Day 30 - Mexico City

The scene: A small movie producers' office in Hollywood. The decor is old and worn, and wallpaper is peeling from the walls. A window is open and a hot wind occasionally blows the thin curtain inside the room. A man is sat at a desk. His name is Stan and he is a movie producer. Soon, a second man joins him, sitting opposite him. His name is Laurie. He is a writer. They begin to talk.

Laurie:I have an idea for a movie!
Stan (looking up from his desk): Great! It's been a while Laurie. I was beginning to worry. You wanna coffee?
Laurie: No, I had one at Starbucks on the way.
Stan (pressing the intercom): Candy, get me a coffee, will ya. Now Laurie, tell me all about it.
Laurie: Well, it's set in Mexico City....
Stan (interrupting): Mexico City! Mexico City? Seriously, who sets a movie in Mexico City?
Laurie: Have you ever been?
Stan: Well, no. It's far too dangerous. Aren't there drug wars there? And what about that pig flu?
Laurie: No, no, you've got it all wrong. Mexico City is massively underrated. It's an amazing place.
Stan: Sure, but for a movie?
Laurie: Yeh! Sure! It's got more history than it knows what to do with. The place is an amazing historical city. It's completely unique, like no other city. And the people are some of the most friendly you'll ever meet in a city of 20 million plus. As far as dangerous goes, sure if you go walking into the wrong area of town at 3am you're in trouble. Other than that, it's no more dangerous than any other big city, I tells ya! As for swine flu, I've never heard such a bunch of hot air...
Stan: Really? But the newspapers...

Laurie: Forget the papers. Swine flu has been blown out of all proportion, and Mexico City is the right place to shoot this film. If you can handle a little pollution, it's got everything a film crew will need. Great food, superb locations and the best bit Laurie? It's cheap!

Laurie: That I like, Stan! So what's the film about?
Stan: Well, it's about people, really. It's about a moment in life when the chemistry between a group of strangers is simply perfect, and something unique comes along for one brilliant minute. It burns brightly and then, just as quickly as it came, it's gone.
Laurie: Break it down for me Stan.
Stan: It's about a group of travellers who come together at a hostel in...
Laurie: ...Mexico City...
Stan: ...right, and for four brilliant days, everything just clicks.
Laurie: Clicks?
Stan: Yeh, you know. The mix of people is right. The setting is right. Everything just works and what results is...
Laurie: A Hollywood blockbuster!
Stan: Maybe, Laurie. This film is not just about wandering around one of the biggest cities in the world, taking in the sites. It's not just about seeing the Zocalo, or learning the history of a city that is over 500 years old. It's not just about partying into the wee hours of the morning, or enjoying a beer on a rooftop overlooking the Cathedral. It's also about great conversation, and living for the moment with a group of people that have never met before – and may never again - but in the here and now, manage to strike up a vibe between themselves.
Laurie: Who are we talking about here?
Stan: I'm glad you asked. Let me tell you about the characters.
Laurie: Great! Good characters sell!
Stan: And these are real people, Laurie! First we have Gerry.
Laurie: Gerry?
Stan: Well, Gerraldo actually. He's a pivotal character in the whole story. He's a bartender by day and runs the entertainment at the hostel. Gerraldo is the single most connected man you'll ever meet in your life. He's always got a smile on his face and has more energy than a supernova. He's a little Mexican energizer bunny. Seriously Laurie, the audience won't be able to help themselves but love him!
Laurie: I like him already! Hey! Why not give him a partner in crime?
Stan: I'm already ahead of you, Laurie. I've given him a partner in crime alright. One of the most unexpected ones you can imagine!
Laurie: Stan, you're turning me on.

Stan: Steady Laurie. Meet Viktor! He's a baby faced Swede...

Laurie: Not a Dane?
Stan: No, Swede. He's a baby-faced, 23 year old Swede with a quirky sense of humour and dead pan delivery that the audience will never see coming. He's a one-man show wrapped in a Legend and pumped full of funny-juice. Put him with Gerraldo and watch the sparks fly!
Laurie: Whoops, Stan. I nearly just fell of my chair.
Stan: Next, we've got a loud, opinionated, brash American...
Laurie: Hmmm. I'm not sure on that, Stan. L.O.B Americans haven't tested well since Tom Arnold divorced Rosanne.
Stan: I hear ya, Laurie, but there's a twist.
Laurie: A twist?
Stan: It's all a put on! Matt is one of the most intelligent, well travelled and goddamn funny men you'll ever meet. He's like an Oracle wrapped in a bearded American tourist costume. But, if you take the time to look past the contradictory exterior, you'll find one of life's great conversationalists. The audience will love the banter between him and Sam!
Laurie: Who's Sam?
Stan: Sam's...how do the limies say it...Sam's a geezer! He's the most honest man in the world. Wanna know how it is, ask Sam. Unfortunately we'll have to write him out early...
Laurie: That's a shame.
Stan: Yeh, we'll do a big, teary scene where the whole 'crew' watches him disappear into the sunset one evening...
Laurie: I hate schmaltz.
Stan:...or not, whatever you prefer.

Laurie. Good. Who else we got?

Stan: Well, there's Neil and JP; two Doncaster boys on a mission to shennanigan their way around the world.
Laurie: Ah, people love a rogue.
Stan: They sure do, Laurie. There's even a comedy story about two Mexican girls who befriend the pair and drag them – and everyone else - back to their apartment. Later, they find out that they are not only sisters, but one of them unknowingly had a two-month relationship with her own father!*
Laurie: It'll sell well in Texas then...
Stan: Add to the mix a pair of spunk-filled young bucks called Rob and Alex...
Laurie: Two for the young girls, eh?
Stan: And Darcy, one of the sassiest Irish lasses your every likely to set your eyes on...
Laurie: To keep the boys interested!
Stan: ...and I do believe we have...
Laurie: ...a classic road movie! It's got the lot! Fun, sex, danger, great dialogue, super characters! I love it! What are we gonna call it?
Stan: I was thinking From Dusk Til Dawn?
Laurie: How about The Taking of Mexico City?
Stan: Errr, how about we worry about names later?
Laurie: Good call, let's celebrate with a drink.
Stan: What happened to your coffee anyway?
Laurie: Pfft. I don't even have a secretary. Tequila?
Stan: It's a bit early in the day...
Laurie: Don't be that guy, Stan.
Stan: Oh, alright.
Laurie: Good job, Stan. Any chance of a sequel?
Stan (smiling): I doubt it, but one can only hope, Laurie. One can only hope....

Click here for all the Mexico City photos

* Yep, you heard right. Now, this is either a horrible act of bad luck, or a great piece of fiction from the Mexican lady in question. Regardless, the story goes that our heroine – we'll call her Lolita – decided to try her hand at internet dating. Eventually, she met a English guy online. After a period of exchanging emails, they decided to meet up. Despite a decent age gap, all went well and they decided to give the relationship a go. After living together for two months, Lolita decided the time was right to introduce her new beau to her mother. It was at this point that the awful truth came out; the doting Englishman with whom Lolita was so deeply in love with was in fact her biological father. A terrible case of bad luck, or a great exercise in storytelling? It makes no difference. The cherry on top of this excellent tale (delivered during a particularly memorable Saturday night) is as part of the whole odd mess, Lolita found out about her aforementioned and previously undiscovered sister. And you thought you had an odd family situation...