film is for that kind of audience that they do not take themselves in a serious way. I recommend it. I have not doubt that the directors (Hector Hernandez and Horacio Rivera) have shot a story that in a few years will become a "mexican cult film".