''Appearances Are Deceptive'' (In

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: ''Las apariencias engañan'') is a 1983

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Jaime Humberto Hermosillo Jaime Humberto Hermosillo Delgado (22 January 1942 – 13 January 2020) was a Mexican film director, often compared to Spain's Pedro Almodóvar. Born in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, in central Mexico, Hermosillo's films often explore the hypoc ...

and starring

Isela Vega Isela Vega Durazo (5 November 1939 – 9 March 2021) was a Mexican actress,Televis ...

Gonzalo Vega Gonzalo Agustín Vega González (November 29, 1946 – October 10, 2016) was a Mexican film, theatre and television actor. Personal life He was also father of the actresses Zuria Vega Zuria Vega (, born Zuria Valeria Vega Sisto; January 10 ...

and

Manuel Ojeda Manuel Salvador Ojeda Armenta (4 November 1940 – 11 August 2022) was a Mexican actor. Ojeda was one of the most active actors of television and cinema in Mexico. He played the villain, Zolo, in the Hollywood film ''Romancing the Stone''. C ...

. The movie was filmed in 1977 and was supposed to be released in 1978. However, due to its explicit content, it was censored and wasn't released until 1983.

Plot

Rogelio (

), a relatively inexperienced actor, is approached in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

by the architect Sergio (

). Sergio hires Rogelio to travel to

Aguascalientes Aguascalientes, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Aguascalientes, is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. At 22°N and with an average altitude of above sea level it is pre ...

and impersonate Adrián, the long-lost son of Don Alberto (Ignacio Retes), an elderly and paraplegic man confined to a wheelchair. Don Alberto is cared for by Adriana (Isela Vega), a distant niece who mysteriously appeared in his home one day. Sergio and Adriana wish to marry, but they are unable to do so because Don Alberto opposes the idea, fearing he would be left alone. To ensure Don Alberto is not left alone during their absence, they hire Rogelio to pose as Adrián. Sergio explains to Rogelio that Adrián disappeared from his father’s life as a teenager. Over the years, Adriana have maintained a web of lies to deceive Don Alberto, including fabricating a trip to Spain where they previously hired another actor to impersonate Adrián. Rogelio accepts the job due to his dire financial situation. Upon arriving in Aguascalientes, Sergio and Adriana welcome Rogelio and provide him with the final details for the impersonation. However, a complication arises with the presence of the nosy Yolanda (

Margarita Isabel Margarita Isabel (born Margarita Isabel Morales y González; 25 July 1943 – 9 April 2017) was a Mexican Ariel Award-winning film and television actress. She died on 9 April 2017, aged 73, from emphysema. Filmography Awards and nominations ...

), another niece of Don Alberto. Yolanda is suspicious of Adriana, whom she does not remember. When Don Alberto grabs Sergio's genitals, Yolanda tells him that when Adrian was little, Don Alberto used to tell everyone he was a girl. However, she insists that he must now be certain that wasn’t true. Rogelio begins to interact very closely with Adriana and Sergio, supporting Adriana in managing Don Alberto's business, which she handles with great success. Soon, however, Rogelio develops a strong attraction toward Adriana. This attraction is mutual, but Adriana hides her feelings, partly out of loyalty to Sergio. One day, Adriana can no longer resist and visits Rogelio in his room, where they engage in oral sex. Complications deepen when Sergio also begins to express romantic interest in Rogelio. He kisses Rogelio in the showers of a sports club, but Rogelio pushes him away and warns him never to try that again. Rogelio pressures Adriana to have sex, but she refuses. Fearing his reaction to her

intersexuality Intersex people are those born with any of several Sexual characteristics, sex characteristics, including chromosome patterns, gonads, or sex organ, genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human ...

, she tells him she wants to preserve her virginity until marriage. "I think you are defective," he says. "I am perfect!" she replies. "But I have to keep up appearances." (This exchange takes place in one of Don Alberto's clothing shops while Rogelio helps Adriana handle a naked mannequin with no genitals.) After a party at home, Rogelio insists that there are many things they could do without her losing her virginity. In the next scene, she ties him up and rides him cowboy style. Later Rogelio confesses his love to Adriana, but she insists on maintaining her engagement to Sergio. At this point, Rogelio tells Adriana about what happened in the showers. The marriage arrangement is dissolved. Before leaving on a long trip, Sergio invites Rogelio to join him and attempts to kiss him again, but Rogelio rejects him, declaring his love for Adriana. "You're going to experience a lot of surprises with Adriana," Sergio warns Rogelio. "She and Adrian are the same person." "I know," Rogelio replies. "Don Alberto didn't know Adrian's real gender. When the breasts started to grow, he... she had to leave." Adriana asks Rogelio to return to Mexico City, explaining that things have changed and she no longer needs his services. Rogelio refuses, but Adriana begins to avoid him. Desperate for her attention, Rogelio continues to act as Adrian and goes to the shops, giving the workers outrageous raises. In response, Adriana bans him from entering any of the shops. One night, Rogelio visits Daniel's beauty salon. Daniel (

Roberto Cobo Roberto Garcìa Romero (20 February 1930 – 2 August 2002), better known as Roberto Cobo, was a Mexican actor. He appeared in more than eighty films between 1947 and 2002. Partial filmography References External links * 1930 birth ...

) is the hairdresser, close friend, and confidant of Adriana. Rogelio tells Daniel he allegedly knows Adriana's secret: Adrian doesn't exist. He claims that Adriana didn't need his services because of the marriage but because Don Alberto's fortune is under Adrian's name. Rogelio is wrong, but Daniel says nothing. Suddenly, a secret door opens, and someone runs out. Rogelio enters, searching for Adriana. When he finds her, she finally reveals her secret: they have a penis, they are

intersex Intersex people are those born with any of several sex characteristics, including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binar ...

. "I am both Adriana and Adrian," they declare emphatically, repeating it over and over. In the next scene, Adriana/Adrian is penetrating Rogelio from behind, who appears visibly uncomfortable. They whisper in his ear, "Don't be so tense!" In the end, they get married, and the charade continues...

Cast

Isela Vega Isela Vega Durazo (5 November 1939 – 9 March 2021) was a Mexican actress,Televis ...

as ''Adriana / Adrián'' *

as ''Rogelio'' *

as ''Sergio'' * Ignacio Retes as ''Don Alberto'' *

as ''Yolanda'' *

as ''Daniel'' *

Salvador Pineda Salvador Pineda Popoca (born June 16, 1952, in Huetamo, Michoacan, Mexico) is a Mexican actor, who has participated in over 20 Mexican telenovelas and Mexican movies, as well as two Hollywood low budget movies. Born to Mexican politician Salvado ...

as ''Salvador'' * La Xóchitl as ''Herself''

Production

The film was shot over a period of three months from November 1977 to January 1978 using

16mm 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, ...

cameras. Locations included

and

. The film was first screened at the Instituto Francés de América Latina in Mexico City, but due to censorship it did not have a commercial release until 1983.

References

Sources

* * *

External links

*
''Appearances Are Deceptive in FilmAffinity.com''

''Appearances Are Deceptive in Cine.com''

''SalvadorNuñez.com: Do you know these five controversial LGBT-themed films made in Mexico?''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Appearances Are Deceptive 1983 films 1983 LGBTQ-related films Bisexuality-related films LGBTQ-related comedy-drama films Mexican LGBTQ-related films LGBTQ-related controversies in film Obscenity controversies in film 1980s Spanish-language films intersex-related films 1980s Mexican films Films shot in Mexico City Films set in Mexico