I don't have a problem with the commentary. That's perhaps one of the movie's strongest attributes. I'm not going to talk about the issue of Mexicans in California because the movie addressed this so well.
The problem with this movie is that it got lost in the way.
While the movie has a form of "mockumentary" style, Sergio Arau uses the format only whenever he finds it convenient, as all of the subplots are handled in a standard narrative way.
Another problem with the subplots is that they are done with an intimidating level of seriousness, moving the obviously (and natural) comedic tone of the movie into a dramatic direction, something completely unnecessary and which results in a bunch of dull moments.
The jokes themselves are great. Arau's sense of humor is a gem, and when it comes to the actual funny scenes within the documentary, they do come across as funny. It is a shame, then, that he had to fill most of the gags with drama. Now, obviously, a comedy could use some drama in order to balance the emotions, but A Day without a Mexican's drama is too much.
One final issue, which manages to make the movie rather annoying at times, is how repetitive it is about the main gag. Yes, Mexicans are the main work force in California. Yes, Americans say any Latino is Mexican, whether they're from Urugay, Belize, Chile, etc. And, yes, if Mexicans would disappear from all of California, it would be disastrous. We get it!
Thankfuly, Arau's film is infinitely superior to Olallo Rubio's aimless "So, What's Your Price?". Still, "Naco es Chido", a mockumentary about Arau's legendary band "Botellita de Jerez", is ten times better than "A Day without a Mexican", being an actual mockumentary from start to finish and filled with better and funnier references to Mexican culture.
As for this one (and as everyone has mentioned before), it was a good premise that lost consistency and grew duller. Nice effort, though.
The problem with this movie is that it got lost in the way.
While the movie has a form of "mockumentary" style, Sergio Arau uses the format only whenever he finds it convenient, as all of the subplots are handled in a standard narrative way.
Another problem with the subplots is that they are done with an intimidating level of seriousness, moving the obviously (and natural) comedic tone of the movie into a dramatic direction, something completely unnecessary and which results in a bunch of dull moments.
The jokes themselves are great. Arau's sense of humor is a gem, and when it comes to the actual funny scenes within the documentary, they do come across as funny. It is a shame, then, that he had to fill most of the gags with drama. Now, obviously, a comedy could use some drama in order to balance the emotions, but A Day without a Mexican's drama is too much.
One final issue, which manages to make the movie rather annoying at times, is how repetitive it is about the main gag. Yes, Mexicans are the main work force in California. Yes, Americans say any Latino is Mexican, whether they're from Urugay, Belize, Chile, etc. And, yes, if Mexicans would disappear from all of California, it would be disastrous. We get it!
Thankfuly, Arau's film is infinitely superior to Olallo Rubio's aimless "So, What's Your Price?". Still, "Naco es Chido", a mockumentary about Arau's legendary band "Botellita de Jerez", is ten times better than "A Day without a Mexican", being an actual mockumentary from start to finish and filled with better and funnier references to Mexican culture.
As for this one (and as everyone has mentioned before), it was a good premise that lost consistency and grew duller. Nice effort, though.