Mexican Sunrise

I saw this film at the Bare Bones International Film Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma. With 5 days of solid film viewing, it is usually very difficult to sit through a whole feature film at these festivals. However, with Mexican Sunrise I could not leave my seat... and neither could the rest of the audience (made up of a lot of VERY critical filmmakers).

This film has everything you want in a Suspense/Thriller/Drama. It does a fantastic job of developing character relationships, while still keeping the story intense and compelling. The look and feel of the film definitely translates the storyline's 'grittiness'. Excellent casting, and the (for the most part unknown) actors deliver believable performances. I would love to go into this more, but I don't want to give anything away.

I would highly recommend seeing Mexican Sunrise on the big screen (are you listening Lions Gate, Rogue, Fox Atomic)...

Mexican Sunrise immediately grabs you from the very beginning with the intense scene of someone being buried alive. You don't know who it is or how they got there, but you are definitely intrigued from the start. With the use of flashbacks the director does a great job developing characters and relationships between the five friends. You get a really good sense of who these guys are and you almost feel like you know them or someone like them in your own life. The flash forwards throughout the movie keeps the intense feeling that something bad is coming. It's keeps the audience intrigued with anticipation as the story unfolds. I was fortunate enough to see this film at Houston's Worldfest Film Festival. I hope many of you will get a chance to see this in theaters soon.

I saw MS for the second time last night in its hometown of Austin, TX and was so happy to be reminded of how much fun I had the first time I watched it. My two favorite things about the movie are how it's cut with flashbacks and flashforwards and just plain flashes, and the extremely believable relationships between the men. The five guys on the bachelor party trip are absolutely fantastic in their roles. Reid's portrayal of Derek's intensity is a slow build, and it's impossible to tell by his performance that films are not shot in sequence. Jordan Belfi's quiet and subtle characterization of Ryan is perfect for where his character ultimately ends up. Will is the glue for these guys, and it becomes most apparent at the climax. And Drew and Tom are fun and fantastic relief from the drama happening with Ryan, Will and Derek. Definitely a "true", fulfilling and fun joy-ride.

While a priest confesses the worst of sins to himself, enter the Devil. Or maybe the Angel of Death. Or maybe someone else, we really don't know.

All we know is someone will pay.

The simplicity of this film is very easy to appreciate. Nothing fancy at all. Just a good story with super-natural overtones that are impossible to miss.

What confused me a little was the advent of forcing the priest to make a choice, Christ like, of having to choose who would die.

While the priest is forced into a moral roast, five young men on vacation in Mexico are about to get into the trouble of their lives.

Armand Assante couldn't have done a better job as the more than human character who now conducts the theater of cause-and-effect. Someone will die. Who will it be?

It reminded me of the 'black button' story line in which death is passed down the line, like the ocean waves without morality. It just is what it is.

A very heavy-duty film designed to make you think, and appreciate (or respect) the un-seen in the universe and your un-intentional role in it.