‘Mexico 86’ Review: This Underdog Has Bags of Cash

‘Mexico 86’ Review: This Underdog Has Bags of Cash Diego Luna plays an ambitious soccer enthusiast who is trying to secure the World Cup for Mexico a second time.

Dropped on Netflix ostensibly to complement the World Cup, “Mexico 86” ultimately has little to do with soccer; it’s really a movie about professional striving. It begins in 1983, when, the opening text assures us, “Some of these things did happen.” The invented hero, Martín de la Torre (Diego Luna), works for Mexico’s soccer federation and believes the organization is floundering. He goes on TV to vent about his boss, a stunt that earns him a meeting with the broadcast media magnate Emilio Azcárraga Milmo (Daniel Giménez Cacho), widely known as El Tigre. Martín pitches him on how he’s going to secure the World Cup in 1986 for Mexico, making the country the first to host the event a second time. El Tigre sees excellent possibilities for his company and satellite transmissions. With a passion for synergy, Martín arrives in Switzerland on a mission to convince various nations’ delegates to FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, to vote for Mexico. How he secures their support is a blend of appealing to underdog sentiment and, well, money. The film shows Martín handing over bags of cash to certain representatives. Is your heart warmed yet? Crucial to the conception of Martín is that he is, in the words of his paramour, Susana (Karla Souza), a compulsive liar. One need look no further than “Marty Supreme” to see how “Mexico 86” might have complicated the audience’s sympathies, but this straightforward crowd-pleaser doesn’t wish to see beyond Martín’s charm. The director, Gabriel Ripstein, comes from a Mexican filmmaking family. His grandfather, Alfredo Ripstein, was a producer, and his father, the director Arturo Ripstein, got his start as an aide to Luis Buñuel — a filmmaker who might have brought a tinge of madness to Martín’s obsession. Mexico 86

Not rated. In Spanish, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Watch on Netflix.…Read more by Ben Kenigsberg