Contains
mild spoilers.
'Juan de los
Muertos' or Juan of the Dead is a comedy, action, buddy, zombie film set on the
Caribbean island of Cuba and plays with all the historical and political
struggles the people have endured since Christopher Columbus claimed the island
for Spain back in 1492.
Written and directed
by Argentinean Alejandro Brugués the film follows dead beat Juan
(Alexis Díaz de Villegas) and his best friend Lazaro (Jorge Molina), good
hearted petty thieves who spend their day drinking and making the best out of
having nothing. Filmed in Cuba the movie is a real eye opener to life under a
communist regime with mass poverty and desperate people but also the immense
pride they have in their heritage and what they've already survived.
It's whilst coming
up with a new business opportunity alongside Lazaro's mature son Vladi
California(Andros Perugorría) who is following very much in his dad's footsteps
and rival duo transvestite La China played by Jazz Vilá and his big muscle
partner El Primo (Eliecer Ramírez) who faints at the first sign of blood, that
Juan is introduced to the idea that the next big struggle is upon them. Playing
with the poverty and ennui of a nation that endures and survives more than
really lives, Brugués constantly pokes fun by contrasting Havana before and
after the outbreak and how one needs to look extra hard to notice anything
different. It's in these early scenes
that Juan comes to terms with the fact that not only is there something wrong
but that it's not just the usual political kind of wrong.
After a government
sponsored protest rally demonstrating Cuban solidarity against this new
dissident threat goes horrendously wrong, and mass slaughter and pandemonium is
brought to the city streets, Juan starts to take the whole thing seriously and
his thoughts go to the only thing he actually cares for, his daughter Camila
played by Andrea Duro who is over from Spain visiting her Grandmother.
Playing with the
notion of constant revolution and upheaval, and how the Cuban's have shown they
are capable of surviving anything the world throws their way, Juan sees the
zombie uprising as not only 'just the next thing to deal with' but as something
he as an established and well practised Cuban survivor can rise up against and profit from.
So in scenes reminiscent of Ghost Busters, Juan and his gang embark on a
enterprise to rid people of problematic friends, neighbours and loved ones, for
a fee and there phone never stops ringing.
The action moves
along at a frenetic pace and there is
never any filler. The action and zombie scenes are tense, bloody and downright
over the top just when they need to be and they are unique and memorable
throughout. The comedy is always tight, from constant socio-political satire at
how the zombies are actually perceived by the people and government as dissidents and sponsored US agitators to
numerous playful slapstick moments. The film is respectful to its roots and
whilst there are some truly staged and absurd zombie scenes it's never parody
and it never gets it wrong. The characters remain sincere and authentic and I
don't think I've laughed so hard at a movie for some time.
Juan of the Dead
captures Cuba with fantastic expansive urban scenes set against a beautiful
tropical island background. It never feels like a b-movie with substandard
effects, acting or cinematography and feels like a breath of fresh air with a
lighter but no less deep approach to the genre. Authentic to the end, Juan of
the Dead has risen to top of the pile and I can't recommend it enough. The
casting and characterisation, which is so important to the genre, has no weak
links and one of the best onscreen friendships I've enjoyed for some time
shines throughout. Cuban Juan of The Dead offers something considerably
different to traditional western zombie narratives, whilst retaining all the
things that makes them great.Stylish, hilarious, memorable, 10/10.
WTD.
glad you enjoyed it
ReplyDeleteYou know, I did! Thanks for the recommendation, top drawer.
ReplyDelete