Review of Aurora Boreal (2007) by Leonardo - Malacay - S — 26 Jul 2009

Once in a while, a movie like this one reminds me what I love the most about films. Every single frame, every single shot, every dialogue, every character hit me in so many ways that by the end I was weak and fragile as if I had come out of a street fight or a bad break-up. This tiny masterpiece (as I like to call it) became a personal experience, a journey that took me two hours to fully digest.

But enough about me. Let's be honest: indie filmmaking has been knocking on Mexico's door for the last decade and it seems as if we'd finally let it in. This 100% hand-held film, shot from the main character's point of view (it is a chronicle of Mariano's last days alive before his imminent suicide) with honest, raw performances and painful dialogues, is a breath of fresh air between Mexico's finest films and it's not as gloomy and hard to watch as it sounds. It's actually a cute, lovely little gem that takes its time to tell a beautiful story with a great sense of rhythm and editing. Director Sergio Tovar Velarde takes you by the hand and tells you this story with ease and elegance. It's never boring or overwhelming.

A wonderful thing about this movie is how it places you in 1994 from the beginning and how the storm of memories from the 90s are so real and alive in your mind: the music, the videogames, the Nirvana references all over the place, the toys, the TV shows (He-Man and The Wonder Years make nice cameos) and the overall feeling of confusion and economic fear. It's like browsing through the pages of a photo album or a box of old souvenirs.

There's nothing huge or fancy in this movie because it's not necessary. It works at so many levels and you can dig deep into it or simply relax and have a nice time watching it.

I tried hard to tell you how great this movie is, now it's your turn: go see it.