Desierto

This film starts with a group of South Americans crossing into America in the desert. They are in a clapped out old truck that finally decides to die. Left with no option, the traffickers decide they have to take them on foot to the chosen land

Problem is there is a gun wielding vigilante on the loose with his tracker dog – inventively enough called 'Tracker', and this is his home and he aims to keep it that way. Gael Garcia Bernal stars as Moises in this and he is always good value. The supporting cast are all excellent too but the real plaudits have to go to Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the deranged Sam.

The other real achievement here is that it is a linear story with no flash backs and told in a way that all you have to glean empathy from are the players in the situation they are now. That is always a tough thing to do as we hardly know anyone and so finding a way to connect is not always so easy. This is overcome by good acting and allowing the characters to let each other know of themselves and by so doing we get to do the same. Whilst this is not the best in the genre of emigration to America films it is still more than able to warrant attention – in English and Spanish this is one for those who like their films to have one foot in realism.