Mucho Mucho Amor
— “Mucho Mucho Amor” was shown at the 2020 True/False Film Fest and, for T/F festival films, I’m giving a general reaction to the viewing experience, followed by the film’s description as it appeared on the festival website.
This was another of my festival favorites and it will be available on Netflix “later this summer.” I had no idea who Walter Mercado was, but I guess if you lived in Central and South America or watched Univision, you and 120 million other people didn’t miss his show. What makes it so surprising is that he’s something of a mashup of Joel Osteen, Liberace, and Elvis, having the popularity of a televangelist, the gender fluidity an occasional entertainer exudes, and the loyal following of a rock god. Even in his upper 80s, he could turn on the charm and light up the screen, gathering energy from and giving love and hope to his fans. It’s one of those success stories that’s hard to believe, that comes with a bit of luck and bit of disappointment. Even after his fame subsided, he remained loved and beloved. It’s a wonderful story and the film's well done with gorgeous images.
Description from the T/F website: “For 15 years, Univision’s news show ‘Primer Impacto’ closed its report not with the weekend weather or local boy makes good but with Walter Mercado, a fabulous, gender-fluid Puerto Rican astrologer who read the stars and told the future to more than 120 million viewers across Central and South America every day. As he read each sign’s horoscope, he peered into their souls and gave them hope. A classically trained Flamenco dancer, medicinal healer, and devout religious syncretist, Walter’s sartorial statements were inspired by opulent Spanish divas and the occult. A pioneering queer superhero in a cape, Walter brought joy, positivity, and magic to everything he did. So why did he mysteriously disappear?”
This was another of my festival favorites and it will be available on Netflix “later this summer.” I had no idea who Walter Mercado was, but I guess if you lived in Central and South America or watched Univision, you and 120 million other people didn’t miss his show. What makes it so surprising is that he’s something of a mashup of Joel Osteen, Liberace, and Elvis, having the popularity of a televangelist, the gender fluidity an occasional entertainer exudes, and the loyal following of a rock god. Even in his upper 80s, he could turn on the charm and light up the screen, gathering energy from and giving love and hope to his fans. It’s one of those success stories that’s hard to believe, that comes with a bit of luck and bit of disappointment. Even after his fame subsided, he remained loved and beloved. It’s a wonderful story and the film's well done with gorgeous images.
Description from the T/F website: “For 15 years, Univision’s news show ‘Primer Impacto’ closed its report not with the weekend weather or local boy makes good but with Walter Mercado, a fabulous, gender-fluid Puerto Rican astrologer who read the stars and told the future to more than 120 million viewers across Central and South America every day. As he read each sign’s horoscope, he peered into their souls and gave them hope. A classically trained Flamenco dancer, medicinal healer, and devout religious syncretist, Walter’s sartorial statements were inspired by opulent Spanish divas and the occult. A pioneering queer superhero in a cape, Walter brought joy, positivity, and magic to everything he did. So why did he mysteriously disappear?”
[2020. 96 min. Directed by Cristina Costantini and Kareem Tabsch.]
https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/mucho-mucho-amor-review-1203477886/
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