Earlier this month, at the Summit Century theater, Carp-E Diem premiered on the big screen. What stood out in this movie was that the film had roots in Reno, behind the scenes, with “99% of the crew from Reno” according to those who made it, Andrew Arguello and Mj Palo (see details about them in above caption) and on the screen. The scenery was that of our town’s beautiful desert. Many aspects were recognizable such as Reno PD cars, local shops, and neighborhoods.
On-screen playing the part of Agent Cooper is Jasmeet Baduwalia. He was able to kick start his career in Reno after acceptance into the Take 2 Performers Studio on Smithridge Dr. Also in the film is Gregory Klino playing the part of officer Dewey. Klino, who also has a writing credit on this film, is a local Reno producer and teacher for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
The film runs 100 minutes and is about a drifter couple Natasha (who is very pregnant) and Vern (who is not the father of the baby). They go from place to place killing people to stay in their homes while pawning their valuables. The couple ends up killing Martha and Bob only to discover they were drug dealers for the Mexican cartel. Natasha and Vern then pretend to be them and make a profit from what they found left behind. Taking it to another level, Pedro the son of the cartel leader Mika goes to live with them. The entire film is pretty much about them getting themselves into more and more trouble.
By the end of the film, the viewer is left with a lot of questions including: What is the backstory of the father of Natasha’s child? Why was Natasha running from him? Why and where did Vern come into the picture?
The main actors are convincing though. Vern is very charismatic and even in dark times a light-hearted character. He is a classic example of the bad guy character the audience falls for and roots for. One of the villains in the story Mrs. Hendrix is brilliant as a seemingly ordinary middle-aged woman who is actually an unhinged hit woman.
The cinematography is complex and amazing. The costume designers also did a good job. For example Vern with his Hawaiian shirts and Pedro with his flamboyant outfits. The movie seems to be in the crime comedy genre, but the jokes can be violent, sexual, or stereotypical.
The biggest issue for me with the film was using the Mexican characters to play stereotypical drug lord roles. Hispanics playing the roles of drug lords, gang members, and criminals is so overdone, so why continue this trend locally? The community is tired of this representation. This causes negative stereotypes and makes it harder for Hispanic actors to land roles outside of playing criminals. This is not what the culture is about and it was greatly misrepresented. Pedro is the gay, dumb son of a drug lord. Mika is a tatted Narco with an accent.
Carp-e Diem can also be seen as a stereotype of Reno. There is more to this vibrant and diverse art city than what was portrayed on film. However, overall, this is a big leap for filmmakers and actors in Reno. The directors and producers hope to make more films in the future and grow from this experience. Such endeavors can help bring Reno a market for more cinematic productions and give our local talent a much needed spotlight.