Main Cast: Ernesto Laguardia, Julieta Egurrola, Lucia Munoz, Alberto Estrella
Release Year: 1994
Country: MX
Run Time: 183 minutes
Plot
This Mexican film, loosely based on Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz's 1940's book, traces the slow and painful collapse of a Mexican family after the sudden death of the father. Much of the film focuses upon the outcomes of two disparate brothers. Following his death, the formerly middle-class Botero family is left destitute. To pay their debts, the mother Ignacia throws the oldest son Guama who does not pull his weight at home, out into the street where he becomes a full-time drug addict, pimp, and bouncer. Guama is doomed right from the start. Ignacia then forces Nicolas and sister, Mireya to give up their bright futures in favor of brother, Gabriel, Ignacia's favorite. The selfish Gabriel is a law student and Ignacia has placed all the family's hopes upon him. Nicolas must leave school and take a peon's job. Mireya works at a sweat-shop and eventually becomes a hooker. Gabriel gets himself into a situation that jeopardizes his potential career. To protect it he cons one of siblings into covering for him. That sibling commits suicide. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Cast
Ernesto Laguardia - Gabriel Botero
Julieta Egurrola - Ignacia Botero
Lucia Munoz - Mireya Botero
Alberto Estrella - Guama Botero
Blanca Guerra - Julia; Alonso Echanove - Carinoso; Veronica Merchant - Natalia; Luis Felipe Tovar - Cesar; Ernesto Yanez - Polvoron; Luisa Huertas - Isabel; Jorge Fegan - Julia's father; Julian Pastor - Lujan; Bruno Bichir - Nicolas Botero
Credit
Arturo Ripstein - Director, Rafael Castanedo - Editor, Lucia Alvarez - Composer (Music Score), Antonio Diego - Musical Direction/Supervision, Gerardo Barrera - Production Designer, Daniel Birman Ripstein - Production Designer, Claudio Rocha - Cinematographer, Alfredo Ripstein, Jr. - Producer, David Baksht - Sound/Sound Designer, Alicia Paz Garciadiego - Screenwriter, Naguib Mahfouz - Book Author
