REVIEW: ‘No Dress Code Required’ to play Human Rights Watch Film Festival
The Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York City has brought together a wide variety of films exploring topical issues that continue to impact the lives of individuals and communities around the globe. One of the strongest entries is No Dress Code Required, a documentary about a gay couple’s quest to get married in the city of Mexicali, Mexico.
Cristina Herrera Bórquez follows Victor and Fernando, beauty professionals who have been together for several years, as they navigate the legal alleyways of attaining a marriage certificate. Early on, they could end their journey by simply hopping a flight to Mexico City and getting married in the capital; apparently certain areas of the country are more open to same-sex marriage while others are not.
Victor and Fernando decide to stay local and seek a marriage certificate in their home state and city. Their problems in doing so begin to build one right after the other.
They are able to secure a high-energy attorney and a lot of media attention, but the local civil registry office delay the marriage certificate time and time again. Each of the excuses are both laughable and tragic for Victor and Fernando. One time it’s the scrutiny over the signatures of their marriage witnesses; another time it’s a bomb threat in the office building.
Each time there’s a setback, Mexico City and its relative ease of receiving a marriage certificate weigh in the back of their minds. However, they are determined to be trailblazers for other couples in the Baja California state.
Bórquez’s camera techniques sometimes come off as too basic, and the lens occasionally struggles to keep the subjects in focus. Still, she is granted a lot of access to Victor and Fernando’s lives, and that’s one of the best qualities of the film. These two men are not headlines in a newspaper or leaders of a national cause; they are two beauty professional, two sons, two partners. They come off as real and authentic, and that’s no doubt the purpose of No Dress Code Required.
The documentary feels just about right with its 90-minute running time, but on more than one occasion it felt like the audience could have been better served with a deeper understanding in one pivotal area. Although there is much talk about the legal decisions leading to same-sex marriage in Mexico, it’s still unclear how the Supreme Court and state authorities factor in.
No Dress Code Required is a stirring documentary that shows what happens when two people decide to fight tradition and open minds along the way.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
No Dress Code Required (2017), directed by Cristina Herrera Bórquez, will play the Human Rights Watch Film Festival June 13 at the IFC Center in New York City and June 16 at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. Click here for more information. Rating: 
