Pelo malo focuses on a young boy, known only to the viewer as "Junior", and his impoverished and jobless mother, Marta. Junior's main goal in life is to straighten his hair for a class photo, while his mother's is to get a job and stay alive, a difficult goal in the slums of Caracas. The movie moves between different social commentaries, mostly focusing on sexuality in an impoverished Latin American context. While not all the acting was prime, I will say that I found myself fairly immersed in the plot of the film. From praying to what gods may be that Marta find work, to fearing for the harm that might befall Junior if he were gay, to crying at the hard (and sometimes unethical) decision Marta had to make, to sympathising with the grandmother dealing with the loss of her son in the only way she could, I found that I nearly lost myself in the story. Unfortunately, I felt that the movie essentially ignored the fascinating topic it's title and conclusion implied, that of race relations in Venezuela. Most of the run time was consumed by an odd exploration of Junior's suspected homosexuality, which in the end left the viewer both frustrated and confused. Was Junior gay? Was his mother worried about the possible harm that homosexuality could imply for Junior, or was she just disgusted by this orientation? Honestly, the movie makes it seem like either could be true depending upon the scene. In the end, I found that the movie seemed confused as to its own goals.
Pelo malo is an interesting film. Overall I would rank it very mediocre, and not the gem that reviews online led me to believe it would be. It attempts to explore complex issues of race, sexuality, and classism, all within the context of the turmoil of modern Venezuela; however, in the end the dominant theme is sexuality and the abusive nature of many adults.
Pelo malo is an interesting film. Overall I would rank it very mediocre, and not the gem that reviews online led me to believe it would be. It attempts to explore complex issues of race, sexuality, and classism, all within the context of the turmoil of modern Venezuela; however, in the end the dominant theme is sexuality and the abusive nature of many adults.