From the question what would Americans do without mexicans to do the jobs they perform? was born this movie (and form a documentary that director Arau did about the same subject). The premise might be good, but the doing goes all the way wrong, and for many reasons. Un día sin mexicanos starts OK, but once it downhill nothing can stop it. From the acting to the inevitable cliché and the soap opera twists, this is a train wreck. Besides, it never decides whether to be a comedy, a farsic documentary, a prolatino manifesto or a sci-fi experience. This film just engross the list of movies that goes just halfway through. Even reality show elements are throwed in the mix, maybe in an attempt to make a better point on its self proclaimed parody, or maybe because it ran out of ideas. It doesn't matter how willing you try to get into it, its own production values take you out in a flat second. This film just fall short to the what if? premise.

I could barely get through this racist piece of crap. Let's see. Here's a poorly made film that abruptly stops to splash "facts" on the screen that are either half-truths or just outright falsehoods. What's so ironic is that the entire thrust of this film is designed to illustrate the importance of Latinos in California. Instead, it simply perpetuates the hideous stereotype that whites are privileged racists and that all Latinos are saints.Above and beyond all that, it's boring as hell. If you want propaganda go watch something like "Triumph of the Will". At least Leni Riefenstahl could operate a camera. As for this, don't waste your time.Oh, and for the record, I've seen white people work in fields, wash dishes and operate vacuum cleaners. They've been doing it in the south for eons.

There is a strong critical view of "A day without a Mexican" easily because it defends illegals and mocks Americans. Now, I love the fact that they are making fun of those piggy Americans and there selfish ways without giving a chance to let the Mexicans in for a change. Though one may be expecting a large amount of fantasy and bizarre weirdness-"A day without a Mexican" although has some good messages such as 'where your heart lies' and 'give peace a chance' there is no excuse to poor quality. I was expecting the film to be funnier, a black comedy when really you see the melodramatic overtones of human drama and a positive film. The plot is way to political, most viewers don't even why the Mexicans disappeared in the first place. The message is hard to understand and in order to truly like the film you pretty much have to BE an illegal. The poor quality of the film shows everyone individual in America as a sick, spoiled bastard. This may be true but how it's portrayed is so poorly done. If the film is also very slow and dramatic, the slowness of the film goes on so much that one wonders "is this still the film?" The plot, I admit, is interesting but only good enough for a short film; not an entire movie.

Right now with what's happening in California and Georgia, this is a very timely movie. Sure, it was too long and a little silly, but the economic points hit home with me. I would recommend it. I thought the music was interesting and the take-off on the series, "24" when the Governor is addressing the media was very funny. I wonder what happen to the band leader? The end of the movie is a memorial to him, so I assume that he's passed away. I thought the most real relationship was between the farmer and his best friend and fellow farmer who he ends up leaving his land to, instead of his racist son. The plot twist about the fog was unnecessary, as was the long, long, long camera shots of the glass of water in the sink.