Mexico City

This movie shows great insight into what Mexico City is actually like. Not necessarily the mugging and shooting, however the shots of the city are outstanding. From the town square to the mix between poverty and wealth, the camera work in the film is unsurpassable. Even down to the green volkswagen beetles, the film is precise and real. Enjoyable movie.

I got bored in the begining already and could not get better later. Just more bored

This film will never turn up as an in-flight feature on Mexicana Airlines. It shows the gritty, often ugly reality of Mexico City. Its tale of corruption and intrigue is nothing special. But the film captures the essence of Mexico City --- crowds, bustle, poverty, pollution, crime, machismo, antiquity and always, "la mordida" --- with compelling cinematography and a hauntingly effective Spanish guitar musical background. The camera angles are brilliant. The warm tones of the colour are perfect for the subject. There are many classic closeups of Mexican faces that alone make the film worthwhile. You almost smell the "pollo con aroz." And the amount of Spanish dialogue without subtitles underlines the frustratiions of the film's unilingual main character as she searches for her brother in an alien, puzzling and hostile environment. (Whatever did happen to him by the way?) The plot isn't new. Innocent American searches for missing ( )boyfriend ( )husband ( )wife ( )son ( )daughter ( )other in corrupt foreign capital with no help from double dealing US embassy. But this one is done superbly.

Richard Shepard's fascination with the kidnapping thriller has yielded another successful twisted tale in MEXICO CITY (the other two: MERCY and OXYGEN). Combining deft genre filmmaking chops with real insight into what it means to feel truly vulnerable, in MEXICO CITY, Shepard leads the viewer down a uniquely ravaged road of intrigue, deception, heartbreak and loss. Cinematographer Sarah Cawley is equally at the top of her game, painting many moody tableaus. Editor Adam Lichtenstein ably sets Cawley's rich compositions against each other, adding heft to the story's impact. Rolfe Kent's score completes the circle by perfectly echoing Shepard's search for faith in a seemingly godless world.

Let me qualify by saying that MEXICO CITY is by no means perfect, but if a thought-provoking thriller is what you're after, then see this film.

In "Mexico City", Edwards plays a woman with recent personal loss who is reluctantly vacationing in the title city with her brother when he disappears. This very mediocre journeyman flick is all about her search for her bro and the intrigues which follow. "Mexico City" seems to lack authenticity (made in Mexico by Americans), paints a rather dismal portrait of the city, has plotholes and foibles galore, and is watered down to a very soft R rating. For those who can overlook these flaws, however, a tale of one woman's determination pitted against corruption and treachery in Mexico awaits. (C)