Movie Review: Desperado (1995)
Desperado (1995)
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi, Carlos Gómez
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
Since Robert Rodriguez's Sin City has been the best movie I've seen so far released in 2005 (actually, it's the only theatrically released film of 2005 that I've enjoyed at all up until this point), I figured I'd watch the other Rodriguez film that I like. It's been a long enough time since I've seen the disappointing sequel Once Upon A Time In Mexico, long enough that I was ready to watch the middle film of the El Mariachi trilogy without being tainted by it (perhaps one day I'll even watch The Matrix again, but it will take a lot longer to clean off the stench from Reloaded).
I'm not usually into gun-toting, high-adrenaline, ultra-macho action flicks, but I like this one. I think the reason why this normally isn't my genre of choice is because the films aren't very good. They're shoot-by-the-numbers flicks that are horribly predictable and difficult to embrace. Another huge problem with many action flicks is that the lead actors tend to be martial artists or hip-hop stars who lack a little thing I like to call... acting ability. Obviously, this isn't high art, and we don't need classically trained performers in the roles. But films do need charisma, the star needs to be interesting enough that I care whether or not he succeeds in his mission, and many action stars just aren't.
However, in Desperado, Antonio Banderas has charisma to spare (in fact, one of the reasons why Once Upon A Time In Mexico fell so flat for me is that it seemed as though every once of Banderas' appeal had been eliminated from it). He plays El Mariachi with zeal, wit, and even a little vulnerability, which makes the film a fun ride. He exudes the proper amount of cool and sex appeal, which allows him to win over both the men (who want to be him) and the women (who want to be with him) in the audience. The raw chemistry he shares with the ultra-hot Salma Hayek in this film would easily contend for a ranking on a Top Five list for on-screen chemistry, were I to do one.
The humour in this film is what makes it fun for me. Be it Steve Buscemi's fantastic opening narration scene, Cheech Marin as a crooked bartender, or just some of the hilarious moments during gunfights that Banderas finds himself in. The humour is effective, while not detracting from the mood of the movie the way many modern action and horror films do, by being too self-mocking and winking to the camera.
Other than Banderas, the major credit for the film's quality goes to Rodriguez. For it is the style of the film that makes it work. It is not realistic, it is stylish. Bullets fly recklessly, explosions back light our heroes to create the perfect shot, bodies fly, guitar cases become rocket launchers, and El Mariachi shoots handguns like a kid pretending his fingers are guns. It's not supposed to be realistic, it's supposed to be cool. And it is cool. It's exciting, sexy, funny, crazy, cool, and fun. The perfect recipe for an action adventure flick.
4/5