Ariel Mateluna Movies
The principal players behind the Chilean martial arts hit Kiltro reunite for this action-packed tale of a young orphan who grows up to be a vigilante crime fighter. Maco (Marko Zaror) was just a young boy when his family became the victims of a violent home invasion that resulted in the death of his parents and rendered his younger brother nearly catatonic. Years later, Maco pays regular visits to his brother in a nearby mental institution, and pays his bills by working as a bouncer in a seedy strip club. Every minute of Maco's spare time is dedicated to perfecting his skills as a martial artist so that he can never be victimized again. One night, after stumbling across a home invasion in progress, Maco instinctively leaps into action - saving a woman from being raped and triggering a fateful series of events. As fate would have it, the would-be rape victim was actually a prominent television reporter, and decides to pay tribute to her savior during a live television broadcast. Upon seeing the report, Maco's younger brother begins to experience visions of superheroes that instill him with a newfound sense of hope and mysteriously improve his condition. Recognizing that the only way to save his brother may be to transform himself into the hero that the media has made him out to be, Maco dons a homemade mask and begins fighting crime on the streets. Meanwhile, a well-meaning buffoon sets out to become Maco's official sidekick, and the reporter gradually sheds her earnest façade in a series of sensationalistic news reports aimed solely at grabbing ratings. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marko Zaror, Maria Elena Swett, (more)
Political unrest helps spawn and destroy a friendship between two schoolboys in this drama. In Chile in 1973, as the leadership of socialist president Salvador Allende was coming under fire from the nation's military leaders and the leaders of several powerful Western nations (including the United States), many in the country were inspired to address the issues of the vast gulf between Chile's rich and poor. Father McEnroe (Ernesto Malbran), one of the headmasters of an exclusive private school, decides to confront this matter by giving a handful of poor children a full scholarship. Pedro Machuca (Ariel Mateluna) is one of the new students, and while he and his fellows are picked on by the school's bullies, Pedro is a brave kid who stands his ground, and he's soon befriended by Gonzalo Infante (Matías Quer), whose rich parents live in Santiago's wealthy suburbs. Gonzalo's family is standing on shaky ground these days; his mother (Aline Küppenheim) is having an affair, and his father (Francisco Reyes) finds himself at odds with her increasingly right-wing political views. Gonzalo begins spending more time with Pedro and his family; he particularly likes Uncle Willi (Alejandro Trejo), who cheerfully sells flags to Chileans on both sides of the political fence, and develops a crush on Silvana (Manuela Martelli), Pedro's older cousin. But the political and economic differences that are dividing the country find their way into the school, leading to a rift between the two friends. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matías Quer, Ariel Mateluna, (more)
