DIFF2015: Margarita, With a Straw

Disability can hinder somebody but that person can still experience everything that non-disabled people experience. In “Margarita, With a Straw” there is a young woman who suffers from a disability that hinders her physically. She still has warm smiles greeting her because she still can communicate her loving person to the people she is around. The film explores the character’s journey through high school and university. I really was inspired by the filmmaker’s unafraid willingness to bring certain factors to the screen. There is an early on sexual curiosity that the disabled girl finds and wants to explore. She seems to be very innocent when she first kisses her fellow handicapped friend in the film. The whole idea of sexuality is used throughout the film when normally maybe a person would not assume sex to be related to the disabled. I thoroughly appreciated the ambition to pick some key points to put in this piece. In the entire film the love of the girl’s family is largely prevalent. The girl has a younger brother who acts as the typically funny 11-something year old boy and parents who laugh together. Although there is some large conflict in the movie, the recurring theme of sticking together as a family is there. As I mentioned before, there is a seen where the girl and her friend make out. There is a strange warmness to that scene. I feel like each character is shown to find safety in the other where both have a condition. There is also a band that the girl writes lyrics for. A fantastic scene is when the band performs and the song radiates off the screen. The lyrics are perfect for the melody as if the techno pop sound is singing a beautiful Indian lullaby to you. When the character first enters New York City where she will attend NYU she gets involved in a protest. Tear gas starts forming and rubber bullets are shot. This is where she meets a fellow Indian who is blind and gay. She ends up having her first sexual experience with her and becomes her girlfriend. The film portrayed the relationship as an older person taking care of a younger person (that being the lead character) that was more new to the environment. The relationship made me feel uncomfortable to an extent because I believed that this new person was taking advantage of the naïve disabled girl. India as known to all of the characters is not accepting of homosexuals. The fact though that the lead has such a kind personality that shines off of everyone she meets keeps the character making friends in all places. I gave the film 5 stars because it took me to an uncomfortable place and told me why it took me there.
(Review by Wyatt Head)