The Attempt Dossier (El Atentado) (2010)

You know you're in trouble when the opening montage is far more interesting than the movie, and that's the case with 'El Atentado', adapted from the novel by Álvaro Uribe. I truly can't find a reason for this movie to be made, except to cash in on all the fever surrounding the Centennial of Mexican Revolution and the Bicentennial of Independence. Everything about it is pointless, from the majority of its characters to the acting, which is no better than the one found in a telenovela. 'El Atentado' is the most expensive film in the history of Mexican cinema, and it does not show. The art direction looks flawless and marvelously detailed, but just look closer: the scenes in the back are blatantly hand-painted (I'm not kidding). Some of the finest working Mexican actors are completely wasted, especially Daniel Giménez Cacho, thanks to a far too simple, redundant, even stupid script. The use (or abuse) of a sequence comprised of imaginary scenarios, which normally works perfectly in comedies (like it did in 'Superbad'), doesn't help this drama, to which it adds an element of unintentional hilarity. One of El Atentado's biggest failures lies in its depiction of one of the most important political figures in the history of Mexico, Porfirio Díaz. In the film, Arturo Beristáin presents Díaz as a mere caricature. The flick's only achievements are its stunning cinematography and costume design, as well as the equally stunning presence of breathtaking Irene Azuela.