Chances are you have a relative or two that have lived interesting lives and you don’t know too much about them outside of a story or two. Mercedes Arias has such people in her life. The filmmaker’s uncle was Roberto “Tito” Arias. His father was the president of Panama along with a few other family members that held the title. Tito studied law in America and the United Kingdom. That’s where the story gets extremely interesting. During his time at an English college, he attended a mixer featuring ballerinas. One of the dancers was Margot Fonteyn. She was becoming the largest name in English ballet. This would not be their only meeting. Eventually the two would marry and it would get reduced to the ballerina and the playboy. Mercedes Arias wants to finally know more about her uncle and aunt. Tito, Margot and Me gets into the couple, their relationship and Panama.
Tito comes off as a Playboy, but he was serious. He’s not coasting on his family name with his law degree. One of his big court cases was against Aristotle Onassis’s shipping company. Tito won the trial. Onassis wanted this young lawyer on his team afterward. But Panama and his family were always there. Eventually Tito was named Panama’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. This was when Margot was hitting the big times. She scored 30 million viewers when she performed Swan Lake on NBC in 1955. Last season, Sunday Night NFL games only drew 21 million viewers on NBC. Imagine ballet outdrawing the NFL in America. When the couple reunite, Tito was married man with kids. This didn’t last long as he filed for a divorce to be with Margot. How would their relationship work out? This is part of the questions Mercedes Arias asks to relatives, historians and others about her uncle and aunt. Things do get wild for the couple including a Cuban revolution connection, exile from Panama and even a near fatal shooting. It’s a full life in 90 minutes.
Mercedes Arias and Delfina Vidal Frago bring more to the movie than just interviews and vintage news footage of the couple. There are segments featuring a dancer performing around Panama that adds to the experience. It’s a beautiful telling of the couple’s love story and relationship. The imagery lets the documentary flow. The best thing is that Mercedes Arias learns so much about her Uncle and Aunt beyond the playboy and the ballerina angle. She’s willing to probe into her Uncle’s connection to Castro and the failed revolution in Panama. It’s not a family puff piece. We get a sense of the real couple and their desires for each other. Tito, Margo and Me is a documentary that works as a date movie.
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfer brings out the beauty of Panama so you can understand why Margot lived there. The Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. The movie is mostly in Spanish with a bit of English from a few interview subjects. There are English subtitles.
Trailer (1:58) gives us background on the couple and their love story.
IndiePix Unlimited presents Tito, Margo and Me. Directed by Mercedes Arias and Delfina Vidal Frago. Featuring Tito Arias, Margot Fonteyn and Mercedes Arias. Running Time: 94 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: January 21, 2025.
