Mexican director Manolo Caro’s highly anticipated film “Elvira, I’d Give You My Life But I’m Using It,” (“Elvira, te daría mi vida pero la estoy usando”) premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, and is finally hitting theatres all over Mexico today. The film stars Cecilia Suarez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Carlos Bardem, Angie Cepeda and Vanessa Bauche, and follows the story of a husband whose famous last words, “I’m going to go buy cigarettes,” turn into a psychologically tangled search by his desperate wife. Just don’t expect to see what you’ve seen so far from Caro; “Elvira” is a much more raw and eye-opening approach to love than the ones we’ve seen from the director before (“No se si cortarme las venas o dejarmelas largas” and “Amor de mis amores.”) The movie will take you through a wide range of emotions including anger, laughter, and lots of compassionate choke ups.
Caro explained one of the things that drove him to write the film, was the fact that so many people in the industry still believe that movies with female leads are a niche experience, and this needs to change. In addition, he wanted to shed light on the ridiculous taboos of sexuality, and finally, the great desire to collaborate with his dear friend Cecilia Suarez.
When Suarez was asked why she loved the character, she said, “Of course working with my close friend was appealing, but most of all, it was the fact that he me a gift of this magnitude that moved me,” she explained. “I read the script in one night and, of course, I said ‘yes’ immediately. Even further, Manolo gathered an extraordinary creative family for the project, so there was really no way of saying no.”
We sat down to talk with producer Rafael Ley, director Manolo Caro and actors Luis Gerardo Mendez and Carlos Bardem. Here’s what they had to say about life and the characters of the movie:
Latin Times: Did you feel that social pressure played in as a character or as a circumstantial element in the movie?
Manolo Caro: Definitely as a character, and a very important one. It’s actually the starting point of the story since Gustavo is trapped in a world where he doesn’t feel he belongs, just because he’s trying to do what society expects of him. We also see religion and death play as characters, showing the belief system they’ve drilled into our heads and the ideas we’re brought up with, at least in Mexico.
LT: There’s a point where Elvira is no longer able to cry, why is that?
MC: I think she sees a dim light at the end of the tunnel. She gets a little attention from this guy, feels courted, and probably reconnects with her essence for a moment with her essence. I think we all have those instants while we’re going through something difficult; something happens that makes us think we might be able to make it out ok.
LT: Could Elvira have done something different to change the outcome of her situation?
Carlos Bardem: I’m not sure. I think it’s very interesting how Elvira starts out being a passive victim and then slowly takes the reigns of her life back and starts reinventing herself. This is what makes her a great character in my opinion.
LT: Luis Gerardo, do you relate to your character Ricardo? Are you the type of person who would just take off to Acapulco on an hour’s notice with a perfect stranger?
Luis Gerardo Méndez: Oh, for sure. Maybe not so much anymore, but I used to be exactly like that.
MC: If he’d said he wasn’t, I would’ve had to share a couple of stories. [Laughs]
LGM: I used to be all about intellectual and philosophical chats at school, but one of my drama teachers once told me to shut up and go live, which I took very seriously. I think as an actor it’s important to let life surprise you with adventures and unknown people. Nowadays, I think things through before doing stuff like that. I think I’ve had my share.
LT: Carlos, what would you say to those who see your character, Gustavo, as the villain?
CB: Well, it’s the same things I used to build the character that humanize him. I was telling Manolo I believe no one does things for no reason whatsoever; no one simply decides to leave his family out of the blue; there’s always a process behind an action like that. But perhaps Gustavo is the bad guy, because he’s been lying to everyone, including himself. But he’s a human being and needs to be seen from that perspective.
LT: Manolo, if you could be invisible and listen to what people had to say about the movie when they’re coming out of the theatre, what would you like to hear?
LGM: “He’s a genius,” or “Let’s bury him in Bellas Artes.” That’s what he wants to hear but he won’t tell you. [Laughs]
MC: Well, we live in this great era of social media, where, good or bad, you always read what people have to say. We put ourselves in this glass box where you get bombarded by opinions, and that’s what we’re exposed to, so you just put on a brave face when the comments are merciless.
LT: Are there any concerns that folks from other countries might not be able to relate as well to the theme?
Rafael Ley: We did consider it a very Mexican film, so more than concerns, we didn’t know if the double standards we see in the story would translate well. But after we saw how well the film was received in Los Angeles (with very few Mexicans in the theatre), we saw that it was a much more global subject than we thought. We’ve been asked to send the movie to London and we believe it will start traveling that way for the next two years.
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