No manches Frida (2016)

Zequi, a recently released bank robber who goes to recover stolen money buried by his ditzy accomplice before going to jail.

Director:

Nacho G. Velilla

Writers:

Laurence Rosenthal (screenplay), Claudio Herrera (screenplay)

Stars:

Omar Chaparro, Martha Higareda, Mónica Dionne

Cast

Credited cast:
Omar Chaparro	...	Zequi
Martha Higareda	...	Lucy
Mónica Dionne	...	Miss Gaby
Rocio Garcia	...	Jenny
Regina Pavón	...	Mónica
Mario Morán	...	Cristobal
Fernanda Castillo	...	Caro
Pamela Moreno	...	Cuquis
Adal Ramones	...	Sr. Valdez
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carla Adell	...	Laura
Norma Angelica	...	Lic. Lopez
Susana Ayala	...	Lucha
Briggitte Bozzo	...	Marifer (as Brigitte Bozzo)
Miriam Calderón	...	Miss Gimena (as Miriam Calderon)
El Cibernetico	...	Paco

Storyline

NO MANCHES FRIDA is the story of Zequi, a recently released bank robber who goes to recover stolen money buried by his ditzy accomplice before going to jail. They return to the site only to find that Frida Kahlo High has built a gymnasium over the loot. To get the money, he poses as a substitute teacher for a school that can't seem to keep any teachers around. Zequi comes in ready to lay down the law- but he quickly finds out that life on the inside may have been easier to deal with than a school full of wild and rebellious teenagers.

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Taglines:

The students are bad, the teachers are worse

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude sexual content, drug material, teen smoking and drinking, brief strong language and gestures, and thematic elements.

Details

Official Sites:

Company Website

Country:

USA Mexico Germany

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

2 September 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Profe de reemplazo

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,676,235, 4 September 2016

Gross USA:

$11,528,613

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,540,937

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pantelion Films, Alcon Entertainment, Constantin Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Like the original German film Suck Me Shakespeer (2013), this film proved to be extremely successful. At the time of release the film had the third highest opening weekend for a Mexican movie (63,2 million pesos).

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Quotes

Zequi: It's about time you realize who's the boss around here.

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Connections

Followed by No Manches Frida 2 (2019)

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Soundtracks

Caderas
Written by Liliana Saumet
Performed by Bomba Estéreo

User Reviews

An often funny, simple minded comedy that doesn't have to take itself too seriously.

The story might be forgettable, the plot and the characters might not be interesting, but it is fun-time. It is that light comedy that relies on grotesque, constant swearing and sexual humor (also slapstick); but it manages well in that route. The movie has its highlights and its flaws, so:

The tone and environment of the film create this sensation of absurdity. Teachers that allow students to bully them literally, and students that in other terms succumb to terrorism; the less than professional attitude of anyone involved with the school and the cheerful secondary characters also make the movie bearable. The humor of the movie establishes on swearing, grotesque and sexual situations, and semi-constant slapstick; which works fine with the movie's essence. The course words and bothering phrases provide morbid and healthy laughs. It might not be quality humor, but functional humor at some points.

The characters though thinly written are very likable: The dumb and senseless students that give meaning to the also senseless plot and the uninterested and unprofessional teachers that fall upon the student's dictatorship. Now, our two leads: the street punk and the shy wannabe-someone-to-change-the-world sweet and dumb girl. These two characters allow you to like the movie, despite certain flaws.

So, the very same strengths that the movie has, are also its weaknesses. The swearing sometimes is taken to the point you get bored of the repetitive and insulting dialogue. The slapstick is also in some moments of the movie too generic and basically that, non-funny slapstick. The movie also focuses heavily on marketing and selling the "pretty faces", which gives more importance to the actors involved rather than the characters themselves. Finally, the sexual humor provides funny moments, but is also taken to the limit, and ends up feeling unnecessary.

FINAL CONSENSUS: Though generic and clichéd, also in a light way exclusive for Mexicans to understand, the movie has some moments.