Identifying Features

Great debut for the director Fernanda Valadez - it was definitely uniquely told story, that feels as real as it gets. The cinematography is bleak and heavy but no complaints about the quality of it, except some filler shots of sky and grass... her choice of close-ups, angles, blurs, got us close to the real viewpoint of the mother searching for her son and felt quite authentic.

Sadly, you could notice the short film material dragged out to 96 minutes, and it felt so much longer with its snail paced scenes... I understand that added to the dramatics but if was painful!

So, I would recommend it for one off watching, and prepare yourself - it will seem long!

This is a very good movie with great production values, an excellent cast, and some very good performances. But it's a very bleak movie, it's very somber and realistic and it shows the blurred lines between the Mexican police, the military and the cartels. It really shows the truly diabolical nature of the cartels and what Mexico has to deal with.

End the war on drugs and the cartels cease to exist. America has essentially created the cartels with this ridiculous war on drugs and Mexico has paid the price.

This movie is to the brain dead (conservative) immigration talking points what Flags of our Fathers is to Letters from Iwo Jima. It's the exact opposite counterpoint and it shows the price of the Mexicans have to pay for their desire to emmigrate to America for a better life.

Numerous aspects of this film are outstanding.

The cinematography is breathtaking, the camera capturing what is beautiful in the borderland. For once, justice is done to the nuanced flora, fauna, terrain, and architecture of this region so plagued with one-dimensional portrayals. And it shows the beauty of the people. Yet this only serves to intesify the first-person experience of what violence ravashes so beautiful a place. By grounding a story of Hell in lush Eden, the filmmakers humanize a narrative that would otherwise be overlooked by reductive stereotypes.

Symbolic imagery is worked into the narrative with truly uncommon delicacy: scenic shots of upside down landscapes and a profaned church are together a meditation on the desecration of the land. Intentional closeups on faces are icons. The one unholy icon was appropriately vile - meaningful in light of the smoldering spirituality of this film.

Most impressive of all, however, is the bravery of the filmmakers to create such an honest portrayal of the cartels. It is thoroughly damning in every sense of the word. One is left to wonder how they navigated the filming process - the real border, government and cartel checkpoints, all in an area that is, at present, actually controlled by the cartel. Are those involved with the film currently safe? It undoubtedly took immense courage to take on such a risk, when mum's the word, as the film so unflinchingly shows.

A mother's perilous journey across Militia-run lands inspires. Expertly crafted and shot. Valadez' extraordinary feature debut.

Screenplay...................................... 10 / 10 Acting............................................... 10 Cinematography............................... 10 Sound................................................... 8 Editing................................................ 7 Score....................................................... 6 Timeless Utility................................. 9 Total.................................................... 60 / 70 ~= 8.6 (which I rounded to 9) Verdict................................................. Highly Recommended

A vivid depiction of the struggle and the journey some take upon them ... for a better life. Words that meant nothing aside (from the 45th president of the USA), this is a struggle that is real. A struggle that may make you realize that there are humans involved.

A tough movie to watch (mainly because of its slow pacing, but also because of what it reveals from and about its main characters). Almost told like a documentary, the movie lets us follow the characters on their journey (or revisit it) ... both quite literally. The images will haunt some (many I assume), especially the faint hearted.

If you think your life is hard, try to walk in their shoes ... pun somewhat intended.