Movie Review

Life is hard and it can change in a Minute

“1973” is a Mexican documentary movie, filmed on January 1^st, 2005 that brings the audience in 96 minutes a real life of three young guys that were born in the same year (1973), grow up and live in Mexico City. They tell their own history seen through their eyes.

Antonino Isordia was the director of the film. He graduated from the film training Centre. During his studies he made several short films like “Sangre de tu sangre” in 1992, “Discurso del alcohol para una hija adormecida” in 1994 and “Descenso” in 2000.

In this movie Isordia tells the story of a “porro” Rodolfo Escogido, Maria Fernanda Ramos a girl whose life was full of excess and Alejandro Cota who become a criminal. Antonino Isordia shows how these three people face their lives in this great world where confused by their thoughts, feelings and excesses they make decisions without consider the consequences that will define the rest of their lives. The three stories are shocking; however, it is clear that there is a loss of values in society. It is a fact that more than one person can feel identified in one of the stories.

With all this crude but real stories it was nominated for Ariel awards and won a Silver Goddess Mexican Award and the JVC award of the Guadalajara International Film Festival, this last is the most important and prestigious film festival for Mexican and International independent filmmakers in Latin America for Spanish language film festivals  in the world.

This documentary is very interesting at the beginning it may seem a bit boring without sense because you only see people talking about their experiences in life; moreover, all scenes are just in black and white without color or things that attract your attention, sometimes the image was very dark and you cannot distinguish what was on it; moreover, during the movie there are several parts where you cannot understand what they are saying, they seem to mumble.

However, when you start paying attention to each one of the stories, understanding the causes that led those guys to commit such actions with irreversible changes, you can find a great message between lines. There is no doubt that the film is heartbreaking, because it shows the stark reality of our Mexico, but at the same time it is an opportunity for the spectators to analyze and address violence and drug addiction.

Something interesting about the movie is that the director showed things from the real life but it was more surprising that the characters had the courage and they dared to openly tell their lives and tell what they felt on that moment. During the movie the characters seems to be talking to the camera as if they were talking in a therapy session.