‘Mexico 86’ Review: Bérénice Béjo Toplines a Compelling Political Drama That Never Drums Up Enough Emotion

As a child of immigrants who fled their home countries due to political unrest, I found a profound resonance with the narrative of Mexico 86. The film’s portrayal of a family torn apart by war and the struggle to maintain connections while fighting for a cause is all too familiar to me.

The long-lasting violent impact of Guatemala’s civil war is heavily felt in the political thriller, “Mexico ’86,” a personal tale about a family of two struggling to remain united while being chased by conflict overseas. Written and directed by César Díaz, whose 2019 Cannes Caméra d’Or-winning film, “Our Mothers,” similarly explored the lethal consequences of the Guatemalan struggle, this compelling but predictable second work features Bérénice Béjo (The Artist) as a radical activist confronted with the choice between revolution and motherhood.

According to press releases, Diaz drew inspiration for his story from his own childhood experiences. The portrayal of the tense, secretive lifestyle of activists during that period feels genuine and raw, with constant readiness to escape whenever necessary. However, the film’s emotional intensity falls short, and the events unfold in a predictable manner. Yet, despite this, the climax, though expected, still manages to surprise us with a poignant twist.

Instead of focusing on the lingering effects of war through contemplative storytelling as seen in “Our Mothers”, “Mexico 86” starts with high energy and maintains its pace. A prologue set in Guatemala in 1976 depicts Maria, a mother and activist, watching her husband being killed by government agents in broad daylight. The story then moves forward by 10 years, placing Maria – now disguised as Julia with a wig, working undercover as an editor at a progressive newspaper in Mexico City.

Maria is far from home but still deeply entrenched in her combat, shacking up with a fellow activist, Miguel (Leonardo Ortizgris), and doing her best to fight Guatemala’s military-backed — and U.S.-supported — dictatorship from a distance. She’s also doing her best to stay close with her 10-year-old son, Marco (Matheo Labbé), who lives with Maria’s mother (Julieta Egurrola) back home. When the two arrive in Mexico for a visit and Marco winds up staying, it puts Maria in a tough spot: How can she be a good parent while waging a clandestine war against a right-wing junta?

The predicament mirrors that in Sidney Lumet’s 1988 film “Running on Empty”, a story with themes of family bonds and leftist activists. This movie was produced two years after the events depicted here are supposed to occur. Unlike Lumet’s heart-wrenching tale of adolescence, which had a significant emotional impact, particularly in its depiction of a teenager struggling under the heavy influence of his parents, “Mexico 86” is generally less emotionally impactful and excels more during its few intense suspense scenes.

In an intense sequence of events, Maria finds herself clutching a confidential file about Guatemala’s mass murders moments before her confidant is brutally stabbed in a bustling street. In another gripping moment, she rushes out of her apartment along with Miguel and Marco, triggering a high-speed pursuit by the secret police. As they become stuck in traffic, the chase transforms into a harrowing gun battle. At one particularly tense moment, it seems as if Maria aims a weapon at Marco’s head, indicating her willingness to risk her own life instead of surrendering him to the adversary.

There’s a solution to this predicament, but it’s not an easy choice: Maria is informed by the person in charge of operations (portrayed by Fermín Martínez from Narcos: Mexico) that she can dispatch Marco to a “hive” in Cuba, where he’ll be educated alongside other children of the revolution under somewhat secure conditions. However, the relationship between mother and son appears to be growing stronger, despite some difficult times, and it’s evident that Maria is unwilling to let go of either Marco or the larger struggle.

In her role as Maria, Béjo skillfully depicts the struggle between personal ties and political activism, a conflict experienced by many whose families have fled oppressive regimes like Argentina’s dictatorship and found refuge elsewhere, such as France in this case. However, at times, the character’s journey can seem predictable, and the script written by Diaz might appear shallow despite being based on real-life events. Nevertheless, the director successfully delivers a potent finale that significantly emphasizes Marco’s presence, although it arrives somewhat late in the film.

As a gamer, I found the movie’s title echoing the 1986 World Cup held in Mexico, which seldom got mentioned beyond a few casual mentions. However, the broader context of the story was deeply rooted in Guatemala’s tumultuous past, particularly during its prolonged periods of dictatorship. This era was marred by horrific events such as the genocide in the early ’80s that claimed countless lives. Diaz managed to portray the devastating impact of this conflict on his homeland and how it spread its tentacles into foreign lands, leaving a trail of heartbroken families in its wake.

2024-08-11 00:25

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