Dance seems to be the theme of our movie choices from Netflix this week.  Hot on the heels of 10Dance a passionate Japanese queer romance, we headed to Dance of the 41, a Mexican marital melodrama, queer romance, that is also a political drama directed by David Pablos.  The movie is based on a scandalous real-life event from the early 1990’s and is a sharp reminder that when it’s a matter of queer history, the chances of a ‘happy ending’ are sadly rare.

It’s 1901 in Mexico City, and a handsome high-flying young politician, Ignacio de la Torre (Alfonso Herrera from  “Sense8”) has been ‘persuaded’ to marry the President’s daughter Amada (Mabel_Cadena)  He is a closeted gay man who gets his kicks from being a member of a very secret private club full of aristocratic gay men who have wild, debauched parties.  His clumsy attempts to impregnate his wife eventually peter out, and he moves to his own bedroom to avoid having to have sex with her.

Meanwhile he falls for a young male lawyer Evaristo aka Eva (Emiliano Zurita) who he gets invited to join the Club so they can start having an afair,  Its very clear from the start that this is much more than a fleeting passing sexual hook up, which in turn makes Ignacio even more distant from his wife in the few hours he now spends at home.  However, by digging around in her husband’s home office, she discovers correspondence between him and Eva, and she decides she will use this information as leverage.  It’s not only she who is in the possesion of this information, as so does her brother, who is also the President’s right-hand man.

So on the Clubs’ Annual Party, where half the 42 members are wearing glamorous drag, there is a police raid and all the men are rounded up and taken down to the city jail. When the President sees the list of all the men arrested, he purposely says he only sees 41 names, and there will only be 41 men once Ignacio is released from jail .

The relationship between the two lovers is beautifully portrayed and rightfully is featured as the central focus of this very compelling story …… and yes, we needed to reach for the kleenex on more than one occasion.

ROGER WALKER-DACK.  Creator, Owner, Editor-in-Chief

Miami Beach, FL / Provincetown, MA. Member of G.A.L.E.C.A. (Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association) and NLGJA The Association of LGBT Journalists. and The Online Film Critics Society. Ex Contributing Editor The Gay Uk & Contributor Edge Media Former CEO and Menswear Designer of  Roger Dack Ltd in the UK ‘one of the hardest-working journalists in the business‘ Micheal Goff of Towleroad