El Niño

This is the sort of film that gets me excited about the level of talent that is present in Spain. El Niño is a Cops and Robbers (well, Cops and Drug Mules!) movie in inimitable Spanish style. It revolves around a couple of small town hoods, El Niño (Jesus Castro) and his pal El Compi (Jesus Carroza) who want to get into the drug smuggling business in the Gibraltar stretch.

One boat ride across this stretch is all they need to smuggle their drugs into Europe from Africa. Of course, they have obstacles in the shape of Jesus (Luis Tosar) and Eva (Barbara Lennie), two cops who are trying to crack down the drug smuggling business as they chase El Inglés (Ian McShane) a Englishman who's a Gibraltar kingpin in this business, and who will cross paths with the young hoods.

The tale carries a steady pace, with some exciting and some I-don't-know-how-they-shot-it action scenes that are truly thrilling. It still has the usual tropes of a love story blooming amidst the chaos, a disgruntled cop who can't find his crook. But the film also restrains itself when necessary and has a formal beauty that matches its grand storyline.

It's truly ambitious cinema and well worth the price of admission.