NOT NEGOTIABLE/ NO NEGOCIABLE

Mexico, 2024, 87 minutes, Colour.

Mauricio Ochmann, Tato Alexander, Geraldine Zonat, Fernanda Borches, Enoc Leano, Leonardo Ortizgris.

Directed by Juan Taratuto.

While the film opens with something of a light touch, even in a hostage mediation scene, quickly mediated with success, and the mediator and his psychologist wife are sparring, observed by the young daughter, the possibility divorce, their going to couples therapy and arguing strongly, but six Negotiable has serious political themes.

We are introduced to a mysterious shopkeeper who fixes machines, is revealed, with an associate, to have a huge basement technological operation for surveillance. They then abduct the president who is on a tryst with a Congresswoman from the opposition. And the abductor wants the mediator to be the only person negotiating with him, even abducting his wife through her physical fitness coach.

The latter part of the film moves quite swiftly, the authorities, the mediator, the abductor and his demands, a lie detector and a charge whenever the president answers with false information.

And, there is a revelation of the back story of why the two men are in confrontation. So, time limits, expectations, action, a seeming resolution – and final revelation is about political corruption.

The film serves as something a rallying cry of what might happen to expose corrupt leaders.

1. The title? Hostage situations, mediation? Negotiations, blocks?
2. Mexican film, the setting, the city, the neighbourhoods, the initial abduction sequence, homes, therapy sessions, apartment blocks, hostages, surveillance headquarters? Atmosphere? The musical score?
3. Alan Bender, introduction, with his wife and daughter, in the car, the squabbling, his going to mediation, smooth talking, appealing to the sentiment of the abductor, his dog…? At home, tensions at home, his promise not to be away all the time, not fulfilling it…? Love for his daughter? Arguments with his wife?
4. The wife, psychiatrist, therapy, her client, the connection with the school, her daughter, her frustrations with her husband, the arguments of the therapy session? The fitness supervisor, the relationship?
5. The introduction to Vicente, kindness towards the old lady, fixing her machine? Underground, the extensive technology, surveillance? His associate? The abduction of the president, in the car park, the guard in the boot of the car, president, his rendezvous, the Congresswoman? Their being tied up, Vicente and his mask on the screen? The motivation, the president and his way of life, the accusations, the buzzer and the charge for every lie?
6. Vicente, the back story illustrated, sniper, with Alan, the shooting, the bus exploding, his being dismissed, prison, feeling that Alan had abandoned him? Abducting his wife?
7. The government, the secretary of the interior, the revelation of her corruption, the hypothesis of what might happen, the risks to the President, the covering stories?
8. The police, Alan and his stuttering assistant, Officer Socorro, her collaboration with Alan, his being warned off, his being singled out, his plans, the pizza and the lie detector, Vicente and his recording the president? The release of the hostages, the revelation that the fitness supervisor was the associate, brother of Vicente’s wife and her death, lack of funds, the money transfers?
9. The final meeting, the plan for the release of the president, Vicente willing to go to jail, the video found on the associate, concealed with his wife, the expose, the commentary around the world, in the country, the demonstrations, the janitor hero – and the tongue in cheek ending with his wanting to be President