Directed by David Figueroa García and Mauro Mueller, and written by Aleluya Rivera, at 75 years old, Ricardo has problems balancing his job as a janitor at an elementary school and the care his wife requires in a wheelchair. Since it is impossible for him to survive on the pension he would receive, he must continue working and the conflict with a student will end up causing him to lose everything. Starring: Humberto Yañez, Luisa Huertas, Mercedes Hernández, Fermín Martínez, Jorge Briseño, Leonardo Alonso, Paola Arredondo and Olivia Lagunas.
While there are many things that Aleluya Rivera’s writing highlights with The Janitor, one of them is certainly the danger of what happens when children realise the power they have to get adults into all sorts of trouble. It’s a growing theme both in real life and in film and television, having an awareness of public image and the harsh consequences which can come from even a vague implication, no matter whether true or not, of inappropriate behaviour, so they stop caring about rules and manners. Added to having zero respect for authority and no concept of the damaging results of their actions. It feels very relevant and makes for intentionally frustrating viewing, making you easily relate to Ricardo’s (Humberto Yañez) plight.
That then opens up a couple of other key themes for The Janitor, another being how that frustration is then amplified by having a system which doesn’t attempt to correct that behaviour but rather puts more pressure on the staff to simply clean up the kids’ mess. The second being how those actions by the children are often coming from a place of an unhealthy or abusive homelife. It’s a cycle of pain and violence, both with the kids and how people working blue collar jobs are vastly underappreciated and overworked.
So, undoubtedly there’s a solid foundation to The Janitor, and visually it doesn’t disappoint. The black and white aesthetic works well for the tone of the film. It has a very classic style, and David Figueroa García and Mauro Mueller certainly do a fantastic job of capturing the deep, deep sense of frustration which has such a vital part to play. However, it moves very slowly, and it doesn’t feel particularly clear what they want to say, other than that life can be absolutely miserable and unrewarding, and everyone has their limits, which is accurate but it’s not really enough.
It’s a shame as the late Humberto Yañez gives a great performance, especially because it’s not one you can easily nail down. There’s an unusual edge to him, he doesn’t feel traditionally wise, generous or kind, but he does still have those qualities. There’s something about his character which keeps you guessing, what pushing his buttons will reveal and what he’s truly been through up until this point, which is a rather unusual quality to find in this type of performance.
The Janitor is shot well and features a captivating performance from Humberto Yañez, but it lacks a little depth. The story is easy to follow and has a good amount of emotion but it’s not clear what it wants to say, what its message truly is. The potential is certainly there, this is a great group of filmmakers and actors, but when it moves at such a slow pace, and has a melancholy plot, it simply needed something else to bring it all together with a louder, clearer punch.
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