No – 7.8

An interestingly ambiguous movie about the power of a superficial ad campaign to bring down a dictator. You have to root for Gael Garcia Bernal – one of cinema’s more appealing actors – but are we sure that “Don-worry-be-happy” is the level of discourse we want in our political campaigns? And in another twist, the film suggests that commerce, making money, trumps all: the two leads can be enemies when it comes to torture and censorship but still work together when selling soda and soap opera. In an effort at authenticity, I suppose, the film was washed-out and grainy, but I could have done without the hand-held jumpiness and blinding backlighting. In all, though, it was an education in Chilean history and offered food for thought and discussion.