Francesca Guillén in Such Is Life (2000)

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Like Lars Von Trier and Pier Paolo Pasolini before him, famed Mexican filmmaker Arturo Ripstein reimagines the ancient Greek myth of Medea for a new context in Así es la vida (2000). Hewing close to the traditional storyline, Ripstein casts Arcelia Ramírez in the role of the troubled heroine--a Mexico City abortionist and mother of two whose life is an unending string of misery. When her pugnacious husband (Luis Felipe Tovar) leaves her for another woman (Francesca Guillén), Julia (Ramírez) is forced to battle back against insurmountable odds. Tragic as Ripstein’s tale is, he’s kind enough to show the silver lining in the storm clouds. Guillén struts her stuff while seducing Ramírez’s two-timing husband, causing the actress to battle back with competing glimpses of the fleshy good stuff.