I like films where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. In the best films, individual elements of the film are good, but the dynamic synergy between the pieces is so good that something magic happens and some good pieces of film coalesce into an outstanding work of art. This, alas, is not the case with Once Upon a Time in Mexico. There are some great scenes, some very good performances, and some individual elements (cinematography and editing) that are very good. But in the end the film is a predictable story with a muddled narrative and occasional flashes of brilliance sprinkled liberally around.
One of those flashes of brilliance is Johnny Depp as a CIA agent who is charged with restoring order in Mexico. In an early scene in the film, agent Sands is explaining the importance of order as he eats dinner at a restaurant. He explains that he has been eating pork in restaurants all over Mexico and that the pork at this restaurant is so delicious and so good that he will have to kill the chef so that balance is restored to the order of things.
This scene is reflective in some ways of many of the parts of the film. Johnny Depp has made a career of playing offbeat or quirky characters (Edward Scissorhands, Benny and Joon, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Chocolat, Blow, etc.). He steals the show here just as he did in Pirates of the Caribbean. I actually like the bizarre elements of this scene because it shows the folly of using disorder to restore order.
Unfortunately, deep themes are relatively scarce here, and while the folly of violence is questioned here, it is celebrated without reservation throughout most of the film. To observant students of film this will come as no surprises. This film is actually the third in a trilogy that started with El Mariachi and Desperado. Antonio Banderas reprises his earlier role and does an excellent job. Roger Ebert compares these films to Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns" A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.
As a celebration of kinetic energy or as homage to beautifully choreographed acts of violence, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is stunning. There are excellent supporting performances by Salma Hayek, Willem Defoe, and Mickey Rourke. But in the end we are left with a film that is shallow and hollow or-- in the words of a pretty decent playwright--"full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
One of those flashes of brilliance is Johnny Depp as a CIA agent who is charged with restoring order in Mexico. In an early scene in the film, agent Sands is explaining the importance of order as he eats dinner at a restaurant. He explains that he has been eating pork in restaurants all over Mexico and that the pork at this restaurant is so delicious and so good that he will have to kill the chef so that balance is restored to the order of things.
This scene is reflective in some ways of many of the parts of the film. Johnny Depp has made a career of playing offbeat or quirky characters (Edward Scissorhands, Benny and Joon, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Chocolat, Blow, etc.). He steals the show here just as he did in Pirates of the Caribbean. I actually like the bizarre elements of this scene because it shows the folly of using disorder to restore order.
Unfortunately, deep themes are relatively scarce here, and while the folly of violence is questioned here, it is celebrated without reservation throughout most of the film. To observant students of film this will come as no surprises. This film is actually the third in a trilogy that started with El Mariachi and Desperado. Antonio Banderas reprises his earlier role and does an excellent job. Roger Ebert compares these films to Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns" A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.
As a celebration of kinetic energy or as homage to beautifully choreographed acts of violence, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is stunning. There are excellent supporting performances by Salma Hayek, Willem Defoe, and Mickey Rourke. But in the end we are left with a film that is shallow and hollow or-- in the words of a pretty decent playwright--"full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."