I managed to get myself to my beloved Sunshine Cinema over the weekend. Living in the middle of Connecticut makes it a little difficult to get to the movies I really want to watch, when I want to watch them, so I try to take the opportunity to see some in the city, regardless of the ridiculous price tag that comes with it.
Anyhow, I saw Sin Nombre, a Sundance film about Mexican gangsters and the trek that illegal immigrants take from Central America to the U.S. border. Its executive produced by my favorite Mexican babies Diego + Gael, which only makes it better, obviously. Its a pretty harrowing movie to watch, and as you watch it you find yourself hoping this can make a change, somehow, in U.S. legislature against illegal immigrants, although the hard truth is that it probably won't. The story focuses on Sayra, a young Honduran girl making the arduous trek through Mexico to the US with her uncle and long-lost father, who crosses paths with Casper, a hoodlum from a gang called La Mara Salvatrucha. There are a lot of speed bumps along the way, as you may find out, and it makes for some seriously depressing drama. Generally its very well-acted, with newish (I think?) actors that manage to avoid the pitfalls of what could have been rather stock movie roles - the tortured teenage girl in love, the misunderstood but hot bad boy. Its also beautifully filmed, and punctuated by a few brief moments of tenderness, a welcome counterpoint to the brutality and abject misery that pervades most of the movie.
For the most part I enjoyed it, although I hesitate to think of the movie as an adequate depiction of Central American life. I always seem to see Mexican movies filled with this kind of street violence and tales of immigration, and I'm curious to see if there's more to Mexican life that can be properly captured on film. We'll have to see ... the Mexican film industry is really doing well for itself these days, and I hope it makes still more leaps and bounds.
Anyhow, I didn't exactly start this post intending to write some kind of mini-review of the movie, but rather, it was supposed to be a word of caution: Do not, if you can, watch more than one maddeningly depressing movie in a 24-hour span.
Because on the train back to S.'s, we decided to watch a movie I had, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son from a Father to pass the time. HOLY CRAP. All I knew about the premise was that it was a film made by Kurt Kuenne, whose best friend had passed away before he had the chance to get to know his son. I did NOT know that there was WAY more than that in store for me. Like that his best friend did not just pass away, he was murdered, five shots at close range by a psycho. And the story drags on, and the suffering appears interminable. Its an interesting movie to watch if you'd like to witness the depths of human depravity, but if you don't, I guess its best to avoid it. It breaks your heart, really. I would say more but I'll avoid doing so, in case any of you actually do want to watch it.
Next on my movie watching list, if I manage to find the time/desire to do so: Let The Right One In, and I've Loved You So Long.
Anyhow, I saw Sin Nombre, a Sundance film about Mexican gangsters and the trek that illegal immigrants take from Central America to the U.S. border. Its executive produced by my favorite Mexican babies Diego + Gael, which only makes it better, obviously. Its a pretty harrowing movie to watch, and as you watch it you find yourself hoping this can make a change, somehow, in U.S. legislature against illegal immigrants, although the hard truth is that it probably won't. The story focuses on Sayra, a young Honduran girl making the arduous trek through Mexico to the US with her uncle and long-lost father, who crosses paths with Casper, a hoodlum from a gang called La Mara Salvatrucha. There are a lot of speed bumps along the way, as you may find out, and it makes for some seriously depressing drama. Generally its very well-acted, with newish (I think?) actors that manage to avoid the pitfalls of what could have been rather stock movie roles - the tortured teenage girl in love, the misunderstood but hot bad boy. Its also beautifully filmed, and punctuated by a few brief moments of tenderness, a welcome counterpoint to the brutality and abject misery that pervades most of the movie.
For the most part I enjoyed it, although I hesitate to think of the movie as an adequate depiction of Central American life. I always seem to see Mexican movies filled with this kind of street violence and tales of immigration, and I'm curious to see if there's more to Mexican life that can be properly captured on film. We'll have to see ... the Mexican film industry is really doing well for itself these days, and I hope it makes still more leaps and bounds.
Anyhow, I didn't exactly start this post intending to write some kind of mini-review of the movie, but rather, it was supposed to be a word of caution: Do not, if you can, watch more than one maddeningly depressing movie in a 24-hour span.
Because on the train back to S.'s, we decided to watch a movie I had, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son from a Father to pass the time. HOLY CRAP. All I knew about the premise was that it was a film made by Kurt Kuenne, whose best friend had passed away before he had the chance to get to know his son. I did NOT know that there was WAY more than that in store for me. Like that his best friend did not just pass away, he was murdered, five shots at close range by a psycho. And the story drags on, and the suffering appears interminable. Its an interesting movie to watch if you'd like to witness the depths of human depravity, but if you don't, I guess its best to avoid it. It breaks your heart, really. I would say more but I'll avoid doing so, in case any of you actually do want to watch it.
Next on my movie watching list, if I manage to find the time/desire to do so: Let The Right One In, and I've Loved You So Long.
1 comment:
ahhh i thought i warned you about dear zachary! they screened it in class and EVERYONE cried.
xx
Post a Comment