La Reina del Sur

LA REINA DEL SUR is a 2011 narco-novela from Telemundo that was the network’s only genuine hit.  Based on a 2002 novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, it follows a Mexican woman who is caught up by circumstances into the world of drug-trafficking and finds she has a talent to succeed in that dirty enterprise.

Cristina Urgel and Kate del Castillo

The first half of the telenovela is the best thing Telemundo has ever produced – pulpy trash that is swift, sexy and exciting.  Kate del Castillo is a dynamic lead, strong and fiery.  Her sensuality has always been on the butch side, but that works here when offset by a pretty boy like Iván Sánchez.  Their chemistry is the best thing in the telenovela.  The international cast also features excellent performances from Mexican actor Humberto Zurita and Colombian actor Christian Tappan, but it is a pair of Spaniards who steal the show: Alberto Jiménez as an unflappable Russian crime boss and an androgynous lithe Amazon named Cristina Urgel who isn’t much of an actress, but is a compelling, peculiar screen presence that evinces ineffable star quality.

The second half bogs down into more conventional narco fare and is far less interesting.  It was Kate del Castillo’s first telenovela in eight years and she seems to run out of steam.  She is not helped by her lack of chemistry with Miguel de Miguel, the Spanish actor who becomes the leading man over the final weeks.

But ultimately, the biggest flaw is LA REINA DEL SUR tells the same lie the majority of the narco-novelas tell in depicting its protagonist as a “good” drug trafficker in conflict against “evil” drug traffickers.

The cast also features Gabriel Porras, Salvador Zerboni, Sara Maldonado, Ezequiel Montalt and Dagoberto Gama.

Problems in Product Placement on Telenovelas

So far, the web novelas produced by Univision and Telemundo have been heavy on sponsor plugs, light on drama.  Kate del Castillo’s web novela ARRANQUE DE PASIÓN took the clever step of setting its drama amidst the world of NASCAR, where the sponsorship of the vehicles can tie-in with the show’s sponsors less obtrusively.  Nevertheless, there were still shots of Kate applying Mary Kay cosmetics and sending cash via Western Union.  When each installment of these web novelas average about 8 minutes in length, the 15 to 30 seconds it takes for the product placements end up eating a far too large percentage of air time, the drama of a story is forced to share near equal time, and thus importance, with the commercials.

 

This is not a problem in the product placement that litters the telenovelas on television.  Product plugs are so commonplace now as to no longer inspire a raised eyebrow, except in rare instances where characters suddenly begin spouting adspeak.

The product placement is usually harmless enough – supporting character buying lunch at Subway and the like.

Recently, however, there was a terrible miscalculation in the employment of product placement on Telemundo’s telenovela PASIÓN PROHIBIDA in the midst of a momentous moment in that novela’s story that actually undermined the drama.

In the story, Bianca (Mónica Spear) and Bruno (Jencarlos Canela) are passionately drawn to each other, a problem as Bianca is married to Bruno’s uncle Ariel, who has raised Bruno like a son.  Bianca and Bruno have had several hot and heavy encounters where they come close to consummating their passion, but have always stopped themselves, guilty of betraying Ariel.  Finally, on this night, their passion overwhelms them.

The scene as it plays on the telenovela has  Bianca moping about, hurt and jealous because that night Bruno went out with another girl.  Bianca is stalking through the night, restless, waiting for him to return.  When he does, they exchange a look, which is ambiguous.  She walks off toward Ariel’s workroom, the same room where Bianca and Bruno had their first kiss.  Bruno follows her.

It is at this point that there is a commercial break.  The first ad in the break is for the Toyota automobile that Bianca hid behind when Bruno came home.  The premise of the ad is we now see how each of the characters interpreted the other’s look.  Needless to say, the ambiguity is removed and we are now treated to fairly crass, obvious come-ons from the characters, the heady atmosphere and suspense within the novela, vitiated.