Un Mundo Maravilloso (A wonderful world) [NTSC/REGION 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]

Shaking and hilarious at the same time.

This is a very intriguing film by Mexican director Luis Estrada, that uses dark comedy to take a hard look at both the right-wing and leftist rhetoric that surrounds the issue of poverty. Both the poor and the wealthy are painted in caricature here, and no one really gets off as a saint.Juan Perez is more than down on his luck when the story begins. While he would like to improve his life, and buy a small house with a picket fence, he is also drunk whenever he gets a chance, and when he gets the chance to improve his condition he is not above lying and taking advantage. It is chance that puts him into the position of a national hero, standing up against the policies of the national bank; but it is choice that has him taking full advantage of the situation to the point where he is willing to give up his chance to stand up for others like him as long as he can have his small house and picket fence and pretty wife.Still, in spite of his foibles, the director Luis Estrada knows that we as audience will root for poor Juan -- who seems deliberately posed as analogous to Charlie Chaplin's tramp -- especially when he is up against the ruthless tactics of the "neo-liberal" bank President and would-be World Bank leader, who would rather deny that poverty exists or make it illegal to be poor, than do anything substantial to provide opportunities for the impoverished. The style of the film also sets up in the audience the expectations of a classical rags to riches tale, told in broad strokes and in the style of a much older cinema to appeal to a wide audience. That is why the end of the film, though it is not entirely unexpected, can be so shocking -- but in retrospect it turns out to be central to the complicated picture of economic determinism that Luis Estrada so masterfully presents in this film. Definitely worth watching -- both for its abundant humor (that, once again, is in the style of a more classic innocent humor -- more slapstick and silly than subtle but none the less biting for that) and for its portrayal in the form of a dark fable the ironies of capitalism as manifest in this intriguing caricature of contemporary Mexico.

This is a hilarious movie that might be described as a black comedy. The movie pokes fun at the Mexican government, the adversary media, rich and poor people; it is a slice of Mexicana, a wonderful world. The movie features the great character actor Damian Alcazar(La Ley de Herodes) as Juan Perez in the lead role. The movie begins with Juan Perez down and out homeless peering into the leave-it-to-beaver-white-picket-fence reality of a Mexican family, while Louis Armstrong's "A Wonderful World" is playing, mind you , Perez is out in the rain and drunk. He moves on and by chance ends up getting into a posh building that hosts the Ministry of Economy major meeting equivilent to a World Bank meeting. He mistakingly ends up on a ledge of the building and when he tries to get down he draws attention to himself and the press use him as a someone who is protesting for the poor by comitting suicide but in reality he just wanted to get down. The comedy of errors thus begins as he is first portrayed as a hero of the poor but then the Ministry counters by offering him more money and the bribes escalate while Juan Perez becomes a national hero,imposter and eventually forgotten. The supporting cast of homeless friends are excellent in their roles as are the rich powerful Mexican officials. The surreal tale of modern day politics and socioeconomics is unveiled quite cleverly in the script as the movie has you laughing at all the absurdities so close to reality. It is a bittersweet story as Juan Perez is in love and dreams of the good life where he can marry his sweetheart and raise a family. The government has pther intentions for him. The movie is very funny and well worth trying to find a copy or else to rent it someplace; it is a riot and highly recommended. I hope this movie is released in another format soon so it can get more exposure. The movie has subtitles and is in Spanish language. Check it out, es muy chistoso(it is very funny).