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No Movie Review

No is a 2012 Chilean historical drama film directed by Pablo Larrain and starring Gael Garcia Bernal. It’s an uneven, but emotionally effective feature.

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“I don’t like to talk about democracy as a product, excuse me“

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An advertising executive comes up with a campaign to defeat Augusto Pinochet in Chile’s 1988 referendum. This movie definitely requires some prerequisite knowledge on the history of Chile during this period and just how tumultuous it was. Pinochet was a full-fledged dictator and taking him out was a dangerous task that ultimately led to victory, but it wasn’t easy.

This movie definitely made it out to be a bit too easy and the tone is a bit too uplifting and joyous toward the end. That inspirational third act was solid, but it should have been a bit more grounded in reality. Still, the film’s emphasis on the importance of voting and public movements was powerful and a couple of scenes here were quite moving.

Gael Garcia Bernal is terrific in the main role. This is one of his career-best performances actually as he showed not just charisma, but also a lot of range as an actor. He was excellent, but I wished the movie features better defined personalities in the supporting roles as more often than not it turned into an overly one-man show.

No has that very documentarian approach to storytelling that has become quite popular in the last decade or so. It mixes footage from television and newsreels to somewhat mixed results. I actually found that footage authentic and very well edited within the plot itself, but way too often the movie would rely on those sequences to tell this story that would have been more dramatic had it been more straightforward and cinematic.

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No is gorgeously shot, very well directed as always by the capable Larrain and powerfully acted by its leading man. The score is also strong and the film’s first half is excellent at conveying a lot of tumultuous emotions and a great tone of importance but also optimism, but I just wish that the overall movie was more engaging and dramatic.

No is a Chilean historical drama that features excellent directing from the great Pablo Larrain and one of career-best performances from Gael Garcia Bernal. It’s a film that could have been more dramatic and engaging. It focuses too extensively on documentarian approach at storytelling. Still, the tone of optimism and importance is interesting while the dialogue and emotional investment are outstanding.

My Rating – 4