After having successfully completed his box office-friendly Spy Kids, Robert Rodriguez returns to his indie-auteur roots with Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Hollywood action films should be based on Rodriguez’s model-the director managed to make an action film for less than $30 million by writing, directing, editing and scoring the film himself. If this wasn’t impressive enough, the director added a stellar cast, including not only A-list talent like Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, and Johnny Depp, but also solid character players such as Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Cheech Marin, Enrique Iglesias and current It Girl Eva Mendes.
Rather than repeating his previous successes and simply creating another straightforward tale of revenge south of the border, Rodriguez widens his scope to include an intricate plot which includes a coup d’etat and addresses the current crises Mexicans face in everyday life. The film begins when special agent Moss (another brilliant portrayal by Johnny Depp, who yet again justifies the rave reviews that he’s been getting recently) seeks to hire former national hero El Mariachi (Banderas as he reprises his role from 1995’s Desperado) in order to enact an intricate plot involving generalísimos, mobsters, presidents and retired FBI agents who hope to exploit the power vacuum in the unstable country for their own gain.
More of an ensemble piece than a showcase for any single actor, the film manages to balance the respective interests of all its characters, while still providing a spectacular, if not entirely substantial film experience. Most impressive is the way that Rodriguez handles the political content, managing to expose the corruption and dire situation of average Mexicans, but at the same time making it palatable enough for a mass audience.
While the acting is impressive enough for an action film, it’s Depp who really steals the show. His characterization of the maverick CIA agent Moss not only solidifies his title of box-office saviour of the year (see also Pirates of the Caribbean), but ultimately demands his own franchise. In addition, Rodriguez’s film is a true return to form-when you consider that a typical Hollywood drama costs the same as this movie, and Bad Boys II cost over $110 million, the director not only gives the audience more bang for their buck, but also writes the manual for making smart, entertaining, and cost-efficient films that stand in direct opposition to the rest of the disappointing top-heavy Hollywood sequel season.
