Very much in the tradition of such other overheated Mexican emotional dramas as Amores Perros and Y Tu Mamá También, Drama/Mex gives us two intertwining plot strands, each dealing with relationships as tormented as they are sexual. In one, upper-class Fernanda’s bad boy ex-lover Chino resurfaces, takes her violently, but she doesn’t exactly hate it, and this has, as one might imagine, some awkward consequences for her relationship with current boyfriend Gonzalo. Meanwhile, a middle-aged man, guilt-ridden over what he has done to his daughter (take a guess), is contemplating suicide when he runs into a precocious teenage hustler. In other words, basically enough material to give Sarah Palin a fatal coronary.
Audio
Quite the lush exercise here. Much more so, in fact, than the image that it accompanies. The environmental effects are very striking, especially the roar of the surf, which is one of the most convincing surround exercises I’ve ever heard. The music is striking, too, but is too heavily concentrated in the rear speakers. The dialogue, though, is never drowned out by these joys, and remains clear and distortion-free.
Video
The film was shot in 16 mm, and quite obviously so: there is grain noticeable here. That doesn’t hurt the film, however, tying in rather nicely with the naturalistic colours, and the image is very sharp. All of this is impeccably reproduced by the transfer, which hasn’t imported any digital artifacting to add to the original print’s.
Special Features
None, apart for a few trailers.
Closing Thoughts
Audience’s for this kind of hot-n-steamy melodrama should have a fine old time here.
