The last part of a trilogy of political-themed films by emerging director Pablo Larrain, NO charts Chile’s unprecedented rise to democracy after it managed to overthrow the country’s military dictator Augusto Pinochet. It’s based on the true story and unpublished play The Referendum by Antonio Skarmeta. Shot purely with analog video cameras from the ‘80s, the film seamlessly merges found footage with Lorrain’s effective documentary-style, which lends its mise en scenes a natural, gritty edge.
Hip, brash advertising executive Rene (Gael Garcia Bernal) is surprisingly apolitical considering the tumultuous time he lives in and his background—his political activist wife is a Pinochet hater, his late father was a government official and his boss Lucho (Alfredo Castro) is a high-ranking member of Pinochet’s advisory board. But when a coalition of 16 oppositional political parties approaches Rene to spearhead their campaign, he takes the job in a bid to redeem himself, much to Lucho’s chagrin. Convinced that the average Chilean will not respond to the coalition’s aggressive campaign, Rene comes up with a fresh and colorful crusade, NO, which pushes the concept of happiness using an infectious jingle and young, abrasive citizens. Not only is Pinochet defeated, 97% of those who registered actually turn up—a coup for an ‘80s election—with the opposition winning 56% of the votes.
For all its lo-fi aesthetics, NO is quite showy—the tension surrounding the NO campaign that was initially opposed by the older members of the coalition parties is set up well, as is the humanistic portrayals of the film’s characters. Most notable is Castro’s portrayal of the hard-edged Lucho, who reveals his soft side as the story progresses—believable and touching. Heartthrob Gael Garcia Bernal plays down his superstar posturing in this one (his recent directorial debut Deficit, which he also starred in, was one self-indulgent mess), imbuing his character with a quiet sense of pathos, hope and loss. Political films are timely and hip, and NO is right up there with the likes of Argo.
