EL MARIACHE

So much hype about this film lately as it approaches its 20th Anniversary that I had to see for myself.  While Abe warned me it's violent and I might not like it, he was wrong.  I really did like it because the violence was realistic, made sense and the story was authentic.  This was a film made for $7K, with amateur actors and for me had the Rodriguez hook of being tongue-in-cheek.  The scene where a bartender tells the mariache he doesn't need to hire him because he's got a whole orchestra (meaning an electric keyboard played by a guy with a huge sombrero) was hysterical and quirky.  While it's a Spanish speaking film made for home viewing in Mexico it doesn't play that way at all.  I am so glad it was picked up by a mainstream studio for distribution.  It is worthy of being inducted into the National Film Registry because it is a film that brings us into a world of corruption, drugs, guns, small Mexican towns and the people who live there.  It does this without special effects and big names and hoopla.  It's a fine movie because it's well written and well directed.  Hats off to those amateur actors..they were terrific.