No

Name: No
Genre: Drama, History
Released: February 15, 2013
Duration: 118 min
Rating: 81
Cast: Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Gael García Bernal, Jaime Vadell, Luis Gnecco

2013

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 36 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 70 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	Your Score
7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 70 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: February 15, 2013 | R

Starring: Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Gael García Bernal, Jaime Vadell, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle, N, Pascal Montero

Summary: In 1988, Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, due to international pressure, is forced to call a referendum on his presidency. The country will vote YES or NO to Pinochet extending his rule for another eight years. Opposition leaders for the NO persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal), toIn 1988, Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, due to international pressure, is forced to call a referendum on his presidency. The country will vote YES or NO to Pinochet extending his rule for another eight years. Opposition leaders for the NO persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. With scant resources and under scrutiny by the despot's minions, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and set Chile free. [Sony Pictures Classics]… Expand

Director: Pablo Larraín

Genre(s): Drama, History

Rating: R

Runtime: 118 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Liam Lacey

Mar 14, 2013

Take the backroom political machinations of "Lincoln," add in the showbiz sleight of hand of "Argo," and you’ll get something like No, a cunning and richly enjoyable combination of high-stakes drama and media satire. Read full review

100

Joshua Rothkopf

Feb 12, 2013

The essential thrust here is both knowing and undeniable: No is pitched at the pivot point when the image makers were brazen enough to push ideology to the side. Considering how high the stakes were, it’s amazing they almost didn’t get the gig. Read full review

Andrew O'Hehir

Feb 16, 2013

A troubling, exhilarating and ingeniously realized film that’s part stirring political drama and part devilish media satire. Read full review

Mike D Angelo

Feb 13, 2013

The result is the most unexpectedly riotous comedy in years — one with more bite than usual. Read full review

Empire Philip Wilding

Feb 6, 2013

Initially jarring, the video aesthetic blends beautifully with period footage to give a smart depiction of a nation in transition. A well-deserved Oscar nominee. Read full review

McClatchy-Tribune News Service Roger Moore

Feb 27, 2013

Here’s a fascinating piece of history that escaped much of the world’s notice, when it happened back in 1988. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Feb 13, 2013

No, which has been nominated for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, is largely a gimmick picture: At all times, it looks like hastily assembled news footage shot on grainy videotape in 1988. That means light flaring up to spoil the image, bumpy camerawork, a nearly square picture and all-around grubbiness. Read full review

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User Reviews

cbf

Feb 20, 2013

Interesting movie, about an important event in the history of democracy, it shows the heroes beside the tv, politicians, etc, with this movie we can learn the power of communication of the journalism, deserve an Oscar you must see

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

yolandivisser

Feb 27, 2013

This movie blew me away! It's like the others in the trilogy in that it is straight facts and stories told from the people themselves. It shows how messed up the media is and how it warps peoples minds. A pretty great film overall.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

VinceM

Mar 10, 2013

This film held my interest throughout the viewing. It was striking in its display of the cruelty the common people suffered under Pinochet and the power of the media to turn out the vote of the people who were thought to be complacent and unwilling to even vote due to their apathy andThis film held my interest throughout the viewing. It was striking in its display of the cruelty the common people suffered under Pinochet and the power of the media to turn out the vote of the people who were thought to be complacent and unwilling to even vote due to their apathy and depression. I found it inspiring.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

BamaFalstaff

Mar 20, 2013

This is a good film about a people who are given a sliver of an opportunity to attempt a task with impossible odds (overthrowing a dictator via an election) with impossible goals (getting every political party to agree on a tactic of fun advertising counter to the instinct of exposing theThis is a good film about a people who are given a sliver of an opportunity to attempt a task with impossible odds (overthrowing a dictator via an election) with impossible goals (getting every political party to agree on a tactic of fun advertising counter to the instinct of exposing the horrible crimes of a dictator). Shot on video tape seen in the 80s, it feels more like a documentary from the time than a film of reflection. Political junkies and historians will like this movie as well as those who enjoy "David vs Goliath" films.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Thegodfatherson

Feb 17, 2013

No is a great documentary. With geal Garcia Benral this film takes heights to entertainment, the political division is well portrayed in this film. Very good film, I say 7/10 because this is a very meaningful film. MUST WATCH......

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

DogeGamer2015

Oct 2, 2021

Es una buena película, pero no es excelente; la trama es interesante, la cinematografía es pasable y la actuación de Gael García Bernal es decente; es un buen intento de retratar el pasado chileno.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

GreatMartin

Mar 27, 2013

After 15 years of a dictatorship Chilean Augusto Pinochet, due to international pressure, was allowing the people to vote in an upcoming plebiscite, an expression of the people’s will, as to whether they favored, voting ‘yes’ or not, voting ‘no’ as to if Pinchot should remain in office.After 15 years of a dictatorship Chilean Augusto Pinochet, due to international pressure, was allowing the people to vote in an upcoming plebiscite, an expression of the people’s will, as to whether they favored, voting ‘yes’ or not, voting ‘no’ as to if Pinchot should remain in office. There was no doubt, legally or not, that the majority of people would vote ‘yes’.

Director Pablo Larrain has made this docudrama regarding the election with a screenplay by Pedro Peirano based on a play by Antonio Skarmeta called “The Referendum” and retitled it “No”. Each side of the question had 15 minutes a day to run an ad on television for 27 straight days with most of the ‘no’ ads regulated to the late hours. Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal) is a hot shot ad executive who is put in charge of the No vote and tackles it like he was selling a previous product he handled which was a soda called Free. He uses marketing for politics as most ad agencies use it to sell cars, vacation spots or anything that uses balloons, rainbows, kids, blue skies and, in this case a mime that is a running joke throughout the movie.

Rene is prime custodian of his son Simon (Pascal Montero) while his estranged, activist wife Veronica (Antonia Zegers) accuses him of working for the Pinochet regime. He is the son of an exiled Chilean dissident and Rene dresses in jeans to work and skate boards all over town. He also doesn’t hesitate to send his kid to bed so that he could play with Simon’s train set. It is an old friend of his father’s, socialist politician Urrutia (Luis Gnecco) who talks Rene into taking the ad campaign while Rene’s boss Lucho Guzman (Alfredo Castro) takes the opposing campaign.

While it may have been in keeping with the time I found the direction, camerawork and editing to be very distracting, in some spots amateurish, and didn’t really add anything to the film.

Gael Garcia Bernal has a very interesting face, penetrating eyes and, if you have seen him in any other film, you know he is a fine actor who needs that breakout role but this isn’t it.

After watching “No” for an hour and fifty-eight minutes I have to get corny and end with say no to “No”.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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41	#41 Best Movie of 2013
14	#14 Most Shared Movie of 2013