Bravo (1998)

Director:

Lorena David

Writer:

Eric P. Sherman (writer)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

For his love...his president...his country...this is one encore he can't refuse.

Plot:

Mexico's new president vows to attack the drug trade; in retaliation, his wife has already been assassinated...

Plot Keywords:

Hostage | Mariachi | Mexico | Siege | Female Nudity

Cast

Carlos Gallardo	...	Carlos Bravo
Richard Livingston	...	Alderon Thorn (as Richard B. Livingston)
Gustavo Ganem	...	President Montaño
Óscar Castañeda	...	General Rodriguez
Maribel Oporto	...	Marisol Montaño
Miguel Ángel Roldán	...	Enrique Montaño
Javier Gómez	...	Secret Service Captain
Roberto Olivo	...	Secretary of Defense
John Harwood	...	U.S. Ambassador
Eduardo Xol	...	Fink
Rudolfo Miller Mandl	...	Government Official
Rolando Reynoso	...	Secret Serviceman Rolando
Fernando Dada	...	Secret Serviceman Gomez
Victor Bhalla	...	Indian Ambassador
German Fabregat	...	Butler
Isabel Siliceo	...	Secret Servicewoman
Enrique Rosas	...	The Chef
Michael Lawrence	...	The Beautiful Rancher
Jose A. Ronstadt	...	News Anchor
Eduardo Dominguez	...	Political Analyist
Azalea Iniguez Roseler	...	Female News Anchor
Al Septien	...	Field Reporter
Kaeko Sakamoto	...	Female Field Reporter
Charles Andres Murr	...	Soldier #3
Juan Carlos Bouet	...	Communications Officer
Justin H. Conley	...	Radar Operator (as Justin Conley)
Jorge Barbachano Matar	...	Radar Captain
Piky Suarez Cortazar	...	Secretary to the President
Benito R. Tanus	...	Mariachi
Jose Luis Rodriguez	...	Mariachi
Rogelio Cabrera	...	Mariachi
Norman Sotolongo	...	Marichai
Kibzian Lagunas	...	Secret Serviceman
Anthony Romero	...	Secret Serviceman
Mauricio Villalobos	...	Secret Serviceman
Ivan Sierra	...	Secret Serviceman
Benito Simon Ruiz Tamuz	...	Secret Serviceman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alek Carrera	...	President's Son-in-law (uncredited)

Directed by
Lorena David

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Eric P. Sherman		writer

Produced by
Victor Bhalla	....	producer
Justin H. Conley	....	associate producer (as Justin Conley)
Carlos Gallardo	....	co-producer
Avi Kumra	....	executive producer
Bharat Kumra	....	co-producer (as Bart Kumra)
Ravi Kumra	....	executive producer
Michael Lawrence	....	co-producer
Rob McEntagart	....	associate producer
Mark Roberts	....	producer
Enrique Rosas	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Michael Gonzales

Cinematography by
Ricardo Padilla		(as Ricardo Tato Padilla)

Film Editing by
Richard Alarcon

Casting by
Claudia Becker

Production Design by
Enrique Echeverría

Art Direction by
Enrique Echeverría

Set Decoration by
Adriana Garduño

Makeup Department
Yoshiko Endo	....	assistant makeup artist
Xcanleox Santa Lucia	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lili Gonzalez	....	production manager
Rafael Pérez	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Justin H. Conley	....	additional first assistant director
Gabriela Garcia Roel	....	second second assistant director
John Harwood	....	first assistant director
Carlton Holder	....	first assistant director: second unit
Carlos 'Buho' Tames	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Adriana Aimo	....	assistant art director
Raúl Farías	....	props: weapons
Cynthia Miralrio	....	set dresser
Claudio Salazar	....	construction foreman
Miguel Angel Velaquez	....	property master

Sound Department
Elías Martell	....	boom operator (as Elias Martel Venegas)
Abel Florez Martinez	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Raúl Camarena	....	special effects assistant
Raúl Camarena	....	special effects coordinator
Pablo L. Muelas	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Wilebardo Bucio	....	stunts
Carlton Holder	....	stunt coordinator
Felipe Lopez	....	stunts
Juan Carlos Olalde	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Nart Balquez	....	steadicam operator
Gustavo Castillón	....	first assistant camera
Mark Florez	....	film loader
Aldo Guaglianone	....	still photographer
Aristeo Hernández	....	camera operator
Arturo Hernández	....	gaffer
Pedro Hernández	....	key grip
Fortino Neria	....	second assistant camera (as Fortino Neria Sanchez)

Casting Department
Maria Fernanda Guiterrez	....	extras casting assistant
Trianquito Angeles Morales	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yoshiko Endo	....	wardrobe assistant
Xcanleox Santa Lucia	....	wardrobe
Isabel Siliceo	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Luis Camara	....	assistant editor
Carlos Hunt	....	apprentice editor
David C. Whitten	....	color timer

Transportation Department
Issac Alvarez	....	driver: art department
Guillermo Martínez	....	unit driver
Humberto Molina	....	production driver
Armando Rico Quintana	....	transportation
Marcos Valdez	....	production driver
Rene Vicario	....	production driver
Manuel Ávila	....	driver: art department

Other crew
Cecilia Acevedo Sauvient	....	production coordinator
Martha Castilleros	....	script supervisor
Pascale Marcotte	....	production assistant
Angeles Morales	....	extras coordinator
Nadia Persona	....	craft service
Miguel Torres	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Kingsize Entertainment

Distributors

• Xenon Entertainment Group

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

Company:

Kingsize Entertainment

Quotes:

Carlos Bravo:I don't gamble unless I am prepared to win.

Once Again, a Time in Mexico

When Robert Rodriguez made Once Upon a Time in Mexico, certainly his best film, he ripped off ideas from two other films: Gallardo's own "Single Action" and this film, "Bravo". I thought that was more widely known; but in any event, it ought to be.

Gallardo plays a professional bodyguard to the President of Mexico, who gets fired for having an affair with the president's daughter. We later find him having to make a living as a member of a mariachi trio. Meanwhile, a major drug boss has hired a corrupt general to throw a coup, but his timing is off, because he's still waiting for his most profitable shipment to come in from Columbia. So he has to hold the President hostage until the delivery is made. This makes time for the mariachi to pick up his guns again and try to stop the coup....

Sound familiar, hey? And four years before OUTIM.

This is a B-action film, but it doesn't pretend to be otherwise, except that it also makes a very broad comment on Mexican politics. But not knowing anything about those politics should not prevent one from enjoying this film. It is occasionally slow, and there are occasional missteps in direction and editing, but the cast is pretty solid, the story pulls us along, most of the action is well-done. I enjoyed watching more than once.

And no, it's not "El Mariachi." It doesn't need to be.