Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Herod's Law

This is topic Herod's Law in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000593

Posted by Mathew Molloy (Member # 666) on 06-18-2003, 01:53 AM:

It's taken four years to make it to the states (not including film festivals) and won 10 Mexican awards. It's a great little film about the old addage "absolute power corrupts absolutely". More to the point, "f*ck or get f*cked".

This is the first Mexican film to take a shot at the then-ruling PRI party. That same party failed in keeping it from being seen by the public and for the first time in something like 70 years the PRI lost the election a few months later.

The performances are top-notch. American director Alex Cox (Repo Man) even has a meaty role as "The Gringo". My personal favorite charactor is Dona Lupe as The Madam and little did I know, the actress was here watching the film a couple nights back.

Just prior to a general election 50 years ago, the mayor of a small village is killed and a replacement is needed fast. They choose Vargas, a loyal member of the PRI (and sanitation supervisor) to temporarily act as mayor until the elections are over. The president's message of bringing social justice and modernity takes hold of Vargas. What the PRI thought would be a quiet change in leadership blows up in their faces as power, corruption and lies become the order of the day.

I can't comment enough on the performances - and there's a great little group of characters. The lead actor has great subtleties in his performance. The woman who plays his wife is brilliant and so is the priest and Vargas's secretary. Again, Dona Lupe is the gem. Even the indian extras are superbly cast - each with their individual persona.

The Director, Luis Estrada, really puts in some nice visual touches that I enjoyed.

Hopefully it will get around the country. It got rave reviews from all the newspapers here in L.A.