And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003 TV Movie)
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003 TV Movie)
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself is a very solid surprise. I was very fascinated with the story being told, because its one of those that is too good to be true. But yes, the story being told is indeed factual. I was concerned with whether the story will be told the proper way considered it is a television movie. For the most part, those concerns were put to rest. The HBO movie is directed by Bruce Beresford who has some expertise directing cinematic films. Remember Driving Miss Daisy? The film’s battle sequences are expertly staged and is actually quite bloody. The performances, led by Antonio Banderas, are great. I may have had some issues with the script. I am a history and film snob, so I can notice mistakes from a mile away. There are some glaring factual errors. That said, the film did manage to get the overall essence of the actual story.
Pancho Villa is one of the most recognized revolutionaries in modern history. He wanted to overthrow the Mexican government. It’s 1914, and Villa (Antonio Banderas) needed funds for guns/ammunition needed for the Mexican Revolution. He also wanted to become a movie star, so he made an offer to the studios to help produce his movie. Mutual Film Company decided to fund the project led by producer D.W Griffith (Colm Feore) and filmmaker Frank Thayer (Eion Bailey). Villa will take 50% of the film’s profit while the filmmakers film the battles in daylight. Thayer becomes close with Villa, but eventually Thayer will come to see the man Villa really is.
The performances are excellent. Antonio Banderas hammed it up as Pancho Villa, but it is the perfect role for him to do so. The one caveat is Eion Bailey, known for his role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is not the most convincing Frank Thayer. The veteran actors in the supporting cast do a great job. Alan Arkin as a machine gunner from Brooklyn kills it and Jim Broadbent as MTF’s boss adds some humor to the process. Also give a shoutout to Michael McKean who plays the film director and Kyle Chandler who plays star Raoul Walsh (a future director).
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed And Starring Pancho Villa despite some script issues. There was a romance presented here too (with Alexa Davalos) but it was a very underwhelming romance. Every time we got to see Banderas on screen, the film is given an entirely new presence. It’s a television movie, but I was surprised how well the technical aspects of the movie was. Maybe it’s because Bruce Beresford was in the director’s chair. I guess this was only a television movie because the people behind the film’s idea thought it would be lost on theatrical audiences. Well, give this film a try. You might learn a thing or two!
My Grade: B
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself is a very solid surprise. I was very fascinated with the story being told, because its one of those that is too good to be true. But yes, the story being told is indeed factual. I was concerned with whether the story will be told the proper way considered it is a television movie. For the most part, those concerns were put to rest. The HBO movie is directed by Bruce Beresford who has some expertise directing cinematic films. Remember Driving Miss Daisy? The film’s battle sequences are expertly staged and is actually quite bloody. The performances, led by Antonio Banderas, are great. I may have had some issues with the script. I am a history and film snob, so I can notice mistakes from a mile away. There are some glaring factual errors. That said, the film did manage to get the overall essence of the actual story.
Pancho Villa is one of the most recognized revolutionaries in modern history. He wanted to overthrow the Mexican government. It’s 1914, and Villa (Antonio Banderas) needed funds for guns/ammunition needed for the Mexican Revolution. He also wanted to become a movie star, so he made an offer to the studios to help produce his movie. Mutual Film Company decided to fund the project led by producer D.W Griffith (Colm Feore) and filmmaker Frank Thayer (Eion Bailey). Villa will take 50% of the film’s profit while the filmmakers film the battles in daylight. Thayer becomes close with Villa, but eventually Thayer will come to see the man Villa really is.
The performances are excellent. Antonio Banderas hammed it up as Pancho Villa, but it is the perfect role for him to do so. The one caveat is Eion Bailey, known for his role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is not the most convincing Frank Thayer. The veteran actors in the supporting cast do a great job. Alan Arkin as a machine gunner from Brooklyn kills it and Jim Broadbent as MTF’s boss adds some humor to the process. Also give a shoutout to Michael McKean who plays the film director and Kyle Chandler who plays star Raoul Walsh (a future director).
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed And Starring Pancho Villa despite some script issues. There was a romance presented here too (with Alexa Davalos) but it was a very underwhelming romance. Every time we got to see Banderas on screen, the film is given an entirely new presence. It’s a television movie, but I was surprised how well the technical aspects of the movie was. Maybe it’s because Bruce Beresford was in the director’s chair. I guess this was only a television movie because the people behind the film’s idea thought it would be lost on theatrical audiences. Well, give this film a try. You might learn a thing or two!
My Grade: B
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