Yo No La Mate (1993)

In Yo No La Mate (translated as “I Didn’t Kill Her”), Mexican actor/all-around freak Sergio Goyri plays a guy that is falsely accused of murder. Did he really do it though? Was there even enough evidence to prove this? Was this really all word of mouth? Is there perhaps a bigger conspiracy going on? Why all the fuss? Why all the mess? What the hell is even going on? 

Felipe Alferez (Sergio Goyri) comes home with good news to his wife Yolanda (Azela Robinson) and it turns out he got a nice & big paycheck at work and more money is to come in. Outside of the apartment building Felipe lives in, an old woman is stabbed to death by an unseen assailant and Felipe walks out just as it happens. Felipe, ignorantly holding the murder weapon, is blamed for the murder by his dickwad neighbor Rodrigo (Roberto Ballesteros) who claims he saw him committing the murder. 

Felipe is then arrested & locked away with the hope that he will be found innocent, but the lack of “evidence” & witnesses is making it hard to prove he didn’t do it and it seems everyone around is conspiring against him—including Yolanda. As it turns out, Felipe was indeed framed for the murder and it all intertwines with dickwad neighbor Rodrigo, who’s been having an illicit affair with Yolanda, and now they both plan to run off with Felipe’s money. All this mess while Felipe’s attorney tries to find reliable witnesses & seeing Yolanda regretting what has happened…

• So did he kill her? No. 

• Was it Rodrigo? No. But he had something to do with the planning of it. 

• Is Rodrigo really a dickwad? Hell the fuck Yeah. 

• Why is Yolanda so ignorant? Lust makes people dumb. 

• Will the only witness be able to prove Felipe’s innocence? Probably not.

• Remember that old lady that got killed? Turns out her daughter is connected to someone that’s trying to bring down Felipe. What a twist! (Not really)

Yo No La Mate is a frustrating watch. All the intensity & twists & bullshit is all so ridiculous. There’s also no true payoff since we’re left with the most dumbest twist ever since we’re now to believe the innocent is perhaps not so innocent either… ??? ?? ?

Now I can’t knock down Yo No La Mate completely since we get the funniest performances from everyone in the cast. Sergio Goyri looked rushed (probably had another movie to shoot right after), Azela Robinson looked bored (can’t blame her), Roberto Ballesteros was the only one trying to keep it real (he’s always kept it real), and Pocholo was just there being Pocholo (Pocholo). 

Don’t let the incredible trailer & interesting-sounding plot fool you. It’s not always going to be a fun time.