Even the Rain: También la lluvia (2010)

Gael García Bernal [The Motorcycle Diaries, Y Tu Mamá También, Babel] and Luis Tosar [Miami Vice] [the two guys on the poster] star in a movie about a filming crew trying to shoot in Bolivia amidst the locals protesting the governments privatization of the water supply. This film was Spain's submission to the Oscar Foreign Film race, and was short listed but did not receive a nomination.

The film they are shooting is actually a controversial film about Christopher Columbus and how the Spanish people treated the indigenous people. So it is only that ironic that the local people are fighting mistreatment from the current government at the same time. The crew actually has to do some inward reflection to see if they actually believe what they are preaching on film. Do they really care about these people? Karra Elejalde plays the man they cast as the rebellious leader of the natives that fight the Spanish on film, and he happens to be a leader off film against the government and water company.

The film has an interesting dynamic with these two aspects, but it fails to create any deep ties between these two at the same time. The more interesting dynamic is between the two directors. Bernal starts as the main character and I didn't feel he performed very well in this film, his character also seemed so adamant about the story they were trying to get on film. Tosar's character starts as a jerk and seems to make the most positive change through the film, at first he exploits the natives and casts them well under what he would if they shot this in Spain. When Elejalde's character confronts him about this, he sees the error in his way and becomes a better person. It actually reminded me of a reading from church I heard the same morning I watched this:

"What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, `Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, `I will not'; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, `I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
-Matthew 21:28-32

I think this should have been the 5th nominee instead of "Outside the Law." But it was still only my 5th favorite.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1422032/

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