The Comet (1999) El cometa (original title)

Directors:

José Buil
Marisa Sistach

Writers:

José Buil (writer)
Marisa Sistach (writer)

Release Date:

15 January 1999 (Mexico)

Genre:

Musical | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

Cómplice de una gran causa y de un gran amor.

Plot:

After witnessing the arrest of her father for publishing "subversive" material against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz...

Plot Keywords:

Revolution | Mexico

Awards:

7 nominations

Cast

Diego Luna	...	Victor
Ana Claudia Talancón	...	Valentina
Gabriel Retes	...	Romualdo, Víctor's Father
Carmen Maura	...	Lupe
Patrick Le Mauff	...	Guy
Manuel Ojeda	...	Procopio
Fernando Rubio	...	Maximino
Arcelia Ramírez	...	Pussy Cordelia
Juan Carlos Colombo	...	The Major
José Antonio Coro	...	Priest
Alfredo Gurrola	...	Evaristo, Valentino's Father
Patricia Aguirre	...	Doña Nacha
José R. Palacios	...	Melquíades
Jaime Estrada	...	Ramos
Valdiri Durand Sistach	...	Young Man in Train Station (as Valdiri Durand)
Mariana Silva	...	Young Woman in Train Station
Juan Cámara	...	Boy in Train Station
Gabriel Fragoso	...	Revolutionary
Nicolás Jasso	...	Client
Ehécatl Gutiérrez	...	Farmer
Pablo Delgado	...	Boy in Tent
Pia Buil Sistach	...	Girl in Tent
Ramón Bazet	...	Peasant
Jimena Fragoso	...	Peasant
Carmen Herrera	...	Peasant
Israel Martinez	...	Policeman 1
Evelio Con V	...	Policeman 2 (as Evelio Arias)
Noel Urbina	...	Policeman 3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rodolfo Arias	...	(uncredited)
Juan Claudio Retes	...	(uncredited)
Gabriela Roel	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
José Buil
Marisa Sistach

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
José Buil		writer
Marisa Sistach		writer

Produced by
Chris Bolzli	....	co-producer
José María Cunillés	....	co-producer
Fernando Cámara	....	producer
Salvador de la Fuente	....	producer
Isabel Mulá	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Eduardo Gamboa

Cinematography by
Gabriel Beristain

Film Editing by
Guillermo S. Maldonado

Set Decoration by
Fernando Sotelo

Costume Design by
Guadalupe Sánchez

Makeup Department
Esperanza Gómez	....	hair stylist
Carlos Horcasitas	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Hugo Villa	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Martín Torres	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Sandra Paredes	....	art assistant

Sound Department
Mario Martínez	....	sound editor
Juan Carlos Prieto	....	sound

Special Effects by
Alejandro Vázquez	....	special effects

Stunts
Julian Bucio	....	stunt coordinator
Daniel Díaz	....	stunts
Mauricio Martínez	....	stunts
Rafael Valdez	....	stunts
Juan Manuel Vilchis	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Joaquin Cervera	....	first assistant camera
Edgar Hurtado	....	camera loader
Constantino Jiménez	....	second assistant camera
Miguel Urbina	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Frédérique Moidon	....	casting: France

Music Department
Annette Fradera	....	music supervisor: period music

Other crew
Beatriz Anda	....	script supervisor (as Beatriz de Anda)
Rosy Espinosa	....	production assistant
Ozcar Ramírez	....	production assistant
Carlos Romero	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Alhena Films
• Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (FONCA)
• Fonds Sud
• Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)
• Multivideo
• Producciones Tragaluz
• Resonancia Productora
• Tabasco Films

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Films de España (Spain)
• Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)
• Swift Distribution (France)

Also Known As:

"El cometa" - Mexico (original title)

Runtime:

Colombia:92 min

Country:

Mexico | France | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Tlaxcala, Mexico

Company:

Alhena Films

Victor and Valentina

This Mexican film directed and written by Jose Buil and Marisa Sistach, takes us back to the beginning of the last century to the times when the country was at the brink of the revolution that took place in the 1910's in that country.

We meet Victor, the son of the owner of a small circus that travels the back roads of Mexico bringing their kind of entertainment to the masses. Victor is befriended by Guy, a French man, who brought one of the Lumiere cameras to the country and shows his films to the unsophisticated crowds. Victor falls in love with the technology and Guy, sensing the young man's eagerness, is happy to part with his camera.

At the same time, we are taken to Valentina's house, where her father is preparing pamphlets that are pro-Madero, who is in exile in San Antonio. As the police raids the place, Valentina is able to hide in an attic with the money that has been collected for the cause. After she flees the house, she ends up at the circus. Victor takes a liking to the young woman; it's clear he has fallen in love with the innocent girl.

The saga of Victor and Valentina as they elude the police that is on her trail is at the center of the action. The atmosphere of the circus and its performers comes alive in the film. Victor's father is a dying man and he expects his son to keep his trade, but the young man has been bitten by the bug of the cinema as he films whatever strikes his fancy with the primitive movie camera.

The DVD we recently watched was almost impossible to see because of the dark tones used by the cinematographer, Gabriel Beristain. Most of the time was hard to distinguish the actors against the mainly night action of the film. One can't imagine if it was the directors intention, or just the way it turned out, but be warned that most of the images are almost lost in the dark backgrounds.

Victor Luna, a talented actor, is Victor. Ana Claudia Talancon plays the beautiful Valentina. Carmen Maura makes an appearance as Lupe, Victor's father companion. Patrick LeMauff is Guy, the French man who introduces Victor to the world of cinema.