Naco es Chido

Naco es Chido is a uniquely assembled 2009 Mexican docu-mockumentary narrated by Sergio Arau, Yareli Arizmendi, and Flavia Atencio. The film presents an absurd, ingenious, and wholly original take on the world of music and pop culture, aimed to amuse movie and music enthusiasts alike. Arau, revered as an avant-garde creative powerhouse within the Mexican music and film industry, impressively manages not only the direction but also brings the movie to life, playing a crucial character.

Naco es Chido centers around Botellita de Jerez (Bottled Jerez), a highly influential and controversial rock band from Mexico that gained momentum in the 80s for their playful mockery of Mexican society. Arau was one of the founding members of this cutting-edge band. The motion picture expertly intertwines real-life events related to the band and dramatizes an imagined "what if" scenario of their successful return decades after they disbanded.

The story initiates with a faux documentary approach, embroidered with real events from the past. It establishes the band's background, their rise to fame, their notoriously flamboyant behavior, controversial lyrics, and ultimately their disbandment. The documentary format introduces the audience to the real impact the band had on Mexican music and culture. The narrative then takes a fascinating turn, pivoting into an imagined world brimming with conspiracy theories, cult following insinuations, double-dealings, and the surreal magnitude of Botellita de Jerez's triumphant return to the limelight.

The film is graced with intriguing performances from the star-studded cast. Each actor contributes a unique flavor to the film's layered narrative, with Arau leading the way both behind and in front of the camera, playing his real-life role as a singer in the band and a director of this audacious doc-fantasy. The versatile Yareli Arizmendi and Flavia Atencio deliver mesmerizing performances, fitting seamlessly into this world of eccentric characters and high-energy adventure in the music industry.

Naco es Chido is not just a tribute to the band and its societal influence but also a skillful artistic blend of reality and farcical occurrences. Interestingly, Arau uses his controversial sense of humor to mock the 'naco' stereotype – a widely known derogatory term in Mexican culture used to describe someone considered to be low-class or tacky. It proffers a fascinating exploration of cultural identity and perception, while maintaining a balanced light-hearted undertone throughout, thereby validating the translated title's argot, 'Tacky is Cool.'

Arau's directorial style complements the farcical and eccentric elements of the narrative. The film's production design underscores the decades it has leaped through, with a keen eye for detail exhibited in the usage of colors, textures, and era-specific elements. The cinematography reflects both the documentary-style realism and the surreal, heightened moments of fantasy, effectively tying together the film's unique blending of genres. The soundtrack naturally plays a pivotal role, seamlessly integrating Botellita de Jerez's original music into the storyline and showcasing the influential sound that made the band a cultural icon.

The film indulges in the occasional absurdity to a degree that is both fun and thought-provoking. Despite its divergences into fantastical territory, it never loses sight of its underlying messages about class, identity, music, and popular culture.

Naco es Chido is sincerely a film in a category of its own. It triumphantly blends elements of documentary-style storytelling with the imaginative interpretation of past events. Designed as an insightful and celebratory account of one of Mexico’s most controversial rock bands, as well as a cunning social critique of Mexican culture, it offers a fresh approach to the world of cinema, music, and art that is hard to resist. In all its eccentricity, Naco es Chido is not just a film but an experience — a celebration of music, popular culture, and what it truly means to be 'naco.'