Starring Gael Garc铆a Bernal, Alfredo Castro
Directed by Pablo Larra铆n
As wildly entertaining as it is intellectually rigorous, Pablo Larra铆ns No suggests that truth in advertising is all well and good but sometimes its only the suppression of awful truths that powers a high-stakes campaign to victory. Case in point: 1988s Chilean national referendum which offered voters two options: Yes if they wanted Augusto Pinochet to continue his dictatorial reign; No if they wished to explore more democratic options.
Filming in garish period-appropriate video, Pablo Larra铆n transports us back to this key moment in Chilean history and introduces the man charged with spearheading the No camps media campaign: progressive adman Ren茅 Saavedra (Gael Garc铆a Bernal in a role that utilizes both his compelling intensity and natural charisma).
While liberal politicians want to emphasize Pinochets human rights violations, Ren茅 counters that playing on peoples fears will accomplish nothing. Instead, they need to sell them on the fantasy of a new Chile.
As Ren茅 stocks the No TV spots with catchy jingles and inane images, Larra铆ns film boldly asserts that the path to victory is frequently blazed with compromise and offers little in the way of moral satisfaction.
While some will undoubtedly label No as cynical, clear-eyed seems a more suitable descriptor. Particularly given its complex portrayal of Ren茅, who initially takes on the job for the challenge it represents and the opportunity to upstage his boss (Alfredo Castro) whos a consultant for the Yes side. As his political resolve deepens, however, he likewise realizes that he may simply be a single-use cog in the democratic machine.
Consequently, a story hinging on a yes-or-no answer ends on an intriguingly ambiguous note.
