Review of Bamboozled (2000) by Tim W — 28 Jan 2005

Robert Rodriguez has gone completely apeshit. I guess it started around "From Dusk Till Dawn", but it's in full effect now, in "Once Upon A Time In Mexico". The movie was rad, and it's always good to see Cheech working, but I wonder about one thing; why are they always casting white guys to play Mexicans in brown face? Willem Dafoe plays a Mexican in this movie, and hey, I love the guy, but why is that neccesary? It wasn't exactly the kind of role that only Willem Dafoe could play (like the detective in "Boondock Saints"), there's only like ten lines to it.

You'de think that since getting offended such a national passtime, there'd be some group dedicated to being pissed off every time a white guy plays a Mexican (it seems like it happens a lot). As we learned from Spike Lee (speaking of rad directors going apeshit) and his (incredibly weird) movie "Bamboozled", you can get in trouble for putting black face in a movie even if:

a) you are black,.

b) the actors wearing black face are black, and.

c) you put Al Sharpton in the damn movie, protesting the black face.

There was even at least one protester outside the local screening of "Soul Man" (starring C. Thomas Howell) - it was me, and I had a sign that said "Ponyboy, why are you ruining your career?".

But anyway, the point is, I guess as long as you make sure Cheech is working you can still outsource your other Mexican roles.