I’m Gonna Explode

Román just hung himself. Well, that's what it looked like to the high school auditorium packed with parents, students, teachers, and his father, a prominent government official of Guanajuato, Mexico. But the act-entitled “See You in Hell” as part of the talent show-was merely one of many recent attention-seeking efforts by Román, and only one person was impressed-Maru, a working-class loner who confides solely in her diary. When the two teenage delinquents meet in detention, they immediately hit it off. Together, they plot an elaborate, angst-infused scheme (which includes equal amounts of grand larceny and cutting class) to escape the confines of adolescent existence. And, despite their unique vision of freedom, they manage to pull it off, at least for now. In his third film I'M GONNA EXPLODE, Gerardo Naranjo captures compelling performances of his two young actors in a sincere exploration of teenage ennui, evoking both the spirit and style of the French New Wave in a contemporary Mexican drama. (In Spanish with English subtitles) – E.J.B.