The greatest movie ever!

Masterful Movie

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

I had seen this in the video store and was curious but the portrayal of upper middle class Caucasians as incompetent and over privileged, on the DVD cover, made it a turn off. It started out funny but 1/3 of the way into the film it tried to become a documentary and became extremely racist with ridiculous stereotypes. Whites and African Americans frequently make fun of white people, so I have a sense of humor about it but usually it's funny and true, where the film's portrayal was just ridiculous. Not to mention, typically when I watch a documentary there is usually in depth research and/or historical facts and interviews from educated experts. This was just the same random jargon I hear from gardeners, fast food cashiers, etc., that does not support the premise of the film, which is, why we need Mexicans. Though, it seemed the film was more about why we need illegal immigrants. There was very little portrayal of Mexican Americans and their contributions and primarily about California farm workers, maids and the Mexicans that work in restaurants.The film portrayed all Americans as over privileged and ridiculously incompetent, who were incapable of performing menial tasks. They also portrayed them as Arian with blond hair and blue eyes, and the women were dumb and all wanted Mexican men and the white men were all racist jerks. One of the blond woman was also portrayed as an idiot who was a teacher, who took care of the kids, doted on her Mexican musician husband who was in a garage band, who implicated that he either had something going on with his hot Mexican backup singer or soon would. Not to mention, I'm assuming she somehow bought this house on her teacher's salary and supports the family since being a musician isn't exactly profitable. Meanwhile, she had a one night fling with her white neighbor. The other blond woman did indecent things to her Mexican boyfriend in his car. They only message I got from this is that white women are loose and that Mexican men should be with other Mexicans.Since I do have a Mexican American brother-in-law and cousin, along with nieces and nephews, it would have been nice to see something that did give insight, was educational and was not racist towards white people. Not to mention, it would have been nice to see at least one Mexican who was ethical and who was a business owner or held an important job, instead of giving the message that a Mexican can grow up to be a fruit picker, a musician who depends on his wife, or a weather man.The film started out mildly entertaining and gave you some insight and empathy, which is why I gave it 4 stars, but then it spiraled into something vapid, uninspiring and lacking in emotion.Not to mention, anyone can make a case for anything by using statistics they find on the Internet, but not backing them up with history, the whole story or credible experts makes them pointless and useless. For example, saying the Mexicans...or illegal immigrants, which this film was mainly about, should be here because California and other states used to be part of Mexico is like saying you should let Germany keep the majority of Europe it conquered in World War II, or that we should let England have the United States back since they founded it, or that we should give the country back to the American Indians and leave since they were here first. Not to mention, Mexico sold California to the United States, so, why does this argument keep coming back up? Why? Because people just regurgitate what they want to think in order to justify something that they haven't bothered to even crack open a book and read about.The film gave a bunch of random statistics and implicated that illegal workers fill jobs that California Americans are too incompetent and entitled to do. I grew up in several upper middle class communities in California, the South and the East Coast and all of these jobs that the film says we can not do were done by white or African Americans. In fact, I don't recall anyone having a maid or a gardener. The mothers took care of their kids, cleaned their own house and the husband and wife did the yard work or hired high school kids to do it. All other jobs they portrayed Americans as too incompetent to do where done by high school kids. Not to mention, the high school kids were always friendly and courteous. The Mexicans who fill these jobs in California are not friendly, courteous or helpful. They all look worn out and depressing and like the customer is the reason for their misery. In most cases you will get terrible service, if your item is defective they will try to con you into thinking that's how it's supposed to be, rather than just helping you, or they short change you or scam money out of your bank account with the "cash" button. It's gotten to the point where I am more than willing to pay more money elsewhere that I know I can get a quality product and great customer service with friendly faces. The number one export to Mexico from illegal immigrants is the American dollar, in the billions. And the cost to the California tax payer to support them is actually staggering, in health care, auto insurance, schools, prisons, unemployment, crime, amongst numerous programs. When a politician or economist brings up concrete and real statistics they are called a racist. The topic of money is purely numbers and economics and has nothing to do with race or gender. I would have liked solid points to show me some insight and empathy and their actual way of life. Instead this film was just vapid, heavily biased and not well researched.

From the question what would Americans do without mexicans to do the jobs they perform? was born this movie (and form a documentary that director Arau did about the same subject). The premise might be good, but the doing goes all the way wrong, and for many reasons. Un día sin mexicanos starts OK, but once it downhill nothing can stop it. From the acting to the inevitable cliché and the soap opera twists, this is a train wreck. Besides, it never decides whether to be a comedy, a farsic documentary, a prolatino manifesto or a sci-fi experience. This film just engross the list of movies that goes just halfway through. Even reality show elements are throwed in the mix, maybe in an attempt to make a better point on its self proclaimed parody, or maybe because it ran out of ideas. It doesn't matter how willing you try to get into it, its own production values take you out in a flat second. This film just fall short to the what if? premise.

I could barely get through this racist piece of crap. Let's see. Here's a poorly made film that abruptly stops to splash "facts" on the screen that are either half-truths or just outright falsehoods. What's so ironic is that the entire thrust of this film is designed to illustrate the importance of Latinos in California. Instead, it simply perpetuates the hideous stereotype that whites are privileged racists and that all Latinos are saints.Above and beyond all that, it's boring as hell. If you want propaganda go watch something like "Triumph of the Will". At least Leni Riefenstahl could operate a camera. As for this, don't waste your time.Oh, and for the record, I've seen white people work in fields, wash dishes and operate vacuum cleaners. They've been doing it in the south for eons.

This movie is not original material. Or maybe I should say it is not an original idea. After you view this movie and come to your own opinion, do me a favor. Check out a play written in 1965 by Douglas Turner Ward. The play is entitled, "A Day of Absence". The play was written in 1965, and precedes this movie by 40 years. The play was performed, at that time, by The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. Ward was not only the playwright, he also performed in the play. A Day of Absence is a classic play written from a Black perspective. The plot is self-explanatory and the play itself is hilarious. But, as a warning. see the movie first and read Douglas Turner Ward's play afterwords.