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 Till The Last Drop ... My Love! review
  
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Chavela Vargas, Lila Downs, Eugenia León, Astrid Hadid, La Negra Graciana and Iraida Noriega are interviewed on topics ranging from their music to their thoughts on politics, love, relationships and equality intermingled with oftentimes powerful concert footage. North American audiences are probably most familiar with Lila Downs and Chavela Vargas, who were featured in Salma Hayek's beautiful film, Frida. Chavela Vargas is the godmother of the documentary, a cantankerous and difficult subject with a sharp tongue who nonetheless sings with her heart wide open. Lila Downs is the earth mother who invokes Frida Kahlo and traditional Mexican culture and couples it with jazz and multimedia, creating a soundscape that that's uniquely feminine, strong and modern. From the postmodern Astrid Hadid to the blues singer Iraida Noriega, Gomez films them at home and onstage and the result is an appreciation of their completely divergent sounds. Eugenia León possesses a quiet power that's seductive onstage while seeing La Negra Graciana at home and with her family proves just as entertaining as watching her perform (she's quite a drinker!). There are common threads that unite these women. All are disgusted by the corruption in Mexican politics and the time it's taking to see visible change. Whether it's democracy or machismo, their music serves as a platform to protest, be it blatantly and over the top (Astrid Hadid) or with velvet subtlety (Eugenia León). Beto Gomez is quickly proving his talent as he takes on totally distinct genres with equal dexterity: just take a look at Puños Rosas and El Sueño del Caiman. For those particularly interested in music, Hasta El Ultimo Trago…Corazón! is a crash course on what's vital (not commercial) in Mexican music. 
 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival
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