Marking the directorial debut of Sergio Arau, son of Like Water for Chocolate director Alfonso Arau, A Day Without a Mexican ponders the potentially catastrophic results that would occur if California-based Mexicans, who make up over a third of the state's population, were to suddenly disappear. The mockumentary postulates that the lack of Latino gardeners, nannies, cooks, policeman, maids, teachers, farm workers, construction crews, entertainers, athletes, and the world's largest growing
consumer market would create a social, political, and economic disaster, leaving the concept of the "California Dream" in shambles. A Day Without a Mexican proved controversial even before its release: promotional billboards reading "On May 14th, there will be no Mexicans in California" caused a stir with immigrant rights groups, who believed the sign was a statement against the Latino community. The film stars Yareli Arizmendi, John Getz, Maureen Flannigan, and Muse Watson. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
The movie in its extended version is frequently muddled, emotionally messy, a little heavy-handed and misses the real opportunity presented by the new format.
'Tiene la honestidad de ser una divertida y, por momentos compleja, denuncia de los maltratos y desprecio a los que son sometidos nuestros compatriotas en el extranjero'
For the first hour director Arau ... and his co-writer and wife, actress Arizmendi, negotiate the story's tricky mix of comedy, social satire and science fiction with surprising aplomb.
As many times you consider A Day Without a Mexican a crude and underdeveloped parody, there are moments that it vindicates itself with on-the-money situations.
Like a Saturday Night Live skit that plays for 2 hours. I'm glad that Sergio Arau shows how if Mexicans were to dissapear all the low level jobs would have to be done by white people. Thatnks for setting back any progress Mexican Americans have made with your unfunny movie.
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