If only things in the life of architect Federico Anduaga (Hector Kotsifakis) was just a matter of having a rough day. New house, new job, a
loving wife and the great prospects of building a home and a family are all turned upside down because of a series of events of force majeure and a
couple of others that followed through his life and he never knew how to respond to difficulties, always reacting on a passive manner. Far too cordial in his relations, of which some can
view him as a wimp, Federico takes abuse from his wife, his sick father, his corrput new boss while developing a big enterprise in Mexico with foreign
investors, thugs and street bullies who occupy his neighborhood, practically in front of his door. How much abuse a simple man can take it before
lashing out against everyone?
"Hysteria" follows the tragedy of Federico's life in a precise dramatic with some thrilling moments. It's a not a new territory in the world of
movies but it escapes some cliches and some predictability, which makes the film worth seeing and worth following. Everything was done in a quiet
real manner, so you truly believe in the situations rather than some Hollywood formula where a pressured guy just loses it and starts a rampage of
murder and thoughtless acts (don't get me wrong, I love "Falling Down" but it's more because of its critique of society rather than the actual acts of
D-Fens). Federico has a slow turn of events after spending a majority of the film being talked down by his wife demanding him to do something whenever
things were going wrong; or at his job which is a complete fraud where he has to mask numbers in order to the aprove the building's construction.
It's
all aimed about the person in charge rather than deconstrcut society's values. What do we when faced with the pressures of life and how do we react?
I don't totally agree with some of Federico's early choices but it's easy to see why it happens, specially when one is not committed in putting up with
unncessary fights. Sadly, he learns things after suffering a bit but then it'a little late and we might not even root for him at all times. The nuanced
performance by Kotsifakis makes the experience more enjoyable than it is since it's a quite humorless and depressive film. Even when Federico is
"winning" almost no enjoyment can be found. It's like some people are truly destined to feel hubris over and over again. It's never a case of a bad
day, it's a multiplication of such and the cooking pressure will always find a way to explode unless a helpful hand comes along. 7/10.
