Cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Danny Trejo, Enrique Iglesias, Cheech Marin, Ruben Blades, Willem Dafoe, Gerardo Vigil, Pedro Armendariz
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Producers: Robert Rodriguez, Elizabeth Avellan, Carlos Gallardo
Screenplay: Robert Rodriguez
Cinematography: Robert Rodriguez
Music: Robert Rodriguez
U.S. Distributor: Dimension Films
Sometimes it's easier than others to forgive a filmmaker his excesses. Such a case is Once Upon a Time in Mexico, a mess of a movie that nevertheless entertains because each individual piece stands high enough on its own merits that it's not necessary to look hard at the nonsensical linking material. Once Upon a Time in Mexico isn't so much a movie as it is a series of action/comedic sequences. The overall story, such as it is, appears terribly complicated, and I'm afraid that a lot of it ended up on the cutting room floor. Which, in the end, turns out to be okay. 15 or 20 minutes of exposition probably would have killed the pace, making this into a considerably less enjoyable experience than it is.
For those to whom it matters, there is the loose framework of a story. El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), the hero of Rodriguez's first two films, El Mariachi and Desperado, is back, and this time he's out for revenge. He wants to assassinate General Marquez (Gerardo Vigil), the man who killed his beloved wife, Carolina (Salma Hayek), and their daughter. When a shady CIA agent (or so he claims to be) named Sands (Johnny Depp) comes to El Mariachi with a proposal that's too good to refuse, he agrees to eliminate Marquez. As it turns out, this is just one aspect of an attempt by drug lord Barillo (Willem Dafoe) to destabilize and topple the regime of the current president (Pedro Armendariz). Or something like that.
Even though the shadow of a tragedy hangs over the movie (El Mariachi is motivated by revenge for his dead loved ones), Rodriguez's lively approach to movie-making keeps things from becoming grim. In fact, parts of the film are downright hilarious. (Johnny Depp on his cell phone: "Can you hear me now?") The action sequences are brilliantly conceived and executed. They may not be much more than eye candy, but each one is a tasty morsel. The title is an homage to Sergio Leone, but the style, at least for the most part, pays tribute to the classic Hong Kong action films of the '70s and '80s, complete with the cheesy exuberance that characterized the best of, say, John Woo.
The film gives just about every one of its performers a chance to be cool. As the lead, Antonio Banderas has the most of these moments, but he is followed closely by Johnny Depp, who is nearly as enjoyable here as in the recent Pirates of the Caribbean. He gets to talk on his cell phone, eat his favorite Mexican dish, then plug the chef because he made it too good. Salma Hayek (who only appears in flashbacks) shows some girl power. You don't want to be on the receiving end of her knives. The supporting cast can best be described as eclectic: Mickey Rourke, Willem Dafoe, Ruben Blades, Eva Mendes, Enrique Iglesias, Cheech Marin.
As has been true of his Spy Kids movies, Robert Rodriguez takes nearly every major behind-the-scenes role: director, co-producer, writer, editor, cinematographer, composer, production designer, special effects supervisor, and probably a few other things. (He even pokes fun at himself during the opening credits, where one citation reads: "Shot, chopped, and scored by Robert Rodriguez.") Rodriguez is known as a guerilla filmmaker. He makes pictures quickly, cheaply, and with a lot of energy. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is a bloody fairy tale with no moral and a lot of juice.
© 2003 James Berardinelli