Museo
Directed by:
Alonso RuizpalaciosCinematography:
Damian GarciaComposer:
Tomás BarreiroCast:
Gael García Bernal, Simon Russell Beale, Leonardo Ortizgris, Lynn Gilmartin, Alfredo Castro, Lisa Owen, Ilse Salas, Leticia Brédice, Bernardo Velasco (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Perennial students Juan and Wilson are planning a daring coup. They intend to break into the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City and steal sacred Inca artefacts, in particular the funerary mask of King Pakal. While their families celebrate Christmas they get down to business, just like a couple of seasoned criminals. Everything goes off without a hitch and, with their sports bags stuffed full of treasures, they return home to see on the news how their deed is described as an attack on the entire nation. Only now do they realise the gravity of their actions. Feeling more than a little queasy, they set about fencing their haul. The ensuing road movie takes us from the impressive Mayan ruins of Palenque to the chic seaside resort of Acapulco. Even when Juan and Wilson are behind the wheel, their endeavour has long since gone off the rails. Revisiting the true events of 1985 when it was initially thought that professionals had pulled off the heist, the film is as surprising as the original case. Like its heroes, it too has a crafty way of getting down to the nitty-gritty, reinventing itself with every twist, and nodding to several film genres along the way. (Berlinale)
(more)Reviews (3)
The problem with this film is that, during the first part, it draws the viewer into the biggest theft of Mexican history, then gets stuck in the mud over a long-winded middle part before, finally, concluding on an absurd note. Unfortunately, Damian Garcia’s gorgeous and inventive camera work doesn’t make up for the absence of gradation and slow pace of the storyline. What’s more, you’re wondering the whole time what could be the motivation for the main characters to commit such an act, but then, the film ends before you could get your answer. A slightly unbalanced flick. [KVIFF 2018]
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This is what Ocean’s Eleven might have been if Soderbergh forgot about commerce and decided to stay artful. The main protagonist, planning to rob the National Museum, is introduced over a long period of time, including his complex family and social situation, and the robbery is flatly thrown in there in the first half of the story over the course of 15 minutes, so that in the rest of the film the various existential issues and identity crises of the desperate main characters, hesitant until the last moment, can be dealt with. This is accompanied by a number of original and even magical motifs and scenes deliberately shot in spite of genre assumptions, but the whole thing has almost no pull at all and everything is only focused on the targeted breakdown of audience expectations.
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Heads up to anyone expecting an intense Mexican heist film based on the description – while the heist itself is shot in a gripping manner, it's actually pretty straightforward and quickly over. Most of the film delves into the psychological aspects of the main characters, exploring what led them to their actions and why they behaved the way they did. But don’t expect straightforward answers – the filmmakers make it clear both at the beginning and at the end that we often can’t fully understand our own actions, let alone those of others. For me, the film juggled too many themes, almost like the creators tried to cram in every idea that crossed their minds during production. The standout aspect is the portrayal of modern decadence and the lack of respect for art and history by today's generation. Despite being well-made, the film feels disjointed and overly long.
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