29 Jul 2008

Bad Habits

Original Title: Malos hbitos

Director: Simon Bross

Language: Spanish with English subtitles

Starring: Ximena Ayala, Elena de Haro, Marco Antonio Trevio, Aurora Cano, Elisa Vicedo

Awards: Mayahuel Award Best Film - National Jury and Best Mexican Film, Guadalajara Mexican Film Festival Special Jury Award for First Work, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival Silver Zenith Award, Best First Feature Film, Montral World Film Festival Golden Precolumbian Circle Award Best First Work, Bogota Film Festival La Prxima Ola Jury Prize , CineVegas International Film Festival

Release: 2008-07-29

Skilfully directed and well-shot, Bad Habits is a Mexican film about people who undereat or overeat.

There is Elena (Elena de Haro), an anorexic and workout junkie who is horrified at her daughter Linda's (Elisa Vicedo) compulsive eating habits. Elena's husband (Marco Antonio Trevio), on the other hand, is a pudgy man who strikes back at his wife's desire to stay thin by having an affair with a student who shares his love of food.

Meanwhile, Matilde (Ximena Ayal) is a young nun who secretly believes that she has the power to change the course of events by prayer and abstinence. So when Mexico is hit by torrential rains that kill hundreds, Matilde decides to stop eating in the hope of stopping the rains.

Beautifully-shot and well-directed by award-winning former adman Simon Bross, Bad Habits is an intensely intimate drama with a strong cast of quirky characters. Though it is unlikely to spark any sort of debate about eating disorders it is too quirky to be taken seriously it does make for a promising debut for Simon.