Review of Güeros (2014) by Ignacio H — 02 Feb 2016

Alonso Ruizpalacios' first full lenght and a fresh breath indeed. We follow two brothers. One is quite young, the other one is a student with some issues. They don't got much to do but takes along a friend and drifts off by car trough Mexico in hope to find an artist that the youngest brother has listened to his entire life via an old cassette tape. The tape is one of few things that the brothers truly share - both as a memory prop and a taste of a fine pice of music.

It's done in black and white - fittingly so - it's crisp and clean. The vital part here is still all the great tricks the director use to crave your interest. Focuses, image flips, micro shots, full shots, panoramic shots - it looks as stunning as it looks creative. The usage of music is another treat and the story, open but down to earth, gliding but constant is interesting and beautiful.

A promising debut, but what it got in craftmanship is not balanced by the storytelling. The solid, interesting storytelling. It does not kill the film, since the semi-artsyness and the mentioned plusses makes up for it in many ways.

8 out of 10 cassette tapes.