This Is Not Berlin [Esto no es Berlín] **** (2019, Xabiani Ponce de León, Mauro Sánchez Navarro, José Antonio Toledano) – Classic Movie Review 13,167

Two misfit late-teen best buddies (Xabiani Ponce de León as Carlos, José Antonio Toledano as Gera) find a bar/ nightclub where anything goes in Mexico City in the 80s and a good/ bad time is had by all, in this wild ride of a movie.

Director Hari Sama’s outstanding autobiographical 2019 Mexican drama film This Is Not Berlin [Esto no es Berlín] is inspired by his life in the 80s in Mexico. It focuses on the sexual and cultural awakening of a bright, clever, inventive long-haired boy named Carlos (Xabiani Ponce de León), presumably the director’s alter ego. Growing up, coming of age, ain’t easy, then or now.

Two misfit late-teen best buddies (Xabiani Ponce de León as Carlos, José Antonio Toledano as Gera) find a bar/ nightclub where anything goes in Mexico City in the 80s and a good/ bad time is had by all in this wild ride of a movie. Carlos dumps Gera, and flirts with the gay owner, Nico (Mauro Sánchez Navarro), but it turns out that Gera is the gay one of the two. It’s all about sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll (well, punk, anyway). A lot of crazy music and drug taking and alternative lifestyle stuff is on the menu, as is a strong attack on homophobia in school and on the soccer pitch.

This Is Not Berlin [Esto no es Berlín] is a challenging, captivating, wholly successful film, quite a turn-on. This film is no shrinking violet. It doesn’t hold back. It knows what it wants to do, and wants to say, and just goes for it. It’s one of those take-no-prisoners kinds of films that makes no attempt to ingratiate itself, and it would rather alienate every time. So no charm attack here then. We’re actually told people waste too much time worrying about what other people think.

Xabiani Ponce de León and Mauro Sánchez Navarro both give eye-catching performances, and José Antonio Toledano is appealing as the sweet, shy boy with the eye for the hero and the alternative lifestyle. The film captures a far-off time and place quite exhilaratingly. Alfredo Altamirano’s questing cinematography makes the most of everything. It looks and feels like another planet, rather than another country.

Though Hari Sama portrays the film as autobiographical, as it is inspired by his life in the 80s in Mexico, but it is written by Rodrigo Ordoñez and Max Zunino. Hari Sama also appears as Esteban.

It was screened on 25 January 2019 at the Sundance Festival and premiered on 21 June 2019 in Spain.

Cast: Xabiani Ponce de León as Carlos, José Antonio Toledano as Gera, Mauro Sánchez Navarro as Nico, Klaudia García as Maud, Ximena Romo as Rita, Américo Hollander as Tito, Hari Sama as Esteban, Marina de Tavira as Carolina, Lumi Cavazos as Susana, and Fernando Álvarez Rebeil as Quiñones.

Production: Ale García (producer), Antonio Urdapilleta (producer), Verónica Valadez (producer), Hari Sama (producer), Catatonia Films (production company), and La Palma de Oro Films (co-production company).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,167

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