Film
     
    
   
   
    
     
      El
      Mariachi
     
     
      Directed
      by
      Robert
      Rodriguez
     
    
   
   
    
     
      id
      you
      ever
      wonder
      what
      the
      wild
      west
     
    

    
     
      is
      really
      like?
      Well,
      here
      you
      have
      it
      in
     
    

    
     
      a
      thrilling
      shoot’em
      up
      with
      weird
      and
     
     
      wonderful
      overtones.
      El
      Mariachi
      (The
      Guitar
     
     
      Player)
      is
      the
      first
      movie
      from
      university
      stu-
     
     
      dent/film-maker
      Robert
      Rodriguez
      and
      it
      is,
     
     
      quite
      simply,
      a
      blast.
     
    

    
     
      Set
      in
      a
      town
      somewhere
      on
      the
      U.S.-
      Mexi-
     
     
      can
      border,
      the
      film
      chronicles
      the
      ups
      and
     
     
      downs
      of
      a
      down-on-his-luck
      guitar
      player
      on
     
     
      his
      quest
      for
      fame
      and
      fortune.
      Arriving
      in
      town
     
     
      full
      ofhopes
      and
      dreams,
      he
      finds
      himself
      in
      the
     
     
      middle
      of
      a
      bloody
      drug
      feud,
      facing
      men
      with
     
     
      whom
      his
      only
      connection
      is
      his
      resemblance
      to
     
     
      the
      local
      drug
      lord’s
      main
      target.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Needless
      to
      say,
      this
      sensitive
      young
      musi-
     
     
      cian
      needs
      protection,
      and
      he
      finds
      it
      in
      the
     
     
      person
      of
      a
      beautiful
      young
      barmaid
      just
      crazy
     
     
      (and
      smitten
      )
      enough
      to
      take
      him
      in.
      Unfortu-
     
     
      nately,
      she
      also
      happens
      to
      be
      involved
      with
      the
     
     
      drug
      lord
      in
      a
      big
      way,
      but
      ...
      well,
      the
      rest
      has
     
     
      to
      be
      seen
      to
      be
      believed.
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      an
      action
      movie-
      those
      seeking
      spar-
     
     
      kling
      wit
      will
      be
      disappointed;
      however,
      it
      isnot
     
     
      your
      typical
      shoot’em
      up,
      either.
      Slap-stick
     
     
      humour,
      generously
      interspersed
      amongst
      chases
     
     
      and
      gratuitous
      violence,
      balances
      the
      movie
      and
     
     
      gives
      it
      a
      slightly
      madcap
      flavor.
      Director
     
     
      Rodriguez
      uses
      the
      humor
      to
      air
      some
      of
      his
     
     
      views
      on
      the
      effects
      of
      technology
      on
      society
     
     
      and
      even
      pokes
      fun
      at
      the
      whole
      shoot’em
      up
     
     
      genre.
      There
      is
      also
      a
      definite
      sense
      of
      hot-
     
     
      blooded
      Hispanic
      style
      evident
      in
      the
      film’s
     
     
      tense
      close-ups
      and
      rapid
      pace.
      This
      is
      the
      kind
     
     
      of
      movie
      that
      makes
      you
      want
      to
      pull
      on
      your
     
     
      snake-skin
      cowboy
      boots
      and
      ride
      your
      Harley
     
     
      off
      into
      the
      sunset.
     
    

    
     
      Perfomances
      in
      this
      film
      were
      uniformly
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      well-done,
      with
      special
      mention
      given
      to
     
     
      Consuelo
      Gomez,
      who
      is
      rivetting
      as
      the
      sultry
     
     
      barmaid.
      Carlos
      Gallardo
      draws
      all
      the
      audi-
     
     
      ence’s
      sympathy
      as
      the
      guitar
      player
      and
      Reinol
     
     
      Martinez
      is
      funny
      as
      the
      guitar
      player’s
      lookalike,
     
     
      mainly
      because
      he
      is
      so
      straight-faced
      about
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      whole
      mix-up.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      highly
      recommend
      this
      movie
      to
      anyone
     
     
      who
      wants
      a
      change
      from
      the
      usual
      Hollywood
     
     
      fare
      but
      who
      feels
      an
      ‘‘alternative’’
      movie
     
     
      would
      be
      over
      their
      heads
      (or
      below
      their
      stand-
     
     
      ards).
      Though
      this
      film
      will
      not
      be
      seen
      at
      the
     
     
      cinemas
      in
      the
      mall,
      it
      is
      thoroughly
      entertain-
     
     
      ing,
      especially
      if
      you
      love
      action.
     
    

    
     
      Film-maker
      Rodriguez
      probably
      won’t
      be
     
     
      going
      back
      to
      university
      now
      that
      he
      has
      a
      two-
     
     
      year
      deal
      from
      Columbia
      motion
      pictures
      under
     
     
      his
      belt.
      It
      is
      a
      testament
      to
      his
      belief
      in
      himself
     
     
      and
      hard
      work
      that
      such
      a
      thrilling
      and
      success-
     
     
      ful
      movie
      can
      be
      made
      by
      a
      relative
      unknown.
     
    

    
     
      El
      Mariachi
      will
      be
      seen
      7pm
      ‘
      hursday
     
     
      Oct.
      21,
      9pm
      Friday
      Oct.
      22,
      7pm
      Saturday
      Oct.
     
     
      23,
      and
      9pm
      Sunday
      Oct.
      24
      at
      City
      Cinemas.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      )
     
    
   
   
    
     
      32/X-Press/October
      21,
      1993
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Available
      at:
      HENDERSON
      &
      CUDMORE,
      101
      Grafton
      St.