A Cinta Negra, Alliance Films presentation of an Imcine, Foprocine (Mexico)/Quasar Pictures (France)/ABS Film Co. (Spain) production. Produced by Aaron Fernandez, Morteza Mohammadi. Directed, written by Aaron Fernandez.
With: Eduardo Granados, Alan Chavez, Carlos Caja, Damayanti Quintanar, Pilar Padilla, Raul Adalid, Jose Antonio Baron.
Firmly grounded in Mexico City street realism yet steeped in the fluid rhythms and visually sensitive traditions of French cinema, "Used Parts" reps a striking and confident move into features for tyro writer-helmer Aaron Fernandez. Though the tragic denouement is amply telegraphed, pic's strong physical and emotional thrust marks a Mexican helmer of true promise, suggesting it should do especially well in Euro fests and markets, with an outside chance of penetrating the perennially difficult U.S. market.
In some ways, Fernandez dips into yet another tradition -- Italian neorealism -- in telling the story of a young man for whom the underworld of stolen car parts proves too seductive. Viewers of the recent Sundance prize-winner "Padre Nuestro" will note that "Used Parts" ends almost exactly where that film begins (in a coyote's truck full of undocumented immigrants), although Fernandez's film is superior on every level.
Living with his uncle Jaime (Carlos Caja), 14-year-old Ivan (Eduardo Granados) is the kind of smart kid who could, with the right guidance, find a satisfying place in the world. Immediately likable and made even more charismatic by Granados' seemingly effortless performance, Ivan is following Jaime in the used-parts biz and is especially looking forward to their upcoming trip to the U.S.Jaime's behind the eight-ball, though, since he has a distance to go to provide his coyote with the needed cash for the pair's trip. Ivan comes to realize that Jaime is involved with a crooked operation in stolen parts run by a threatening type named "El Guero" (Raul Adalid).
With fun-loving pal Efrain (Alan Chavez) as both partner and catalyst, Ivan is all too game to learn the tactics of snatching car radios, mirrors and engine parts. Efrain joins in under the nose of his genuinely caring mother (Pilar Padilla, in a glowing miniature perf). Notably, Fernandez allows each character to take centerscreen if only for a moment.
When Jaime shocks Ivan with the news that he's decided to take g.f. Lupita (Damayanti Quintanar) on the trip instead of Ivan, the boy is prompted to dive further into his newly acquired skills, and even get involved with El Guero.
"Used Parts" is in fact only nominally interested in the story and is far more concerned with conveying atmosphere and even a sense of the sheer time-wasting that young teen boys will indulge in. It's here, especially, that an elegant infusion of Gallic filmmaking sensibility strengthens the pic, but in an organic way that never feels like a foreign import. Of recent Mexican pics, none better captures the sights and sounds, the intense traffic and bustle of the capital burg.
Editing (by Ana Laura Calderon), sound (by Armando Narvaez) and lensing (by Javier Moron) are world-class, with a few brilliant surprises tossed in -- a Beethoven quartet cue is a prime music motif -- and with all temptations for trickery and effects kept rigorously in check.
Prime attention is paid to both the vividly captured urban space and the actors, who are consistently effective down to the tiniest roles. One exception may be Adalid as the menacing heavy, but this takes nothing away from a film about the terrible choices thrust on a boy who's much too young to be saddled with such burdens.
Camera (color), Javier Moron; editor, Ana Laura Calderon; music, Nacao Zumbi; production designer, Patricia de Burgos; sound (Dolby Digital), Armando Narvaez; sound designer, Aurora Ojeda. Reviewed at Guadalajara Film Festival, March 24, 2007. Running time: 95 MIN.
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Date in print: Mon., Apr. 16, 2007