The latest outgrowth of the reality TV phenomenon, The Real Cancun is equal parts The Real World, American Pie and Girls Gone Wild: Doggy Style. Produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray, the creative team responsible for The Real World, the first ever "reality feature film" follows 16 young strangers via 24-hour video surveillance on an all-expenses-paid spring break in Cancun, Mexico.
The meticulously selected ensemble consists of personalities ranging from gawky alcohol-abstainer Alan ("I just want to see some boobies") to full-on party animal Casey ("Anyone want to make out?"), rounded out by an assortment of interchangeable pretty boys and girls, and self-proclaimed token blacks Sky, Paul and Jorell. Of the various stories that unfold, by far the most interesting is Alan's inevitable descent into drunken debauchery. At first, the 19-year-old Texan is painfully shy he literally runs away from an advancing girl in one scene but eventually loosens up with the right mix of peer pressure and tequila. Before long we witness him downing countless body shots, French-kissing total strangers and even taking part in a "hot bod" contest to become a veritable "spring break legend."
Meanwhile, the other stories are nowhere near as interesting, as they predictably trace the flirting, casual sex and bruised egos bound to occur in "reality" scenarios. Instead, the real stars are the story editors, who hacked hundreds of hours of wet T-shirt footage down to a concise 95 minutes. In the end, what's more shocking than the film's copious amount of booze and breasts is the uncanny ability of Americans to remain blissfully oblivious of the world beyond their immediate borders. You know, the real, real world. (Alliance Atlantis)
The meticulously selected ensemble consists of personalities ranging from gawky alcohol-abstainer Alan ("I just want to see some boobies") to full-on party animal Casey ("Anyone want to make out?"), rounded out by an assortment of interchangeable pretty boys and girls, and self-proclaimed token blacks Sky, Paul and Jorell. Of the various stories that unfold, by far the most interesting is Alan's inevitable descent into drunken debauchery. At first, the 19-year-old Texan is painfully shy he literally runs away from an advancing girl in one scene but eventually loosens up with the right mix of peer pressure and tequila. Before long we witness him downing countless body shots, French-kissing total strangers and even taking part in a "hot bod" contest to become a veritable "spring break legend."
Meanwhile, the other stories are nowhere near as interesting, as they predictably trace the flirting, casual sex and bruised egos bound to occur in "reality" scenarios. Instead, the real stars are the story editors, who hacked hundreds of hours of wet T-shirt footage down to a concise 95 minutes. In the end, what's more shocking than the film's copious amount of booze and breasts is the uncanny ability of Americans to remain blissfully oblivious of the world beyond their immediate borders. You know, the real, real world. (Alliance Atlantis)
