1931. Between Us (2011)

Starring: Jesús Ochoa, Carmen Beato, Camila Risser

Director: Patricia Martínez de Velasco

Running Time: 93 mins

Between Us (Aquí entre nos) is a Mexican film about a man who, fed up of being taken advantage of by his wife and daughters, decides to stay in bed and not go to work, however this leads to major complications in his marriage and family life.

I enjoyed this film. It’s not the world’s most hilarious comedy, but it’s light-hearted and cute enough to make you smile throughout, bolstered by a very entertaining lead performance by Jesús Ochoa. What’s more is that its story, while also not the most riveting to ever grace the big screen, is simple and engaging throughout, while the fact that it actually shows a good deal of heart throughout is a delightful bonus.

First off, it’s fair to say that, as simple and light-hearted as this film is, its plot does focus on some rather more serious issues, largely surrounding the state of many modern marriages, as well as the makeup of the modern family. That means the story tows a fairly interesting line throughout, and by looking at some of those contemporary issues, it means that you can relate better to the characters’ situation than if it were just a family bickering for 90 minutes.

Of course, don’t think for a second that this is some sort of heavy, dramatic social drama, because it’s not. However, do be prepared to think a little bit deeper than some of the film’s silliest and lightest elements, because it makes for a really rewarding watch, as it brings about a really strong and genuine sense of heart in the story, which in turn does add to the film’s enjoyability and overall satisfaction it can bring you.

However, it’s the more fun, comedic side of things that is still the main focus in Between Us, and that’s just as entertaining throughout. Again, there aren’t any moments which left me in tears with laughter, however this is one of those films with a consistently strong level of comedy and a good, real-world sense of humour that allows it to be a real laugh from start to finish.

What’s more is that it manages to use its premise, about daughters and a wife taking advantage of their father and husband, in an impressively entertaining way. It’s the sort of plot outline that would seem destined to be annoying, what with a group of spoilt women frustrating one man, however the incessant bickering that we see throughout the movie between both parties, along with the fact that the man himself isn’t all that perfect, means you can have a good laugh rather than start to really grit your teeth at everything.

Finally, we come to one of the best parts of the whole movie, and that’s the lead performance from Jesús Ochoa. With a hugely energetic and comedically fantastic performance throughout, Ochoa is huge fun to watch from start to finish, excellently managing to embody his character’s frustration at his situation, as well as giving a performance that still shows he’s a man who cares about his family, rather than one who’s just fed up and grumpy and gone off the rails. He’s loud, boisterous and hilariously angry throughout, but Ochoa always makes sure that the true heart of the story shines through too, and that’s what makes him such a fantastic lead throughout this movie.

Overall, I had fun with Between Us. As I’ve said, it’s not the world’s greatest comedy, but it makes good use of its premise to both make you laugh and also smile with its consistently strong comedy and heartfelt story, all furthered by an excellent lead turn from Jesús Ochoa, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.5.