WE ARE ALL STARS
(TODAS SOMOS ESTRELLAS)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.0
Shown at the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema Running Length: 1:28 MPAA Classification: Not Rated (Mature themes)
Cast: Elide Brero, Milena Alva, Julian Legaspi, Dante Herrera,
Rebecca Raez
Director: Felipe Degregori
Producer: Monica Alpaca
Screenplay: Ronnie Temoche
Cinematography: Eduardo Davila
Distribution unknown
In Spanish with subtitles
In addition to being the name of the movie, WE ARE ALL STARS is the title of a fictional television game show broadcast daily throughout Lima, Peru. The Huambachanos, like every other family in that part of the country, are devoted to the program, watching it faithfully, dreaming of the time when their application will be accepted and they'll have a chance to earn millions. When the day finally arrives, it comes as the result of a mistake. In reality, the Huambachanos' entry form was placed in the pile for those who should never appear on the show. But a mix-up occurs and a television debut awaits Carmen and her three children.
With WE ARE ALL STARS, director Felipe Degregori attempts to take a humorous look at media manipulation in everyday life, but most of his jokes are juvenile and unfunny. Like almost all supposed satires lacking humor, this one turns out to be pretty tedious. While a half- hour on the subject might be okay, eighty-eight minutes is definitely too much. Meanwhile, we're supposed to sympathize with a family comprised of four (or five, if you count the absentee father) self- absorbed individuals with the collective appeal of ragweed.
WE ARE ALL STARS succeeds in presenting a snapshot of everyday Peruvian life, including the hardships created by desperate economic conditions. In this society, it's easy to understand the popularity of a game show offering the universal hope that anyone can win. Of course, it's all a lie, since only a certain kind of "acceptable" family has a chance of getting on the air. Ultimately, however, these interesting elements are relegated to the background. The spoof is very much at the fore -- and it's the failure of that satire which undermines the effectiveness of Degregori's feature.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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