One of the most iconic and influential films to come out of Mexico is Alfonso Cuaron’s road trip drama, Y Tu Mama Tambien. Now imagine swapping the sex fuelled narrative of Cuaron’s picture, for a morally challenging revenge tale (that still features 2 males and one female characters), and that serves as the backdrop for the tense character driven drama, Upon Open Sky.
Upon Open Sky is filmmaking family affair involving the collaboration between sibling directors Mariana and Santiago Arriaga and their acclaimed screenwriter father Guillermo Arriaga (21 Grams, Babel), as they tell the story of two brothers, Fernando and Salvador, who are still in immense grief over a year after their father shockingly died in a brutal car accident.
As the brothers attempt to come into adulthood without the guidance of their father, they must also adjust to the arrival of a stepfather, and stepsister, of whom the latter becomes an immediate fascination for the brothers.
What the brothers have kept secret for the last year, is that they have been trying to track down the man responsible for their father’s death, and when his identity and location becomes available, an opportunity to take a road trip into the United States to confront the source of their grief.
The gritty landscape of the desert plains and rugged setting of Upon Open Sky enhances the grittiness of this coming-of-age tale. There’s never a moment in this story that feels clean cut, as the uncaged emotions of grieving teenagers, who are also on the journey of self-discovery outside of this traumatic event, often fuel every decision that the brothers make. Mix that with a stepsister who’s own rebellious streak enhances the adrenaline of the experience offers a unique perspective into the idea of revenge, especially from the perspective of characters who may not totally understand all the ramifications of their intended actions.
The drama of Upon Open Sky lies solely within the interactions and conversations with the siblings, as their differing life experiences coincide to create the foundations of their growing identities. As the film goes on, it becomes less of a revenge drama, and more of a heartbreaking entrance into adulthood, and the three lead performances from the young cast work in service of the story.
About halfway through the film, without spoiling too much, the goal of this journey is achieved, and the stakes increase exponentially, fuelling the intensity of the narrative even more so, making the relationships and scenario more volatile. However, despite the morality tale of Upon Open Sky is blown wide open for exploration, some of the more tender moments that created the intrigue into these characters is pushed to the side in favour of thrills, tension, and uncertainty. While it is for the most part engaging, it also feels tonally inconsistent, a movie of two distinct parts, affecting the overall pacing of the film.
Upon Open Sky is another great example of Mexican filmmakers’ abilities to take the coming-of-age story and add some brutal emotionality to it with an intense, no-limits narrative. While the second of half of the film feels tonally differing to its opening half, there is still a solid, gripping amount of tension within the narrative to keep audiences on their edge of the seats right until the closing credits.
Upon Open Sky is playing at the 2024 HSBC Spanish Film Festival. You can find more information and session times here.
