IT’S BETTER IF GABRIELA DOESN’T DIE (MEJOR ES QUE GABRIELA NO SE MUERA) World Cinema: Latin Showcase

Have you ever met someone and then forgotten they ever existed? That’s what happens to telenovella writer Miguel (Mauricio Isaac), who talks his way out of a ticket by supplying the policeman with ‘inside information’ about a future plotline. Unfortunately , Bracho (Dagoberto Gama) is a cop with an inflated self-image , and when Miguel ‘s tip proves false the lawman blames Miguel for his loss of face.

First-time director Sergio Umansky weaves this tightly constructed plot into a surprisingly emotional comedy. The director keeps his focus on his characters, and the first-rate cast delivers a lot of hilarity along the way.

The film was made with the loving eye of someone who both loves telenovellas and recognizes their inherent ridiculousness. But, more importantly, he understands their power as cultural currency, and their power to echo and underscore the dramas and tensions of the workaday world. As Bracho’s fury turns to violent action, the ‘real world’ of the film transforms: colors pop music cues explode from nowhere and bizarre ‘twists’ somehow seem reasonable, even logical. As we travel through Umansky’s looking glass, or perhaps his cathode-ray tube, we understand we are in the hands of an emerging master.