National Mechanics (Spanish:Mecánica nacional) is a 1972 Mexican comedy film filmed in May 1971 with locations near the free highway to Cuernavaca, and directed and written by Luis Alcoriza. It was released in Mexico City on December 28, 1972.[1][2]
| National Mechanics | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Luis Alcoriza |
Release date |
|
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | Spanish |
Synopsis and TV sequel
An owner of a mechanic's shop who is a car racing enthusiast (Manolo Fábregas) goes to attend one of the races in the company of his family and friends. Among the excesses, the commotion and chaotic partying, he is cheated on by his wife (Lucha Villa), his daughter (Alma Muriel) has sex with the groom, and his mother, the grandmother of the family (Sara García), dies from stomach congestion.
A sequel was made in 1972 as a television series starring David Reynoso and Lucha Villa, and it ran for only a few episodes. It was titled Telemecánica nacional (National Telemechanics in English). The cast was completed by Nubia Martí and Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo. In the first chapter, the family came with the corpse of the grandmother. Since they had taken her sitting in the car, she was in a stiff position unable to straighten her up, so they did all manner of things to fit her body in the coffin.
Partial cast
- Manolo Fábregas as Eufemio
- Lucha Villa as Isabel
- Héctor Suárez as Gregorio
- Sara García as Doña Lolita
- Alma Muriel as Rosarito
- Pancho Córdova as Güero Corrales
- Aurora Clavel as Sábanas wife
- Alejandro Ciangherotti as Lalo
- Fabián Aranza as El Apache
- Fernando Casanova as Rogelio
- Pilar Bayona as Blond Girl in White
- Carlos Piñar as Blond guy in white
- Gloria Marín as Dora
- Maritza Olivares as Paulina
- Fabiola Falcón as Laila
- Eduardo López Rojas as Don Chava
- Federico Curiel as Nando
- Sergio Calderón as El Manchas
- Alejandra Mora as Secretary
- Elsa Cardiel as Secretary
- Luis Manuel Pelayo as TV director
- Patricio Castillo as El Sábanas
- Paco Ignacio Taibo as Ceferino
- Mari Carmen Taibo as Ceferino's wife
- Betty Meléndez as Woman from Asturias
- Beatriz Fernández as Woman from Asturias
- Miguel Zaragoza as Man from Asturias
- Francisco Llopis as Man from Asturias
- Margarita Villegas as Don Chava's wife
- Yolanda Ponce as Manchas wife
- Amira Cruzat as Nando's wife
- Carlos León as Marcos, Rogelio's friend
- Ramiro Orci as Iceman
- Rodolfo Sánchez Loya as TV announcer
- Víctor Alcocer as Gorilón
Release
The film was released in Mexico City a year and a half after it was shot. It was ranked 74th on the list of the 100 best Mexican films, according to the opinion of 25 critics and film specialists in Mexico, as published by Somos magazine in July 1994.[3]
Release history
| International publication date | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country | Title | Date |
 Mexico | Mecánica nacional | December 28, 1972 |
 France | Mécanique nationale | January 8, 1975 |
 Spain | Mecánica nacional | January 28, 1977 |
 Hungary | Autós hétvége | October 27, 1977 (Filmmúzeum) |
 Poland | March 1978 | |
Awards
Ariel Awards
The Ariel Awards are awarded annually by the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences in Mexico. Mecánica Nacional received five awards out of 10 nominations.[4]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15th Ariel Awards | Mecánica Nacional (tied with El Castillo de la Pureza and Reed, México Insurgente) | Best Picture | Won |
| Luis Alcoriza | Best Direction | Won | |
| Lucha Villa | Best Actress | Won | |
| Héctor Suárez | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |
| Gloria Marín | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Luis Alcoriza | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |
| Best Original Story | Won | ||
| Carlos Savage | Best Editing | Won | |
| Manuel Fontanals | Best Scenography | Nominated |
References
Bibliography
- Mora, Carl J. Mexican Cinema: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2004. McFarland & Co, 2005.
External links
- Mecánica nacional at IMDb
- Technical information at ITESM's Mexican cinema page (in Spanish)
