Fecha de Caducidad (Expiration Date) at Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (Guest Review by @LoisRP)

Fecha de Caducidad is a surreal and occasionally violent Mexican film that has become too real.

The director, Kenya Marquez, the only female director to have a film at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, said that when she first started trying to get funding for the film, in 2000, its themes were not specifically intended to be political. But in an unfortunate twist of fate, as the years progressed until she finally got funding 10 years later, the Mexican political landscape had changed and her film did acquire a political aspect.

The film begins with the mysterious disappearance of a man who is clearly a “mama’s boy”. The mother Ramona, who is stunningly well-acted by Ofelia Murguía, displays a calm, dignified desperation as she grasps at small leads to find out what happened to her son Osvaldo. A young woman moves into her building, and Ramona becomes convinced she is somehow connected to her son. Ramona repeatedly visits a forensic unit, to determine if her son has shown up in the morgue, and the receptionist attempts to assist her quest to find her son. A somewhat disreputable handyman who hangs around the morgue finds himself enmeshed in the case to a degree he never would have thought possible.

The film plays with perspectives and viewpoints, looking at the same events through the eyes of different characters. The film ends with a twist that may or may not be expected. The background scenes look very much like everyday Mexico, even as surreal events occur within these scenes, causing a jarring juxtaposition of the mundane and the extraordinary.

In the post-film talkback, Marquez discussed how differently the film was received in different cities. In Mexico, the film had particular political overtones. In most cities, they related strongly to the grief of the mother for her missing son, but the reaction in New York was shocking to her, as the audience laughed at particular violent scenes.

Although I am not an expert on Spanish art and cinema, I felt there were overtones of both Almodóvar and Dali in this film. There is humour and pathos and human dignity. I suspect some viewers might be put off by the themes and content of this film, but I feel confident in recommending it to those who appreciate an intriguing, well-acted, and thoughtful film.

Disclaimer: Lois Patterson reviewed Fecha de Caducidad as an exclusive for Hummingbird604.com. There was no expectation of a review, nor in the case of a review being written, was there any expectation that it would be positive. Raul always has editorial control on the blog’s content. Read more about Lois below.