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South American Road Trip

Jeffery Mingo | Homewood, IL USA | 09/30/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The movie's point is to speak of letting go of the past or re-interpreting facts to make you grow stronger. Still, I wonder if this were a meditation on Ecuador that only those who know much about the nation would understand.

Many scenes are visually pleasing. It will make you want to take a trip to the country. It reminded me of "Motorcycle Diaries" with its lush scenes. Still, it was hard for me to believe that people could bond with strangers so quickly and women could spend so much time with men they don't know where no witnesses are around.

A Spanish photographer and a European-derived Ecuadorean travel to a town to stop a wedding. This work had surprise twists. I've seen that a lot recently in Spanish-language films and wonder if it's a trait of their art.

So many people say, "Latin American has no ethnic prejudices because of mestizaje." This film did not reflect that. There were ethnic tensions here just like in "Do the Right Thing" or "Crash." In fact, Ecuador is supposed to have many indigenous citizens, yet all their main characters are of European ancestry here. This reminds me of how "Cold Mountain" focused on blonds, although it took place during the Civil War.

This reminded me of "The Wizard of Oz" in many ways. If you like movies where characters take quests, then you may enjoy this."