You're Killing Me Susana

Gael García Bernal makes for a near ideal fish out of water in You're Killing Me Susana, playing a Mexico City telenovela actor named Eligio who finds it difficult to stay faithful to his beautiful titular wife (Verónica Echegui).

Upon discovering his partner and many of her belongings missing from their apartment, he freaks out and searches for clues, though considering the glimpses of his freewheeling behavior and comments by friends concerning his long history as a bit of a screwup, there’s a decent chance Susana may have mentioned her whereabouts and he simply didn’t listen.

Thanks to the playful tone fostered by director/co-writer Roberto Sneider, it’s a treat to follow this flawed yet lovable fellow as Eligio tracks his beloved to an Iowa university’s writers workshop, flies to the midwest and hilariously eludes a cab driver whom he’s convinced is trying to con him into a big payday.

Desperate to win her back, Eligio takes the Don Draper approach to sexual equality where it’s no big deal that he’s fooling around, but the thought of a woman doing the same is scandalous. While that mindset is tough to swallow, the wealth of disarmingly funny lines and various comeuppances as Eligio’s old habits resurface make the overall journey a pleasant and relatively realistic one.

Grade: B-plus. Not rated, but with adult language and themes and nudity. Starts April 14 at Grail Moviehouse.

(Photo: Hola Mexico)