Hell

As a Mexican who lives in México I have to say that it is very different to read the stories about crime, death, drugs, etc. in the newspapers than watching this film that put names and faces to the people involved in this kind of lifestyle. Some of the reviewers are very offended with the stereotypes in this movie, but it is undeniable that this movie portrays just one piece of reality about a part of our society. The offensive part should be that the rest of us live our lives normally without thinking about these things. It seems that many of us live in a different country, so far from this hell, and this movie is a great remainder of the problems we have as a country. I think that many of us are indifferent to these problems; we do not even imagine that this "war" affects all of us. I have read some reviews in which the way of telling the story is questioned and criticised. Many people think that the comedy is unnecessary, that it is a safe and easy way to say this kind of things, but I wonder if people are ready to pay to watch a film that does not involve comedy or any kind of humorous situation... sad but true, our TV and cinema culture is pathetic. Good for Luis Estrada, not everything is tequila, mariachi loco, spring break and telenovelas in México.

This makes movies like Scarface look second rate. It's well made and high quality. The subject matter is impressively dealt with, though there are no surprises for those that know the subject.

The characters have real warmth, even though the events are presented in cold, brutal fashion.

Most movies about the drug wars have a small Latino element. They assume the person watching has never heard of Mexico, they have clichéd characters and information overload so the movie-goer is 'educated'.

The story packs in quite a lot, but in a relaxed style.

It's probably one of the most believable gangster movies ever made. The characters are well developed. They never apologise for what they're doing, but they're aware of what they're doing.

Worth watching before if you're about to snort cocaine. Just to see where your money goes.

Many of my acquaintances refused to watch this film, accusing it of trying to justify the life of a drug dealer or of being just another violent movie-something they might already be tired of seeing.

But I didn't see it that way. In El infierno, I found a film with a very deliberate pace (Luis Estrada has truly refined his craft) that delves into a world of violence which, sadly, is part of everyday life for many Mexicans. Like many others, I started the film laughing, but ended it almost trembling.

The humor-something that could easily be criticized given the subject matter-is actually what makes the world Estrada portrays bearable. Through simplicity and realism, he exposes situations that are far more complex than they seem, where everyone plays their part.

Hand in hand with Damián Alcázar, Luis Estrada delivers a third film we never thought possible in Mexico-one that calls things by their name and forces us to reflect on what we've become, and what we might still become.

This is by far one of the most intense, realistic and utterly depressing portrait of Mexican reality nowadays. Given the fact that this film was released as part of the Mexican Independence Bicentennial, it is a slap in the face of the society, the government and the organised crime. Its tag line says it all: "Nothing to celebrate".

With much of irony, black comedy, and criticism, it disses everybody and everything: from the corrupted government institutions of a failed state, to the hypocrisy of a rotten Catholic church, to a de-humanised and selfish society. This film accurately reflects the current situation in Mexico. And it does with such mastery and accuracy, it shocks the viewer.

Best Mexican film this year by a wide margin. And one of the bests of all time.

I just got back from watching this movie, and I feel like a just got a beating, unfortunately, it's a beating of reality, and it's not pretty.

First of all, it's a raw human drama that grabs you right from the beginning and doesn't even let you breath right until the end. It pretty much portraits the dark side of the human soul: violence, corruption, greed, murder, revenge etc. everything under the sad reality of the narcos and drug trafficking in Mexico. It's interesting that you see this from the point of view of the narcos. And it even has the virtue of using some dark humor that doesn't make the viewing more comfortable.

Script, production, cinematography and acting are wonderful, especially Joaquin Cosio, absolutely brilliant (no wonder why he was picked as one of Bond's villains in Quantum of solace). I found valuable the fact that it is a hard criticism to the government, the authorities, the police, the justice system, and not just the actual ones, but the ones we've had in the past 80 years, and that, in a way, it's a slap in the face to the celebration of the 200 years of independence.

That said, it has to be understood that it reflects only a part of Mexico's reality, though it's a brutal one. Just like after watching City of God you can't assume that Brazil's whole reality are the favelas, the same way it'd be wrong to assume that Mexico is just narcos killing each other.

Powerful and brutal, not an easy watch, but, in my opinion a must see for any movie fan.