Following his critically acclaimed directorial debut, Güeros (2014), Alonso Ruizpalacios’ second feature re-imagines the story of one of the most notorious heists in Mexico’s history. In 1985, two students managed to pull off an unimaginably ambitious crime, looting over one hundred priceless artifacts from the National Museum of Anthropology and confounding authorities. Museo strays a bit from factual accuracy in order provide an engaging insight into the personal journeys of the unlikely criminal masterminds of this outrageous national embarrassment. With a deftly executed thread of caustic comedy, this entertaining heist thriller proves to be a daring yet successful sophomore film for Ruizpalacios.
Still living in their parents’ houses in the outskirts of Mexico City, thirty-something-year-old Juan (Gael García Bernal) and his best friend Wilson (Leonardo Ortizgris) can’t seem to graduate veterinary school. Tired of their humdrum existence in suburbia, the pair cook up a madcap idea to steal some of the country’s most treasured historical relics. After celebrating Christmas Eve with their families, Juan and Wilson sneak off into the night, armed with a tool bag and some makeshift balaclavas. They hop the fence of the film’s titular museum and, as they make towards the loot, the camera barrel rolls to follow them, marking the point at which their lives are turned upside down. From the outset, it is clear that Juan and Wilson are not professionals; their own ability to pick locks comes as a surprise. Ruizpalacios provides a well-balanced blend of tension and comedy through the farcical yet anxiety-inducing amateurism that punctuates the pair’s entire criminal operation, from the heist itself to their futile attempts to flog their stolen wares. When a potential buyer (Simon Russell Beale) asserts that Juan and Wilson are “boys, not crooks,” we are once again made painfully aware that these two are in over their heads. In a devastating realization, they discover that the only value of the treasure is in its cultural significance; its pricelessness ultimately renders it unsellable.
Ostensibly, museums are constituent of an imperial hangover, filled with stolen artifacts, and in the film, there are suggestions that Juan might be seeking to avenge some cultural injustice through this act of grand larceny; assuming a Robin-Hood-like role, thieving to right the world’s wrongs and give back to the people. When things get rough, however, Juan abandons any semblance of a noble cause and it seems like he would do anything to free himself of the relics burning a hole in his backpack.
Bernal has an abiding youthfulness that lends itself so well to the character of Juan, who is essentially an overgrown teenager hoping to prove something through a grandiose act of rebellion. Bernal’s quick wit and morbid sarcasm play well against his co-star Ortizgris, who excels as a somewhat reticent sidekick with strong family values that contrasts Juan’s often brash individualism.
Offering a glimpse of locations never-before-filmed, the beautiful cinematography and sharp editing of this film mean that it’s as visually stimulating as it is narratively. Museo is stylish, witty, and extremely watchable. Clearly, Ruizpalacios is establishing himself as a filmmaker that deserves our attention.
Score: 4/5