After causing trouble in his small town, young teen Tomas is sent to stay with his older brother, Sombra, in Mexico City. But Sombra is in a bit of a freefall: His college is on strike, he’s suffering panic attacks and slacking at home with his buddy. Then Tomas reintroduces him, via audio cassette, to an obscure folk singer beloved by their late father (“they say he made Bob Dylan cry”), and the three lads set out to find the lost performer. Gueros, directed by Alonso Ruiz Palacios, is beautifully shot, in rich black and white in a classic 4:3 aspect ratio, and features some clever sound editing. It is essentially a mini road movie, confined to the admittedly sprawling Mexico City. It shifts in tone from moody and slightly surreal to darkly comic and satirical. It’s an existential wandering more than a narrative-driven film, and for those inclined to ride along, it’s a fine trip.
Gueros
Ride along with some disaffected youth in this indie dramedy from Mexico
In Spanish, with subtitles. 7 and 9:30 p.m. Sat., Aug. 22; 7:30 p.m. Tue., Aug. 25; and 7:30 p.m. Wed. Aug. 26. Hollywood
