Chilean director Pablo Larraín is making a new Pinochet-era film, simply but forcefully entitled, “No.” We’re running to see this for count ’em two reasons gigantes: (1) he’s bringing Gael to the screen as the main character, putting him in a more weighty role than we’ve seen him in in months (y so excited to see Gael deliver the goods.. if he can) and (2) Larraín’s last big film I remember “Post Mortem,” was clearly awesome.
In “No,” again Larraín delves into his obsession with an uncommonly (can we say uncommonly as a synonym for incredibly en este caso?) dark period in Chile’s history:
Set in 1988 and shot on low-grade video to reflect the media technology of the time, “No” stars Bernal as Rene Saavedra, a cynical advertising executive asked by a friend to spearhead the campaign against the president during the referendum. The tense proceedings that follow, as Rene and the rest of his team relentlessly combat the government’s pro-Pinochet propaganda through dozens of prolonged television specials, unfold with the exciting pace of a top-notch political thriller, although Larraín routinely makes it clear that the stakes go higher than simply winning the election; in this case, lives are at stake — including, as the scales tip in favor of the “No” campaign, those of Rene and his family.
It sounds like Gael’s character is a well-developed human being rather than the flat caricature he played in “Casa de mi Padre.” Tengo que verla! Es que the endless hours spent reading criticism of the “Dirty War” en la universidad has got me overly excited to see this film, or, just maybe, you are actually pumped for Gael as Rene too…? Yo se que some of my peeps couldn’t sit through this – they would shit un huevo even being dragged out to something so political – even with Gael splashed all over it. Thoughts?
Quote taken from Indiewire.