In 1985, a group of criminals mock the security of the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City to extract 140 pre-Hispanic pieces from their showcases.In 1985, a group of criminals mock the security of the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City to extract 140 pre-Hispanic pieces from their showcases.In 1985, a group of criminals mock the security of the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City to extract 140 pre-Hispanic pieces from their showcases.
- Awards
- 7 wins & 32 nominations
Maite Suarez Diez
- Jimena
- (as Maite Suárez)
Amaya Suarez Diez
- Adriana
- (as Amaya Suárez)
Camila Robertson Glennie
- Camila
- (as Camila Robertson)
Natalia Garcia Agraz
- Gaby
- (as Natalia García)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe movie is a fictionalized account of what was called "The Heist of the Century", with the obvious changes. In reality, it was performed by two veterinary school students, actual names Carlos Perches and Ramon Sardina. The movie portrays the events of the actual robbery quite accurately, including museum guards being careless due to a Christmas celebration, the amount and type stolen pieces, the method of escape, as well as the first suspicion of the heist being done by professionals working for international art dealers and the 50 million pesos reward offered by the museum. Later, the film comprises time periods and combines several characters into a single one. In reality, the thieves managed to avoid capture for four years: Perches and Sardina went to Acapulco, when they tried to sell the pieces to drug lord Jose Serrano and his mistress, a popular cabaret dancer nicknamed "Princesa Yamal". Serrano introduced them to Salvador Gutierrez a.k.a. "El Cabo", another drug lord, who promised to sell the artifacts and estimated a price tag of one billion dollars. Two of the pieces were given to Serrano in exchange for cocaine by Perches, while Sardina apparently gave him seven as evidence they were the actual robbers. The police, in the meanwhile, had lost track of the pieces and closed the file, in part by the fact of the Museum not having a complete inventory of the stolen artifacts until much later, with the first reports showing wrong or incomplete records. Finally, in January 1989, the Mexican Federal Police arrested "El Cabo", who gave them all the leads to find the robbers. Perches was arrested in April at his house, along with his brother and the rest of the stolen artifacts. Five more people were arrested, including Serrano's mistress, an Argentinean showgirl called Cristina Gonzalez -both later released- and an American named Nathan Clevenger, the apparent buyer. In total, 111 of 124 pieces were recovered and returned to the museum. However, the whereabouts of Ramon Sardina and the nine pieces he and Perches gave away is still unknown.
Featured review
Surrealism and realism veer off the highway to Acapulco
The ultimate mystery of Museo is this: What would make a young adult from an upper middle class household pull off a heist of ancient artifacts from the Mexico City Archeological Museum. Juan Nuñez is disaffected, stalled in his career, emotionally disconnected from all unless he can put down his sister and his passive, sluggish friend. He is the artifacts he steals--but worse. Something within him feels plundered from a sacred past he lost but can't locate, transported in time, offended by modern culture. He is a wandering ghost whose eventually will make all those around him reinforce his self-hatred. Despite this downward slide, he finds a piece of dignity in the end.
I wish the film could keep this riveting plot driving down the road from Mexico City to the country's ancient ruins to Acapulco and back. The performances aren't the problem. Gael Garcia Bernal is always interesting to watch, but he is crushed under the weight of a director who tries too hard to get his point across. The heist scene makes you think you're going on a joy ride ending in disaster. But it's the major highlight of the film. After that it stalls repeatedly, stuck in contemplative or surreal scenes--at times, clearly reminiscent of Fellini at his most decadent and surreal. The movie going on much too long, long after the audience gets it already and is ready to move on.
A good 1/2 hour editing could have turned this movie into a wonder. I would show Museo and Raising Arizona to a class of young filmmakers to understand how a film can either go so right or so wrong.Take the time to see the Coen Brother's Raising Arizona. It was able to connectcrime, the bizarre world, slapstick and the wild unconscious of character, acting without self-knowledge. No, you don't have to simply be like two of the greatest of heist films, Jule's Dassin's Rififi and Topkapi, keeping it light, enjoying the fun of getting away with it. But you don't have to film with a density that sinks project in the Pacific.
I wish the film could keep this riveting plot driving down the road from Mexico City to the country's ancient ruins to Acapulco and back. The performances aren't the problem. Gael Garcia Bernal is always interesting to watch, but he is crushed under the weight of a director who tries too hard to get his point across. The heist scene makes you think you're going on a joy ride ending in disaster. But it's the major highlight of the film. After that it stalls repeatedly, stuck in contemplative or surreal scenes--at times, clearly reminiscent of Fellini at his most decadent and surreal. The movie going on much too long, long after the audience gets it already and is ready to move on.
A good 1/2 hour editing could have turned this movie into a wonder. I would show Museo and Raising Arizona to a class of young filmmakers to understand how a film can either go so right or so wrong.Take the time to see the Coen Brother's Raising Arizona. It was able to connectcrime, the bizarre world, slapstick and the wild unconscious of character, acting without self-knowledge. No, you don't have to simply be like two of the greatest of heist films, Jule's Dassin's Rififi and Topkapi, keeping it light, enjoying the fun of getting away with it. But you don't have to film with a density that sinks project in the Pacific.
helpful•812
- prcmd
- Oct 1, 2018
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $148,505
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $16,554
- Sep 16, 2018
- Gross worldwide
- $762,284
- Runtime2 hours 8 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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