An A* art-house experience

I really had no idea what to expect from my first art-house film, but if they’re all like _Güeros, _then sign me up.

Existentialist at its heart, the whole film is a joyous and somewhat satirical exploration of what it means to be young and rebellious. It follows young Tomás, his elder brother Frederico, and roommate Santós, amidst the 1999 student protests as the three restless youths search Mexico City for a dying folk-rocker.

While the plot may sound lacking, it doesn’t really matter; where the film finds meaning is in the interactions of its characters and their viewpoints, not in some built up climax and resolution. An extremely fun film, there are moments of black humour that send you reeling, stories told that are left unfinished, and hilariously meta moments when the camera asks the actors what they think of the film.

These combine to produce a film that’s incredibly self aware and intelligent in what it wants to show you – by the end of it you feel like you’ve spoken to the director Alonso Ruizpalacios himself. That’s what the whole film is: a witty and honest conversation about what it was like to be the kinds of people depicted.

The fun extends to the film’s cinematography, and boy does Ruizpalacios get inventive, playing around with image and sound to make you smile. Shot entirely in black and white and in the old 4:3 aspect ratio, it’s a refreshing departure from what we expect to be plonked in front of us when we hear ‘film’; soon enough you learn to trust the director, and enjoy the ride.

As an introduction to art-house movies, Güeros is perfect. An endlessly interesting film, it establishes Alonso Ruizpalacios as a directorto watch. Go see it, and come away with a smile on your face.

Final Verdict: 5 Stars