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Anil's role is more complex, as the bitter star who simply dismisses Anurag until things get personal, then he kicks in to action mode, still wearing the military costume from his current movie. And all of this happens on his birthday on Christmas Eve. Anurag brings a gleeful self-confidence to every scene, continually punctured by comments from random passers-by. Terrific side characters include Anil's wonderfully hyperactive son Harsvardhan, who's far too keen to join this new project.

Cleverly, this knowing satire about moviemaking also works as a pulse-quickening action movie more than a few major twists and turns. As the plot continually shifts gears, the elaborate set-pieces are astonishingly well-staged, generating both big laughs and some sudden gasps. The sprawling fistfight between these two men is flat-out hysterical, shot like the rest of the film using expert handheld camerawork. This style extends to a musical moment, as well as some great Christmas gags. Plus a final little kick about the dangers of underestimating experience.

themes, language, violence

23.Dec.20

Ivan and Gerardo's relationship is complicated, but the actors make their mutual attraction so strong that we understand their tenacity. Vazquez gives Gerardo an easy, matter-of-fact quality, warning Ivan that he can't keep hiding his sexuality from Paola. So of course Ivan, whom Espitia plays as a likeable dreamer, thinks leaving is his only option. The way their connection grows is remarkably realistic, warm and honest, focussed on what's inside them rather than the enormous issues that swirl around them.

Framing the story with Ivan returning to Mexico adds a sense of hope and longing to the movie. Each carefully gauged scene feeds into the larger picture, from lively moments with friends to a range of strained family sequences. And the border-crossing set-piece is downright harrowing, simply because it's shot and played in such an authentic way. And later scenes in New York life are truly documentary, featuring the real Ivan and Gerardo, still observed with a careful attention to their deeper feelings.

themes, language, violence

13.Dec.20

Osorio's growly voice and mad eyes add menace to the all-controlling El Senor (translation: The Lord). It's easy to see why his daughters and the villagers misinterpret his crazed sermons, driving them into all kinds of religious mania. Each of the actresses gives her character a distinct personal dilemma, approaching what happens through her own twisted perspective. This allows each of them to find surprising tenderness even in the most outrageous situations. By contrast, side characters like Adam and Jesus are mainly here as plot catalysts, while the crusty-nutty Elias (Paez) adds some unexpected wrinkles.

This is a beautiful depiction of how people live in the constant expectation that something will make sense of their life. But there's also the realisation that both light (aka luz) and darkness live within everyone. Along the way, Escobar offers nods to the cabin-in-the-woods genre and even meet-the-parents comedies. But it's the larger social, political and religious themes that have the most powerful echo. And there's an added terrifying resonance in the grief that this staggeringly dysfunctional family is failing to address.

themes, language, violence

20.Dec.20