Mexico’s half-forgotten B-movie master, “involuntary surrealist” Juan Orol (1897–1988), receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this deft, irresistible love letter to a self-made man of showbiz whose career spanned half a century and nearly 60 films. Abetted by an all-pro cast, del Amo’s brilliant interpretation of Orol’s life exudes a droll underdog charm, and almost every frame is an infectious homage to the golden age of cinema, the wiles of memory, and the art of fantasy.

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