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Money talks
First impressions can sometimes be deceiving, as in the case of this slick Colombian crime thriller. During the opening scenes a man is seen walking his dog in a lush, picturesque forest, but the tranquil mood suddenly changes when he stumbles upon a harsh and gruesome sight that probably was commonplace at the time of Count Dracula, but most definitely not in this century: A horribly burned man impaled on a large, wooden pole. But don't let these initial and decidedly disturbing images fool you, - Perder Es Cuestión de Método may be a bizarre murder mystery but is first and foremost still about delivering a funny and enjoyable ride peppered with sexy encounters and bad guys with guns, and with some biting and cynical social comments weaved into the convoluted plot.
Víctor Silampa (Daniel Giménez Cacho) isn't exactly on a winning streak. He's a down-on-his-luck journalist who's on the rebound after an emotionally difficult break-up, he suffers from a bad case of diarrhea and is in dire need of a good story to get him back on track, so when the local chief of police (Carlos Benjumea) hands him the grisly details on the impalement guy, he's desperate enough to delve deeper into the matter. But there's not that much to go on - the body is so disfigured and molested beyond recognition it's virtually impossible to make a positive identification, but while trying to conjure up a successful lead he meets Estupiñán (César Mora) who's out looking for his lost brother, and then the two decide to team up in order to establish the identity of this John Doe character.
Their collaborative efforts first lead them to a lurid bordello, 'Bar Lolita', where Victor takes an instant liking to the seductive, young prostitute Quica (a radiant, endearing and completely irresistible Martina García in her feature film debut) - and his feelings are returned. But as their relationship evolves and Victor manages to uncover some information about the mystery victim, he realizes that the whole case revolves around a missing deed for a valuable piece of property that many interested parties want to get their dirty hands on, among others the councilman Esquilache (Víctor Mallarino) and the engineer Vargas Vicuña (Jairo Camargo). Add to this equation the ruthless, local gangster Tiflis (Humberto Dorado), who just happens to be the owner of the 'Bar Lolita', then not only Victor but also Quica suddenly find themselves in extremely hot water.
Like it says in the song during the opening credits the story takes place in a society that seems infested with corruption and where the poorest have to suffer from it. Money is handed over under the counter in one shady deal after another, there's no such thing as honesty, loyalty or friendship and at the end of the day everybody just wants to feather his own nest and no one is clean - not even the highest authorities. So our male and female protagonists apart, there really aren't that many people to root for, and since most of the additional cast is a calculating, conniving lot who's constantly trying to scheme one another, it's sometimes rather difficult to figure out who's working with who. Eventually the plot gets so complicated, that Victor has to explain the true facts of the case to us viewers - twice.
But even though Perder Es Cuestión de Método has all the right ingredients and thus great potential for some true fireworks, the movie never really kicks into high gear, and besides a lack of snappy dialogs, director Sergio Cabrera's handling of his material is way too anonymous and conventional to be truly satisfying. That said, the pacing is always brisk, and save for a couple of the supporting actors - Gustavo Angarita as the brilliant, but unstable mental patient Guzmán is 'Hannibal Lecter light' at best, and as Victor's bumbling sidekick César Mora is merely amusing and actually most effective when he isn't supposed to be funny - the cast is quite good, but it's the engaging, sympathetic and believable lead performances from Cacho and exotic García that stand out and provide the story's true, human anchor, making sure that interest is maintained throughout.
Though inferior to another recent Latin American thriller, the hardboiled, tongue-in-cheek and exceptionally steamy Los Debutantes from Chile, Perder Es Cuestión de Método still qualifies as competent entertainment with a brash sense of humor and more than enough pizzazz to put it ahead of many contemporary movies of its ilk - e.g. the final monologue is a hoot and the skin-sational segment at the nudist resort is a hilarious, audacious highlight that you'll be hard pressed to find in most American mainstream productions today (don't even mention Halle Berry's over-hyped, unmotivated and fleeting flash scene in the ludicrous and idiotic Swordfish). Not without its share of flaws, but good (and liberal) fun nevertheless - and dig that catchy, sensual theme song. 
René Pedersen, February 19th, 2006
Picture: 9/10
Image quality on this release from Cameo is very pleasant indeed. Print damage is non-existing, you'll have to look hard for film grain, and apart from a few moments that suffer from very slight softness, the sharpness stays strong throughout, as does the high level of detail. Blacks are deep and stable, and even if the colors occasionally could have benefited from a bit more oomph, they are definitely satisfying enough and the perfectly rendered skin tones look natural and lifelike. Problems with compression artifacts were never an issue. The movie is presented in an anamorphically enhanced aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
Sound: 9/10
The only sound option available is the original Spanish soundtrack presented here in a superb Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix, that never reveals the slightest hint of distortion or hissing. The dialog as well as the crisp sound effects always come through nice and clear, most of the action takes place in the front speakers where there's a lot of movement, and while the surround speakers are mostly used for ambience, they sporadically come to life in great style with some well placed effects - in particular when the music starts playing, and then you also get to feel the solid, deep and controlled low-frequency signals from the subwoofer. Not the most aggressive of soundtracks, to be sure, but excellent and very dynamic nevertheless.
Extras: 2/10
The supplementary material is limited to cast & crew credits, selected filmografies for the director Sergio Cabrera and actor Daniel Giménez Cacho (both very brief - and in Spanish only) and lastly you find the theatrical trailer (1.15 min. - no English subtitles provided).
Final thoughts:
Although lacking in spectacle, Perder Es Cuestión de Método keeps the grip on its audience and is made worthwhile thanks primarily to a couple of great efforts from its two talented leads, and with a pretty much pristine transfer, this DVD from Cameo is without a doubt the best way to go at present if you want to watch the movie within the comforts of your own home.
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