Nuevo orden

Michel Franco's NEW ORDER assaults the viewer, and that's not completely 'out of order' for a movie about a Mexican revolution. Unfortunately, Franco mostly delivers body blows with little attention given to feed the heads of his audience.

The initial scenes of the underclass trying to overthrow the bourgeoisie (at a rich wedding, no less) have a certain kick. Sadly, Franco (who also wrote) does very little with that advantage. The wedding family is decently sketched out, but, the characters aren't used very well once the siege fully takes hold. They, like the Mexican people as a whole, become pawns in Franco's rage game.

What gives the opening at the wedding it's effectiveness is that you have come to know them as individuals (Naian Gonzalez Norvind is particularly good as the Bride), but, by the end (actually, significantly earlier), they are just part of the bloody landscape. The various 'sides' are murkily drawn. Whatever political thoughts Franco might have are negligible, if not downright cynical. There is no sign of wit, little dramatic tension and a lack of humanity. The final act should have been devastating, but instead just becomes another nasty set-piece. In a movie full of violence, abuse and torture, Franco's biggest offense is that he has nothing to say.

Greetings again from the darkness. "You say you want a revolution ... well, you know ... we all want to change the world." Writer-director Michel Franco hits head-on the always hot, and very current topic of the haves versus the have-nots, and I immediately thought of those Beatles' lyrics.

Chaos at a hospital and a pile of bodies informs us trouble is brewing on the streets of Mexico. We then cut to a lavish wedding event being held at the luxurious residential compound of the Novellos, a wealthy family whose daughter Marianne (Naian Gonzalez Norvind) is marrying her fiancé Alan (Dario Azbek). Her father Ivan (Roberto Medina) is an important businessman who invited other important people and dignitaries. As the attendees mingle, her mother Rebecca (Lisa Owen) is summoned to the gate to meet with Ronaldo (Eligio Melendez), a former employee who is asking for the money to pay for a surgery his ill wife needs. What follows is the mannered way in which the Novellos react. They give Ronaldo some money, but it's far short of the amount needed. It's Marianne who, even on her wedding day, tries desperately to help him.

Marianne has Cristian (Fernando Cuautle), the son of loyal housekeeper Marta (Monica Del Carman), drive her to where Ronaldo lives. Unbeknownst to Marianne, an insurgence has disrupted the wedding festivities and carnage has ensued at her house. Upon arrival at Ronaldo's house, masked soldiers take Marianne hostage. Her vibrant red outfit and the green paint used by protesters provide symmetry to the national flag of Mexico as the streets are under siege. Many of the elite rich have been killed, while others taken hostage for ransom and torture. Filmmaker Franco expertly captures the frenzy and terror brought on by the revolution.

As the uprising takes hold and the coup progresses, we quickly see the effects of power and greed. Most of the story is told from the viewpoint of the privileged, and that's likely to offend many. At times we are confused about just how many sides there are in this war, though it seems Franco's point is that there are no good guys. The film teeters on the line between social commentary and exploitation, due to the violence and greed - we even see the glee on a maid's face as she loots the valuables from her employer. We find little empathy for anyone here, except of course, for those being held captive and tortured. Certain elements thrive in chaos, and the situation turns to Authoritarianism. The cynical message is that entitlement and corruption exist regardless who is in charge. In other words, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The "New Order" is the same as the old - just with new faces. Franco has highlighted unrest specific to Mexico, but also nods to global issues.

"You say you got a real solution ... well, you know ... we'd all love to see the plan."

Releasing in theaters on May 21, 2021.

Because so little explanation was offered, the movie leaves you with an impression that it was all about the cruelty show. Or, the creators thought the explanation and conclusions will be obvious - they are not. Pity, cause it feels like a lost, flattened out potential because of a lack of an ending that would offer some answers, even if requiring further reflection.

The last sequence is completely confusing and suddenly the movie ends. I feel this could be (was supposed to be?) a cautionary tale about what happens when anarchy prevails and the exchange of "elites" which always quickly get corrupted - but it was not pointed enough in the movie.

The revolution will be bathed in, uh, green. An odd choice, and one that may excite environmentalists until it becomes quite clear that "New Order" is all about class struggle, and not climate change.

In his visceral dystopian Mexico City tale, director Michel Franco pushes buttons, many, many buttons. Class discrepancy is on crystal clear display via the glamourous wedding reception opening, interrupted by a former employee's desperate plea of funds to save his dying wife. Greeted with faint empathy, some not so well-disguised contempt, and an unsatisfactory handout, he is briskly and discretely ushered off the premises. When the heart of gold princess bride to be gets a whiff of the events, she bolts the mansion to save the day. The disrupted nuptial festivities is soon the least of the elites' niggling problems, as revolutionaries storm the grounds and matters get nasty mighty quick.

Touching similar themes (and cinematic flare) as "Parasite", "New Order" captures the explosive desperation when the haves meet the have-nots on level ground. Digging deep to turn the classes upside down, the focus is on the inherent greed and situational compassion dichotomy lurking in most everyone. It is uncomfortable, disruptive, vicious, anxiety inducing, and bluntly shocking. But unlike "Parasite", there are no moments of levity. No amusing interludes. No time to digest the revolving, evolving struggle. Barely time to take a breath. Many factions are involved, taking turns ruling the day, with corruption and merciless brutality the only common threads. It is a bleak, ninety minute commentary on a world that doesn't seem too far away, creating a provocative, powerful film.

The dystopia of fiction past is unfortunately an unsettling present day proposition in many parts of the world. How it plays out is anyone's guess. Franco's is now on the big screen.

• hipCRANK.

This is the first film by this director for me, but from very first moments he captured my attention by his approach to the story. Contrary to the most American films' depictions of Mexican society and dramatization of "good guys" and "bad guys", this one shows the roots of violence and brutal nature of inequality. Script lacks more details on the plot but overall it is an effective and provocative attempt by this promising film maker.