Los jornaleros

Never expected to write a review about a film here, especially not one I had never heard of before renting it. It also takes a lot to impress me. But let me tell you, for a very small film, this one has it all.

Where to start? Well, the unknown actors were better than many of the A-list stars I drag out $8-$10 dollars to see every weekend. They were real, honest portrayals that touched me and made me believe in their humanity. And their strong sense of "family" was true and easy to identify with. The director is a gifted storyteller, with an ability to place the audience in the minds of the characters and let you "feel" right along with them. Production design was good, which I always find unusual for a film of this size. Even the music was first-rate. In fact, John Williams could take lessons from this guy on when to play music and when to have silence. There was a perfect blend here, which added to scenes but didn't overshadow them. I was continuously impressed by this film while viewing it and am surprised that you can still find stuff this good out there to watch.

What else can I say but to encourage you people not to miss this little gem. And RUN, don't walk, to the video store. Trust me on this one.

Boy, is this a terribly acted and terribly written movie. The overarching plot line is pretty decent, however each individual scene plays out in an unintentionally ridiculous manner. The only reaction you could have is to turn off the movie or laugh at their pathetic effort. I tried twice to watch this movie with friends, but both times they asked me to shut it off after five minutes, when the three cousins steal a guy's camera and run off yelling "eepa! eepa!". I ended up watching this movie alone a few nights later. At least scenes like that keep you entertained, but this movie's not worth the rental if you're looking for something worthwhile.

I disagree with the commenter who rated this movie a ten because it broke with the typical machismo and homophobia you see in Latin cinema. While that effort is admirable, the movie should at least be done fairly well before it's commended for being groundbreaking. Otherwise it does more harm than good. If you'd like to see a movie that does a far better treatment of those cultural barriers, I'd instead recommend "Quinceanera".

Seeing this movie was a real treat. For one, it is well crafted and has a lot of heart. I saw it at a festival and came out really caring about the characters. And the movie asks a great question: What is the American dream, really? What will you do to go after it, and how will that change you? The director did a great job in telling the heartfelt story of these three brothers. The actors do a great job, and Ricardo Molina shines with star quality. The writer Jose Ramon Nevarez has a role in it too (he's the cool dude with the long white hair). Interesting to see him in his own work. And hey, with so much talk about borders, to say this is a timely film is an understatement. I've seen the DVD out there somewhere. Try to find this one and see it.

Mexico meets the United States in this gritty and sad, yet ultimately fulfilling story about daily Mexican workers in California. The brothers each have stories of hard work, drug dealing, prostitution and the happiest one in the end has a gay wedding.

The most wonderful aspect of seeing this film is that it is not a parody, a comedy, farcical or unrealistic. It does give a cinematic yet accurate portrayal of the issues facing immigrant Latin Americans and especially Mexicans. The relationships enable you to share the Mexican joyfulness, family and sorrows while they discover America and begin to translate their values. A MUST-SEE for anyone interested in these modern-day events and intercultural relations in any way. Most of all, it was an enjoyable movie.

Wow! - haven't seen a movie this good in a very long time. I was completely blown away. The film was recommended to me by a friend who had said she had seen it at a screening at the Egyptian in Hollywood a while back and that at that screening they said that it was made in only 15 days for less than $100,000 dollars. This usually tells me not to see something... But since I usually agree with her when she says she likes or dislikes something I thought "what the heck" and rented it. Boy, am I glad I did. What an amazing film.

I really loved these characters. The acting was out of this world because I felt that I got to know each of them during all of the troubles they had. They seemed real to me. In fact, the whole movie seemed real to me so I guess that is a good director too. I can't remember the last time I was impressed by a film (so much crap comes out these days.) If you can find this gem, rent it, rent it, rent it!