Under a (Snooze) Spell

I couldn't help but pick up a flyer for the recent Mexican Film Festival over at GV Vivocity, and saw to my delight that tickets were only going for S$5.00 a pop. Wotta deal! So I quickly scanned through the listings, and realized that only Un Embrujo (Under a Spell) both fit my schedule and interested me. Why? Take a look at the synopsis, reproduced below:

Under a Spell is a beautifully accomplished work that combines the magic of cinematic style with superb performances in a period piece full of sexuality, class struggle, and mystery. On one level a not-so-simple coming-of-age story, Under a Spell focuses on the thirteen-year-old Eliseo, son of a longshoreman/union organizer, whose dreams of a world away from the docks lead him to a series of liaisons, beginning with his sexy teacher, Felipa (Blanca Guerra), a woman whose intense desires and worldliness end with her ostracism and banishment. Director Carlos Carrera interweaves elements of politics, superstition and mysticism, melodrama, and realism in fashioning a thoroughly enrapturing, quasi-supernatural tale. The lush settings and intense, almost physical force of the film's visuals create a truly transforming experience. Indeed the magic of the film's colour, music, and denouement grants us access to a complicated culture that combines history and imagination. Carrera has demonstrated the abilities that mark the development of a remarkable cineaste.

Besides, Guillermo del Toro was listed as a producer, and I was still full of that del Toro love from Pan's Labyrinth. Not to mention the director of photography was Brokeback Mountain's Rodrigo Prieto. As it turned out, I quickly came to the realization that the remarkable piece of copywriting above was just that, a remarkable piece of copywriting. In fact, it's so remarkable, let's analyze it in parts, shall we?

Under a Spell is a beautifully accomplished work that combines the magic of cinematic style with superb performances in a period piece full of sexuality, class struggle, and mystery.

In reality, I felt it didn't look as pretty as it could've been, although the production design team is to be commended. I don't know if I saw a lot of that cinematic style, since most of the shots and edits felt rather workmanlike to me. Yep, Prieto definitely got much better as he went along. Performances were OK for the most part, and the kids were especially good. Yes, I agree with the last sentence, to the extent that it was set many years ago, has sex, poor people and superstition/magic in it.

On one level a not-so-simple coming-of-age story, Under a Spell focuses on the thirteen-year-old Eliseo, son of a longshoreman/union organizer, whose dreams of a world away from the docks lead him to a series of liaisons, beginning with his sexy teacher, Felipa (Blanca Guerra), a woman whose intense desires and worldliness end with her ostracism and banishment.

On second thought, maybe the copywriting isn't that great, because it starts off with "on one level" but never mentions any other levels. Anyhow, I didn't see Eliseo dreaming about a world away from the docks at all. The series of liaisons was present, and very much appreciated, because which pervy moviegoer (i.e., me) wouldn't want to see a young boy get it on with some MILFs (the fact that they weren't exactly MILF material was somewhat unfortunate)? The banishment was really more of she just packed up and left rather than having an angry mob run her out of town, so that's a bit of misdirection there.

Director Carlos Carrera interweaves elements of politics, superstition and mysticism, melodrama, and realism in fashioning a thoroughly enrapturing, quasi-supernatural tale.

Yes, I agree that all of these elements are there, but rather than "fashioning an enrapturing tale", the end result was something that lacked focus (too... many... subplots... Can't... be... bothered...) and was curiously bland, in spite of the fact that it had underage boys screwing their friends' moms. The first half which concentrated on the boys was passable (or perhaps that's just 'cos I'm such a perv), but just when I thought the movie was ending, it launched into a long, drawn-out second half set over 10 years later, and the only thought going through my head was "I don't give a shit anymore".

Indeed the magic of the film's colour, music, and denouement grants us access to a complicated culture that combines history and imagination.

Not much here, besides pointing out that I didn't get anything much from it, and the denouement was overlong and unnecessary. In fact, call me a philistine if you want, but besides making me wish that I'd been seduced by a hot teacher when I was 13 (oh, if I could turn back the hands of time...), I was bored to tears.

But perhaps it wasn't all the movie's fault. Coming right after the drop-dead amazing The Queen, it had a lot to live up to. Too bad it failed in every single department.