Parents' Guide to The Wall of Mexico

This unusual political allegory comes off a little heavy-handed and obvious, but the lush, honeyed cinematography balances the mood, and it emerges as an interesting, somewhat timely curiosity. The Wall of Mexico is pretty clearly the reverse of the idea of the United States building a wall along the Mexican border to keep the "have nots" away from the "haves." But the movie seems to have a hard time staying focused. Whenever Don goes into town for supplies, he hears racist remarks about the Aristas, which may be mixed up with jealousy about their wealth. And Mariel Hemingway shows up as the mayor to protest the Aristas' actions, but these moments don't really provide an interesting counterpoint to the allegory.

The plotline about the daughters also seems to go nowhere, simply offering a few moments of debauchery here and there. But there are some things that make The Wall of Mexico worth a look. Lyn Moncrief's clever cinematography does wonders to help tie things together, creating a dreamy look and feel, as if all that Champagne that Tania and Ximena drink was affecting the movie itself. It's also encouraging to see so many Latinx actors cast in nonstereotypical roles. Best of all is Morales, a great actor who made his mark in La Bamba and is deserving of a much more high-profile career.