We are used to seeing that Mexican cinema fills the billboard with romantic comedies and stories starring many of the same actors as always. That is why it is attractive to see that a film like Tell me about you bet on new young talents, important supporting actors and even a genre that is rarely exploited in commercial Mexican cinema: the coming-of-age. Is it worth giving it a try?
Chava (Germán Bracco) is a teenager with little luck in love. Everything changes when “Brujita”, a mysterious secret admirer, starts sending him messages. Trying to find out who she is, Chava meets Carlos (Martín Saracho), a boy from her swimming class. He will help you find the clues to discover the truth behind Brujita. In this process, Chava will discover many things that he did not know about his family, his friends and even himself, which will help him define who he is.
The debut feature by Eduardo Cortés (also a screenwriter) is outstanding in many ways. The first of these is the performance of the actors from him. Germán Bracco manages to create a completely empathic Chava; It doesn’t matter if viewers are part of the LGBTIQ+ community, they will surely find in Chava’s emotional journey more than one trait with which they will identify. His chemistry with Martín Saracho is notorious. Together they achieve an honest representation of diversity and move away from all the clichés that could be present.
Arcelia Ramírez, Julio Bracho, Hugo Catalán and Daniela Schmidt are also present throughout the footage. However, the first two bring a greater dose of maturity to the story and are essential in Chava’s self-discovery. Their characters are not the typical stereotype of Mexican parents, they go further and can even serve as a reflection for many Mexican homes. In the same way, the young cast achieves an honest job, and thanks to Cortés’ wise direction, it feels like an integral part of the film.
In terms of history, Tell me about you It’s not an easy movie. During the first minutes it seems that certain characters or subplots go to one side, but over time we discover some twists (all plausible) that give freshness to the anecdotes. The family themes, the rapprochement between Chava and Carlos, and even the resolution of the film feel absolutely real. It is not a moral story or one that seeks to instruct. It simply reflects what many adolescents and their parents experience day by day in their family, social or school dynamics. In that sense, the mission is fulfilled and more than that.
At the end of the day, Tell me about you has many aspects to become an outstanding title in Mexican cinema contemporary. Although it is a modest production and with certain technical problems, achieves what most commercial national titles cannot. Here there are characters that matter to us, real situations and an environment that we can all recognize. Eduardo Cortés’ direction manages to create a necessary film for the times in which we live and demonstrates, once again, that Mexican cinema can be memorable and capable of generating discussions. A proposal that definitely deserves to be seen by all.
Due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19, at Cine PREMIERE we recommend that you review the necessary health measures with the health authorities (especially the General Guidelines for the mitigation and prevention of COVID-19 in closed public spaces) before going to the cinema to watch a movie.
John Joseph Cruz I am one of those who always defended Robert Pattinson as Batman and can see the same movie in the cinema up to 7 times. My guilty pleasure? Low budget horror movies.