Director: Andrés León Becker & Javier Solar
Release date: 2006
Contains spoilers
Vampires, as I often say, get everywhere and this Mexican family drama, titled in English
More Than Anything in the World, is an example of that. Ostensibly a drama about the tensions between a single mother, Emilia (Elizabeth Cervantes), and her young daughter, Alicia (Julia Urbini), as mother copes with pressures of being a single parent, wanting her own life, a touch of depression (it would seem) but loving her daughter also – yet there is an entire vampire plot within, though it is a belief in vampires rather their actual existence.
As such the film is a curious mix of Hallmark (though of a higher quality than much from that stable) and vampire genre and so is not going to be high on the watch lists of many visitors to TMtV. Yet it is competently made and carried remarkably well by child actress Julia Urbini.
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| moving in |
The family drama sees Emilia split with her lover and move her and her daughter into a new apartment (a fixer upper). Alicia’s father is estranged and, we are told, not living in Mexico. The drama follows issues around getting to school on time, holding down a job as a one parent family, Emilia’s depression and need for a male companion and the tensions between mother and daughter. It is told from Alicia’s point of view and, as such, is brave as it needs shorthand character building for Emilia and also it rests a large burden for success on the young actress.
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| Juan Carlos Colombo as Hector |
But we’re not interested in that aspect so much as the vampire side. We meet early on Hector (Juan Carlos Colombo) – he is never named in film – who is at the doctor’s undergoing tests. He is ill (we assume cancer) and it is so progressed it is inoperable and terminal. He lives on the same floor as the primary characters and there is no interaction as such – they meet in a lift and he doesn’t engage with Emilia. However their apartments have windows facing each other and they can hear what goes on in each domicile.
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| Elizabeth Cervantes as Emilia |
Alicia hears noises on the first night – Hector being sick – and becomes convinced that there is a monster. At school, her best friend suggests that there were vampires in her old apartment and that it is likely vampires in hers. Alicia becomes more and more scared (at one point sleeping under her bed) but Emilia, unaware due to her own issues, is dismissive and believes her daughter to be just acting up. So the drama roles on with the presence of the ‘vampire’ always in Alicia’s mind and soon coalescing into being the sickly looking Hector. She becomes convinced her mother has been bitten (a hicky from a lover) and is possessed.
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| film in film |
The possession aspect is introduced after she watches the film Vampire Republic, with some nice Mexican vampire Black and White footage. Her friend’s sister is a Goth and sends Alicia a cross – placing it over the vampire’s heart, whilst he sleeps, will slay the vampire and save her mother. Of course there isn’t really any further lore as the vampire is a vulnerable, poorly old man. As for the film itself – as mentioned Julia Urbini really manages to carry the film through but it might not be your cup of tea given the primary subject matter. However for a competent, well drawn film of that genre I’ll suggest
6 out of 10.
The imdb page is
here.
On DVD @ Amazon US
On DVD @ Amazon UK
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