La
Fiebre Del Loco (Loco Fever)
Chile, 2001, 94 min. Directed by Andrés
Wood
Set in a breathtaking landscape of
a remote coastal town in Patagonia, La Fiebre del Loco tells the comical
and moving story of an infectious fever that temporarily contaminates
southern Chile. When the authorities briefly lift a ban on fishing the
loco, a shellfish with aphrodisiac powers–divers, fishermen, dealers,
businessmen and prostitutes all descend to a small fishing village in
search of this endangered delicacy, which is also highly sought after
by Japanese epicures. The mood of this sleepy town becomes frantic, with
everyone trying to cash in on the loco catch. The enchantment that the
loco inspires in the village works its way into the audience who is in
for a tremendously enjoyable journey in this delightful film by the director
of the Chilean smash hit Machuca.
“A colorful, amusingly observed tale of love, lust, greed and free-trade chaos, handsomely shot in knockout locations ... Wood’s assured employment of the spirited ensemble of well-played characters within a vividly drawn, microscopic world (at times recalling vintage Robert Altman) keeps the earthily human comedy enjoyable.” – David Rooney, Variety
"Grittily realistic, unsentimental in its depiction of character, and set against an inmense, remote, indifferent landscape that seems to dwarf human passions and aspirations, this is an extraordinary and compeling drama." – Herald Tribune