A charming Mexican movie, screened by the Mexican Embassy that I almost missed - thankfully the meeting finished early and I made it on time.
I loved the simplicity of the peasants' life portrayed - in 'Maria Candelaria' - the heroine's attachment to a piglet and in this film the down-to-earth fantasy of eating a whole turkey by yourself without having to share with five pesky children permanently starved and unrepentantly fighting over the depressed father's left food.
Nice touches of humour.
You think the protagonist is a simpleton but he smartly identifies the Devil and God and doesn't share the aforementioned turkey, albeit stolen, with them but sympathizes with Death and cunningly figures if he shares then he would have time to eat his half of the longed-for turkey- very practical I thought! I also thought it was quite touching - the simple hospitality- offering your guests to take/choose the first/best piece, even though you haven't eaten for a day or so, and offering him the first sip from the flask - it reminded me of how things used to be in Guyana's recent past.
It used the technique of telling the story then finding out it was all someone's dream--maybe a forerunner of those american Soaps where the characters keep coming back after being killed off in previous episodes?
I loved the simplicity of the peasants' life portrayed - in 'Maria Candelaria' - the heroine's attachment to a piglet and in this film the down-to-earth fantasy of eating a whole turkey by yourself without having to share with five pesky children permanently starved and unrepentantly fighting over the depressed father's left food.
Nice touches of humour.
You think the protagonist is a simpleton but he smartly identifies the Devil and God and doesn't share the aforementioned turkey, albeit stolen, with them but sympathizes with Death and cunningly figures if he shares then he would have time to eat his half of the longed-for turkey- very practical I thought! I also thought it was quite touching - the simple hospitality- offering your guests to take/choose the first/best piece, even though you haven't eaten for a day or so, and offering him the first sip from the flask - it reminded me of how things used to be in Guyana's recent past.
It used the technique of telling the story then finding out it was all someone's dream--maybe a forerunner of those american Soaps where the characters keep coming back after being killed off in previous episodes?
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