Rains Over Babel

Though this isn't maybe the most cohesive version of his "inferno" that you might ever encounter, it is certainly amongst the sexiest and most vibrant adaptations. "Babel" is a salsa club owned by "Salai" (John Alex Castillo) who is up to his neck in debt to the mob. His only hope is that the legendary "El Callegüeso" will turn up as planned and play a set to get the money rolling in. It seems, though, that this man has somewhat typically gone missing and so "Timbí" (José Manual Monica) has to form an unlikely alliance with "Uma" (Celina Biurrun) to track him down else his dad will be tostada. Meantime, there is one table in this bar that is always occupied and that belongs to an enigmatic gambler whom they call "La Flaca" (Saray Rebolledo) whom we gradually learn uses her handsome henchman "Dante" (Felipe Aguilar Rodríguez) to collect some amulets? Why? Well by now we appreciate that "La Flaca" might all too readily swap her sultry temptress look for one sporting a white mask and a scythe - and now the stories of a few of the regulars start to unfold against a menacingly entertaining backdrop that addresses a myriad of issues that attend the ageing, the drug users, the religious and some almost militaristically directed drag queens. It's messy and I liked it that way. Indeed, as the roles play out in increasingly surrealist fashion I actually found the underlying attitudes addressing just about every pejorative phobia in the book increasingly effective - but presented mischievously and absurdly as the events unravel rather than unfold. I have always found that South American cinema has taken a much braver approach to ridiculing it's supposedly macho/gaucho culture by embracing and also ridiculing the excesses of it's gay one, and with a toe-tapping soundtrack and a charmingly mysterious effort from Santiago Pineda thrown in too, this sets death and our attitudes to, and fears of, it fairly and squarely in it's sights. Initially, my sentimental side didn't love the ending - but then I thought on it more and discovered that perhaps "Dante" wasn't wrong after all.