U2 for a
show in his hometown of Monterrey. To finance the event, he coerces his
girlfriend Gloria (Martha Higareda) into a scheme in which they place a
bogus $500,000 bet with local mob boss Moro (Dino Garcia) on a soccer
match. They lose, yet are saved by the mobster’s son, Tony (Jaime
Camil), who so loves U2 that he prays to a little statuette of lead singer Bono in
his car. Given a week’s reprieve, Claudio and Tony set out to make
their joint dream come true — creditor oddly helping debtor through a
careening kaleidoscope of sticky business dealings.

Writer-director Fernando Kalife’s 7 Dias rides into the States on a
crest of interest in Mexican cinema largely affirmed by last year’s
acclaim for Pan’s Labyrinth, Children of Men, and Babel, which
collectively rang up 16 Oscar nominations. It has the advantage of some
rooted specificity: U2 granted the project limited rights and music
licenses, though Kalife originally shot without them, making for some
disconnected scenes. But it is Camil’s colorful performance — part
gruff goomba, part oversized man-child — which gives the movie the
occasional bounce in its step.

Fatally, though, much action of consequence is constructed around
universally held regard for Claudio’s deceased brother, a character
whom we never glimpse, nor really understand Claudio’s relationship
with. This, combined with Tony’s vibrancy, render Claudio a cipher in
his own story. The film’s quick-reversal ending, too, is a cheap
gambit, hardly earned and even less understood. With a lot more visual
flair and some sense of real danger, this could be a
south-of-the-border Guy Ritchie flick, but with heart. As is, it’s a
diverting cultural curio, pretty much gone from your mind the moment it
ends. To view the review in its original capsule form, from CityBeat, click here and scroll down.