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Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The mere idea that Mexican actors, Diego Luna and Gabriel Garcia Bernal were involved with "Drama/Mex", was the main reason for watching this film written and directed by Gerardo Naranjo. This is, in many ways a movie that evokes better made ones by the likes of Alejandro Gonzales Inurritu, or Alfonso Cuaron, who have elevated the quality of Mexican cinema to new heights."Drama/Mex" seems to have been a project of love on the part of everyone involved in it. The result feels like a cross between cinema-variete and a road picture, as we are taken along to meet a group of unconnected seedy characters that populate the lower depths of Acapulco. The film, with its two different narratives can be confusing at times if one doesn't pay attention of what is going on.What Mr. Naranjo has accomplished is to create an atmosphere of people in turmoil where he sets his characters to live and play. Best of all, Fernando Becerril, a solid actor who conveys the anguish Jaime is going through. This is a tormented soul and Mr. Becerril gives a nuanced performance. Among the young players, who might be non-professional, Diana Garcia, who is seen as Fernanda, shows a promise. Also Miriana Moro, as a young prostitute, and Emilio Valdes make valuable contributions.One can expect better things from Mr. Naranjo in the future.

Fairly early on in this film I had this dreaded thought: the central characters lack any real heart or integrity. Then I sat through it hoping the plot would develop these "rats" into people I could possibly care about. The five main characters largely remained rodents right to the bitter end. So the characterizations lacked depth (primarily not the actors fault). This isn't a gritty story about hardship. It almost feels random, without real voice, what happens just happens. The title indicates this is a (lightweight) drama. It just didn't lift off the runway. Technically the camera work was a bit rough, and the subtitles were poor. Great or even just good festival/independent films can percolate in your head for days afterwards. This film left me as soon as I left the film.

This film is OK. Nothing more and nothing less. An interesting idea that takes almost two long hours to explain. Teenagers in love, or not, are not that interesting people. A few sex scenes break up the boredom. While it has qualities, if this is the best Mexican film in 10 years then we might all be in a little trouble. If this was the best film shown at Cannes then that festival should be shut down. The girl who plays Tigrillo is excellent and the Jessica Alba look a like is easy on the eye but as far as the story goes, why do I care? Chino is the type of character who deserves a smack in the head and Gonzalo could have done us all a favour by doing that a lot earlier.

Interesting. I saw it last week in Tokio. It's very clear why the french like it. Despite the director's false modesty during the Q&A; (Repeating endlessly how much he suffers while shooting) the film left me with the sense of having seeing a great work of art.The use of music is a great nod-homage? to Godard. The acting is definitely Cassavetian. The directing of actors is unbelievable great. Still too chaotic for my taste. (The director kept saying that chaos was his only goal) Not for everybody. Machist, misogynistic, excessive use of foul language. Some characters behave like animals. I really dislike the provocation of mixing a rape scene within a romance plot. Why? Overall, I think the film is unique, it's not fashionable although it addresses important subjects. The director is a strange person but knows how to direct actors, after I watched the film I found myself thinking about the film for many days. The subject is the impossibility of being in love, I have followed many new Mexican films of what is called the Mexican new wave, this one is different, the characters morality is without a doubt a provocation. Loud and chaotic the film qualifies as interesting contemporary cinema.