Mistura – Spanish for Mixture: blend, combination, incorporation of various elements or things.
This is a beautiful film. The story is not a unique one by any means, but it is gorgeous, tenderly told and expertly performed.
The film begins with the preparation of a breakfast tray. Over the elaborate, beautiful detail we hear the overvoice of Norma (Barbara Mori – “Lost in the Night”), speaking about her upbringing and how she always conformed herself to the desires of her father and her husband.
It’s 1965 and we are in the elite Miliflores neighborhood of Lima, Peru. Norma lives in a pampered bubble. She is French, but lives here because her late father was the French ambassador and her husband’s prominence puts her at the top of Lima’s social pyramid, far above the non-white domestic servants she rules with icy arrogance.
However, today she found out that her husband has deserted her for a younger, more attractive woman. The blow is intolerable and, in her pain and inbred contempt for them, she insults her cook and driver/butler. The cook leaves, mortally insulted.
Within days things get worse as Norma discovers she is beginning to be shunned by her social friends and will lose her house to the bank within a few months. She has no income and few reserves.
The situation forces her to come to terms with this new reality and the bubble she lived in but which now has burst. It’s a slow process, learning that those around her have value in themselves instead of what they can provide as servants.
This film is in Spanish with subtitles, but it flows so smoothly, and the acting, especially the facial expressions, will soon have you ignoring that minor irritation.
The two principals, Mori and Cesar Ballumbrosio as her driver, Oscar, are supurb, but there is not a false note among the other performers. The direction and script by Ricardo de Montreuil (“Lowriders”) is to be envied by many more familiar names. He has given us an intimate portrait of the evolution of a stunted personality toward being a fully realized human being.
The writing and performances are equally served by the cinematography (Nicolas Wong – “Amor el es Monstruo”), which is lush and detailed.
Finally the music! Gorgeous and rich. Beautifully meshing with the visual elements.
This Peruvian film truly is mistura – a perfect blending of elements to produce a entertainment experience far beyond its individual parts. If you go to one foreign language film this year, “Mistura” should be it! You may not be able to find it at the local multiplex, but it should be available for streaming after it makes its festival runs.
Runtime: One hour, 41 minutes
Availability: Various film festivals, eventually streaming on VOD
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