How a an incomprehensible obsession becomes a debut film
Guillermo Gonzalez Montes' debut feature MUD FLOWER feels rather ill-conceived, writes Daniel Campos of the 2011 Talent Press Guadalajara.
MUD FLOWER.
It is thanks to the CUEC (University Center for Film Studies) program for debut films that this work by director and screenwriter Guillermo Gonzalez Montes has made it to the festival circuit. In MUD FLOWER, Montes tells the story of the search for an idealized love, which is, at times, impossible to comprehend.
Augusto Talanquer (played by Odiseo Bichir) is well known in the field of biochemical research. He meets a girl who soon takes him to the point of losing sleep and makes him forget all better judgment. The problem, however, is that he is married, and the object of his new found love, Marlene (Claudia Zepeda), is an incredibly attractive fourteen year old girl who, due to a family tragedy, has recently landed under the care of his wife Ruth (Claudia Ramirez). As is if this were not enough, then enters the dark and dangerous character of Genaro (Javier Escobar) who kidnaps the not-so-innocent Marlene. The beginning of a peculiar search by Agosto, who refuses to lose his new-found love, ensues.
One of the main aspects in the development of a story is establishing the characters. If one is able to efficiently develop a character, the story flows organically. Unfortunately, in MUD FLOWER characters are not presented that simply. We know that Agosto has earned professional prestige only through the synopsis, as in the footage he is easily mistaken for a university professor, especially when his obsession with a young school girl comes to light. Appealing to a play on one of the most easily identified male fetishes, this obsession becomes a central theme. The obvious physical attraction may not need further explanation, as the topic of an older man in love with a younger woman has been often used before, but the wild and desperate search (at times exhausting for the audience) by our favorite biochemical researcher does seem out of character, especially when we consider that it should be in his nature to act more rationally.
Unfortunately, the rest of the cast also lacks an efficient process of development. If there are personal conflicts in the family, these are simply mentioned but not used to provide a background for the story. While the capricious nature of Marlene’s action is to be expected of a teenager, on the other hand, the possessive and territorial traits shown by Genaro, her half brother, are quite peculiar.
For better or worse, the story develops in a tone that could be described as parody or caricature. Unfortunately, this story is presented in a serious way with a focus on the series of events instead of with an organic flow of the same. It seems to be more important that our character undertake his search and appear misfortunate than to show how events unfold. At times, this appears to be similar to a checklist of certain elements rather than an efficient integration into the story.
The making of a debut film is undoubtedly a difficult task. After all, the author is just beginning to show his style and must try to do so in an efficient way so that his audience will be interested in future projects. In this respect, it is important that he shows conscience and a genuine voice. Unfortunately, the contrast of caricature and a serious story is not exactly an effective formula for capturing the attention of an audience, especially in a first film. If there are “birds that cross the pond without getting dirty,” as in the poem “A Gloria” by Salvador Diaz Miron, this is not the case in MUD FLOWER.