Review: 7 Días

Bono need not appear in a film for his massive-sized ego to be felt.

7 Días

Bono need not appear in a film for his massive-sized ego to be felt. In Fernando Kalife’s 7 Días, his persona is so pervasive and revered that the mere mention of U2 saves Claudio Caballero (Eduardo Arroyuelo) from getting shot execution-style in the head. Claudio is trying to bring U2 to Mexico but blows his $500,000 capital on a lousy bet. He’s allowed seven days to deliver the money he owes because Tony Zamacona (Jaime Camil) happens to think Bono is a saint (the bobbly-headed toy of the singer he has in his car even has a halo around its head) and U2 is “the greatest band in the world.” (Guess no one in Mexico has listened to the band’s post-Pop output.) While people have been known to take their U2 obsessions to disturbingly outrageous levels (seriously, who are these schmucks who keep nominating Bono for the Nobel Peace Prize?), this idol worship isn’t up for inspection throughout 7 Días, which chooses to wallow in it instead. Tony appears to be a substitute for the cute and sweet Claudio’s deceased older brother, from whom Claudio has picked up the concert-promoter baton, but the loosey-goosey buddy scenario the story contrives lacks serious nuance. Claudio’s experience trying to book U2 doesn’t resonate as an emotional extension of his grief over his brother’s death but as a lesson plan for prospective promoters. Indeed, for much of its running time, 7 Días doesn’t even exude the feeling of something that would play in a theater. It’s something you might watch in a business class, and who wants to do that when they can go to a U2 concert and hear Bono pontificate instead?

Score: 
 Cast: Eduardo Arroyuelo, Julio Bracho, Jaime Camil, Lumi Cavazos, Beto Duevas, Roberto D'Amico, Jorge de la Garza, Martha Higareda, Jose Maria Martinez, Sofía Vergara  Director: Fernando Kalife  Screenwriter: Fernando Kalife  Distributor: Videocine  Running Time: 95 min  Rating: NR  Year: 2005  Buy: Video

Ed Gonzalez

Ed Gonzalez is the co-founder of Slant Magazine. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle, his writing has appeared in The Village Voice, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications.

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