Matt Shea
RubySoho
Morgan Bell
Cibbuano
David O'Connell
Mountain Fog
40 Days (40 dias) @ the Hola Mexico! Film Festival
November 19th 2008 01:55
Countless movies have dealt with the great American road trip; the idea of driving across the wide spaces of the country appeals to all of us, an opportunity to see the four corners of a country that changes drastically as you move across it.
Often, the road trip ends up extending to Mexico, or the destination is Mexico, especially if the aim is to avoid the law, or engage in some activities of dubious legality. This cliche has been hammered out so many times that it's wearying to most of us, even as we begin to accept it as matter-of-fact.
"40 Days (40 dias)" turns this stereotype upside down, looking at, for the first time that I've seen, a road trip from Mexico to America, and it's here, in the film, that the USA starts to look like a foreign, alien land.
Three friends, Andres, David and Ecuador, decide to take a road trip to the USA, fleeing the rejection they've all experienced in Mexico, hoping to find meaning and inspiration in the country that seems to control the destiny of the entire world.
Andres was abandoned by his girlfriend, David is a homosexual that seems to seethe in disgust at his own lusts and Ecuador recently had a stillborn birth. They carry their pain past the USA-Mexico border, Andres eagerly looking forward to seeing all the cities that exist only as mythology in the rest of the world.
His contention is that Mexico should join the US, that, essentially, America represents a country where success has ruled, instead of the failures in Mexico. They argue in the car, cheerfully, enthusiastically, taking pictures and recording videos as they cruise in a convertible on the highway.
"40 Days" starts to feel like a betrayal of Mexican culture, a disgusting pander to the superiority of ubiquitous American culture; director Juan Carlos Martinez gives us vivid, explosive images of the bright lights of America, coupled with expensive bars and luxurious hotels.
It would be tempting to dismiss "40 Days" and walk away... but then something remarkable starts to happen. The three friends also see New Orleans and the aftermath of the Katrina destruction, and then the cold, harsh industrial landscapes of Virginia. By the time they arrive in New York City, their ultimate goal, the American dream seems less compelling.
There's one particular scene which resonates with me, and is incredibly moving - after weeks of driving through these massive American cities, the travellers are leaving New York City, winding along the highway, autumn leaves colouring the landscape, the chill air apparent.
On the radio station, a well-known Mexican song comes on and, with increasing vigour, Ecuador and David start singing along, delighted to have some part of Mexico in this foreign land. Slowly, Andres succumbs and a great big smile breaks on his face as he sings along.
It's a moment like this that seems hard to appreciate until you leave the place that you grew up in. In a foreign country, no matter how much you enjoy living there, there's always some thin tentacle connecting you to the place of your birth. A song, a commercial, a type of soda - just some reminder of the time in your life when the most important thing was how fast you could get to the playground.
"40 Days" encompasses this feeling - despite the flaws and pretences of the film, it gains momentum and carries a heavy sense of an idea: we all belong to some place, and that can never be torn away from you.
I say: It took some time to get into the film, but the latter half of the movie carries so much weight and impact that I would heartily recommend it, especially to Mexicans living in Australia.
See it for: Andrés Almeida plays David, also known as Pato, and he's fantastic, the standout performance in the film. His face carries so much nihilistic pain and torment, and he drinks himself to death, trying to silence himself.
| 65 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
I remember one I saw a couple of years back about a colourful bunch of characters stranded at this bus station after their bus breaks down and the next one never seems to arrive!!
A funny little film, I'm trying to remember the name of it!