Welcome to Chechnya - Metro Weekly - July 9 2020

Television
Miracle Worker
The stars align for an endearing portrait of the iconic TV psychic
Walter Mercado in Mucho Mucho Amor. By André Hereford
ACROSS THE SPANISH-SPEAKING UNIVERSE AND BEYOND, THERE
never will be another like the late, legendary Walter Mercado. A vision of
androgynous opulence, he ruled the Latin American airwaves as “the world’s
greatest astrologer,” beaming hope and positivity to the masses. Described as dramatic,
fabulous, and “like a religion” unto himself, Mercado narrates his own compelling life
story through interviews recorded in the final year of his life in Netflix’s loving documentary
Mucho Mucho Amor (HHHHH).
A staple in millions of households since the late ’60s, the star vanished from public
view after airing his final broadcast in 2006. Cristina Costantini, who made the equally
uplifting 2018 documentary Science Fair, and her co-director Kareem Tabsch find
Mercado living comfortably, though not extravagantly, at his home in San Juan, Puerto
Rico, attended to by his longtime assistant, Willy Acosta, as well as a family of nieces, and
his beloved pooch Runo. From there, Mercado spins the tale of how he became “Walter
of the Miracles,” and, in his own words, “fabricated a famous person” out of himself.
One or two of his self-mythologizing stories indeed sound fabricated,
or at the very least exaggerated for effect. Yet, whether he’s recounting
his boyhood in the Puerto Rican countryside as a divine healer of
broken birds, or merely joking about his sex life, Mercado remains
singular in his ability to strike a note of profound sincerity. He believes in his power to
heal and to help people, and apparently, he always has.
Employing news and archival footage, Mucho Mucho Amor concretely summarizes
his broadcasting career for anyone unaware, and offers up rarely seen clips for those
who might already cherish him — including scenes from his early career as an extremely
expressive actor on telenovelas. We see his start on Telemundo, hosting Walter, Las
Estrellas y Usted (Walter, the Stars and You), the first show on television solely devoted
to astrology, he claims credibly. Regularly appearing on the daily news show Primer
Impacto, in addition to his own show airing throughout the U.S., Latin America, and
Europe, Mercado was broadcasting to an audience, at its peak, of 120 million each day.
Click Here to
Watch the Trailer
Interviews with Lin-Manuel Miranda,
singer Nydia Caro, and superstar comedian
Eugenio Derbez, among others, attest
to the famous fortuneteller’s cultural
impact. Many speak to the hope and inspiration
that Mercado, always seen in full
hair and makeup, represented for young
queer viewers growing up within the very
macho Latino culture. To that end, the
directors do get the man to address his
enigmatic sexuality on-camera, although
he responds elusively with the best line in
the movie.
The film also spends necessary time
exploring Mercado’s closet, not for skeletons,
but to marvel at his collection of custom-made
cloaks, robes, and capes. On a
more introspective level, he also discusses
his spirituality, and how he combines elements
of Buddhism, Christianity, Santeria,
and mysticism into what he calls interfaith
religion. Mercado’s message above
all was simply to spread love and peace,
which he did unfailingly
until he passed away in
November of 2019. One
truly joyful element of the
film is to see that love returned to him.
HistoryMiami Museum invites the octogenarian
to appear at the opening of a
career retrospective exhibit, and, despite
ill health, Mercado is determined to make
an appearance. Relaying the suspense of
whether or not he’ll be able to share that
beautiful night with his public, Mucho
Mucho Amor builds to a sweet celebration
of joy and love overflowing.
Mucho Mucho Amor is currently streaming on Netflix. Visit www.netflix.com.
30 JULY 9, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM