“All Hail,” directed by Marcos Carnevale, is a mainstream entertainer, staying true to the conventions of the category. Though the film never expects you to dwell deep into its philosophy, it does trigger certain thoughts, either deliberately or maybe just by chance.
The media has always been considered the fourth pillar of any democracy. Journalism, at its core, is about conveying information. It has the power to shape ideologies, beliefs, and opinions. It acts as a check for the legislature and sometimes also for the judiciary. Criticism is a very integral part of journalism. But more than a positive criticism, it is important that facts and information be delivered without being tampered and without any biases.
A person speaking the news on television might be inclined towards a certain wing, but while performing his duty, he has to keep his prejudices aside and provide the citizens with a platform where they can analyze both sides and come to a conclusion. But human conscience is fallible and often adulterated. Today, media houses are not just conveying information; they are running reality shows. Everything is about who can get the highest rating. It’s a race, the result of which is dependent upon only one parameter, i.e., entertainment. Nobody wants to hear a spokesperson speak in a mundane manner. Everything needs to be spiced up. That has become the law of the land.
In this fiasco, only the media cannot be blamed. The general audience who watch such shows and propel their TRP are equally responsible for the depreciating quality of journalism.
The film, “All Hail,” follows the life of a journalist who is known not for his gimmicks, but for his authenticity. But his one miscalculation transformed into such a catastrophe that his whole life turned upside down.
Plot Summary
Miguel Flores had a huge fan following. It was unusual because neither he was an actor nor a politician. He was a weather guy. But such was his fame that he was given celebrity status in Buenos Aires.
He used to read out weather reports on channel 10. Miguel was basking in his glory. He was having the time of his life. He was getting a lot of fame and respect, especially from the older generations who were still not accustomed to social media and mobile apps. Miguel had done a seven-year major in atmospheric sciences and took his profession very seriously. He always advocated against the mobile apps and told everybody that the apps were designed to filter data from the weather stations and represent it in colored graphs. They were not accurate most of the time. What he did was a thorough study of the subject matter, and then came to a conclusion.
He reaches his studio and asks his assistant, Maxi, for the weather service report. As soon as he is about to go through it, Gustavo, the manager of the show, comes into the green room. He tells Miguel that they have hired an on-air assistant for him named Mery Oliva. She was earlier working as the weather girl for channel 23.
The management was revamping the whole show and was coming up with a new TV show. The pre-production had taken months as “The Great Weather Show” was the first nationwide show of its kind. There was a salsa band that was performing live, which Miguel didn’t approve of. The management and the investors wanted to reach out to a larger audience. They wanted to create a social media buzz about their program. They wanted to be as popular among the teens as they were among the older generations.
In all the excitement and chaos, Miguel does not go through the weather service report that was sent to him by Maxi. He goes on air and tells his audience that the weather was going to be fine and there were no anomalies that he detected when he studied the patterns. The show became an instant hit. Miguel came back home and got the most peaceful sleep, as he was ecstatic about his show’s success. The next day, he woke up, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. There was a hail storm that came through Buenos Aires. It had caused huge devastation. People lost their means of livelihood, their loved ones’, their pets, and a lot more, as they were all caught defenseless. They were moving around in an insouciant manner as they believed in their weatherman, the infallible Miguel, who had told them that the weather would be fine.
‘All Hail’ Ending Explained: How Did Bernardo Change Miguel’s Life?
Miguel started getting a lot of backlashes. From a celebrated hero, he instantly became a villain. He realized how fickle-minded the general public was. It needed only one incident to make all his credibility go for a toss. He was told by Gustavo that Mery Oliva was taking over his show for the time being. It disheartened him that the show had lost its authenticity and had become just another over-the-top production that did everything apart from giving credible information.
Miguel hastily left for Cordoba, where his daughter Carla used to stay. She was a medical professional. After the death of Miguel’s wife, he had decided to move to Buenos Aires. Carla had decided to stay back. They had lost touch, and Carla had a lot of complaints from her father.
Miguel went to a bar and found an unusual looking guy sitting there drinking Grappa, a kind of wine. He got to know that the man was named Bernardo and had quite a reputation for predicting weather patterns, just like Miguel. He was a shabby-looking old man, and didn’t seem like he was educated either. He tells Miguel that at 7:14 precisely, it will rain the next day. Miguel chuckled and left the scene, thinking that the man was too drunk and that his words didn’t make sense. But the next day, it rained. And exactly at 7:14.
Miguel goes searching for the old man and finds his cottage in the middle of nowhere on a mountain. Bernardo took Miguel to a place where he had created a map of Argentina on the ground. He had buried tiny toy-like figurines in the ground, and he told Miguel that they gave him information about the weather. How he communicated with the figurines, nobody knew. He told Miguel that Buenos Aires was going to be hit by a storm that evening at exactly 11:07.
Luis, a taxi driver, was a big fan of Miguel. He lost his means of livelihood as his car was heavily dented in the hail storm. When he went to the insurance company, he was told that his policy covered everything except hailstorms. He wanted redemption. He set out for Cordoba to find Miguel and get his revenge.
Miguel had decided to go back to Buenos Aires and save the city. It would also help him regain his lost respect. He met Luis on the doorstep and was almost assaulted by him. Miguel convinced the man to believe him one last time. Luis went back to his home with the information he got from Miguel.
Miguel, on the other hand, reached his office and secretly went inside the studio. He took over the show, shocking everybody, and gave the information on live television. At exactly 11:07 local time, a hail storm struck Buenos Aires. Miguel saved thousands of lives that day. Once again, he was crowned as the most loved weather guy.
Miguel was hired back by the media house and got a lot of accolades. He mends his relationship with his daughter and visits her on the weekends. He told the public that he was not the one who had originally come up with the information. In the last scene of “All Hail,” we see that reporters reach Bernardo’s cottage, where he combed his hair neatly and got ready to give the interview with an added flair.
“All Hail,” is a 2022 Spanish Comedy Drama film directed by Marcos Carnevale. It does not have much to offer in terms of storyline, but with a brisk pace and decent performances, it is apt for a lighthearted watch, if you are in the mood for one. It is streaming on Netflix.
