Aug 18, 2020

In a Motel, No One Sleeps (1989)


(Original Title: En un motel nadie duerme) This Mexican comedy seemed especially timely as it revolves around a group who are quarantined in a hotel due to the threat of a disease.



 Chatanuga is the cashier at the local grocery store; Rosario Escobar the customer.

The seemingly mismatched pair make plans to meet at a hotel. 

 Outside the store, she's flirted (make that molested) by Manuel who does this to all the customers.

 Teresa is the hard-nosed manager of the store; she's played by VZ1 favorite María Cardinal. By the way, this is on of the best films we've encountered featuring an old-school grocery (see the list).  I love looking at what's on the shelves.

 She does not approve of Manuel's behavior with the customers.

 Manuel just hits on her now. 

The next day, Manuel is back at it.  You have to admire his perseverance. 

 Finally, she relents and they arrange to stay at the hotel.

 A nice nude scene from María Cardinal


 Rosario Escobar is a cabaret performer. 

 She delivers a lively performance.

She then meets Chatanuga at the hotel as planned.



Claudia Guzmán is a teenager with a horny boyfriend.

 The boyfriend calls her at home and requests they get some privacy at a hotel.

 She's a bit nervous, but he's more than ready.


The next lovers we meet are the Colonel, played by Polo Ortín and his maid Jacaranda Alfaro .

 The colonel is always pulling out his gun.  He threatens to shoot himself, but Jacaranda stops him.

 She pulls up her dress to see if that will calm him down.

 Well, it doesn't calm him down.  But it does make him want to live again.


 The colonel and his maid check into the hotel.


 The colonel goes into sputtering heart attacks every time he sees Jacaranda.


Finally, we meet our last couple: Manuel 'Flaco' Ibáñez  and his maid Myrrah Saavedra .

 They try to fool around but keep getting interrupted by his kids.

 He suggests they check into the hotel.

It's a bit troubling as he's married and she's pregnant - like really, really pregnant.



So, now we have everyone checked into the hotel: the grocer and the cabaret dancer, the store manager and the pickup artist, the teenagers, the maid and the colonel, and the maid and the family man. 

But there's one more couple - a transvestite prostitute and her john.

 The trouble starts when they find the transvestite is dead - from a disease!  

The cops arrive and question Charly Valentino.

Chatanuga receives the bad news.  All the hotel guests are to be quarantined. 

 They're questioned by the police and not allowed to leave; the same goes for all the other couples.  This, of course, presents problems for the teenagers who need to get home, and the married men.

The worst problem of all is that Myrrah Saavedra is in labor.


The grocer is a bit surprised to find the store manager at the hotel with Manuel.  Indeed, all kinds of uncomfortable situations arise.

In the end, it's all good. Charly Valentino delivers a musical performance, they all dance and go their separate ways. THE END



Actually a pretty fun story, which doesn't just rely on sleaze to make things interesting.  A lot of these Mexican comedies seem thrown-together and just revolve around nudity, but this had a well thought out plot with interesting characters.  I liked it.

★★★★★

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