El Traspatio

It's a fictionalized account of a long list of dead young women found in Juarez, Mexico during the 90s. They are all factory workers drawn to the new jobs. It's 1996. Police detective Blanca Bravo (Ana de la Reguera) is new and investigating the latest body found in the desert of Cuidad Juarez. The first documented case was 3 years ago and the police investigations have been incompetent. There is a lot of political and economical pressure to minimize the reality. The movie also follows Juanita who just arrived starting a new job at a factory. Bravo arrests a lowlife criminal and he calls businessman Mickey Santos (Jimmy Smits) for help. Santos is supposedly squeaky clean but he turns out to be a fellow sex offenders from El Paso. The governor is always pushing to put the case away.

I really like Ana de la Reguera. She's playing a smart cop in a world of compromises. She's carrying this movie on her shoulders. She adds another level by being a woman in a male dominated world. The setting is quite compelling. It's great to get the realistic locations. I do wish for better cinematography. However that's a small matter.