Matando Cabos

Matando Cabos is a complete tribute to Pulp Fiction and some other American movies, that if it wasn't for the language (spanish) and the little parody of El Santo (which is one of the few highlights of this movie)I wouldn't know that this is a Mexican film. Those dialogues extracted literally from Taxi Driver in one scene? a shame. This movie is done by some fancy kids with the intention to glorify the Tarantino style and a type of American cinema that doesn't need more cheers than the one that has already been giving in the USA, but if you are already out of ideas and you wanted to do a Tarantino dirty stylish Mexican film at least you should have written those typical adapted Reservoir Dogs dialogues strong and smart enough to keep out that boring "we already seen that and better" feeling.

Why all this new self-made Mexican film-makers can't come with original ideas or at least with a homemade tribute? The movie felt like a sequel of Nicotina (a Mexican copycat of Snatch and Smocking Barrels), it makes me feel like there is no Indio Fernandez, no Almada Brothers, no Pedro Armendariz's father! to honor so we have to honor foreign concepts. All right, there is some good earn funny moments, very chilango moments too, in the movie but where is no substance there is nothing good enough to make our film industry a worthy one, let's not say a good representation of the Mexican way of life with all those cartonish characters like the ones in Matando Cabos.

Good characters, well paced, with a tight script full of twist and well placed turns. People will often dismiss any movie that is well crafted by comparing it to another movie that's well crafted. In this case I felt like it was more of a good thing instead of "more of the same", sort of like getting a second helping of something great. The movie does build it's central premise (a series of wild coincidences, characters that are larger than life, the fast paced-all in one night action) on other movies that feature similar elements (Snatch, Pulp Fiction, etc) but because the situations and characters are unique I did not feel ripped off. Overall I found this film to be very entertaining. I saw it at Sundance this year (2005). I hope it comes out in the US, I would recommend it to anybody that like to be entertained.

I find it amusing that so many would bash this movie based on what they thought of Blockbuster movies that have come before it. In many posts, I've noticed people mention movies like Scarface, Reservoir Dogs, Fight Club, and Pulp Fiction. People, if every movie was that good, then those movies would not be considered great films. They would be your typical run-of-the-mill movie that anyone can accomplish. The reason they are difficult to achieve is because not just anyone can do it. I thought this movie was funny. Maybe to a lot of people in the poverty ravaged country of Mexico, it's not funny because of the next to life reality of a severed finger and a senseless beating to a sequester victim, but to us in the U.S who have been desensitized by all the smut we see at the movie theaters, this is a great movie. There were some really funny moments in this movie, including the bus chase scene and the romantic love scene at the end involving el cannibal and Cabos' wife. Also, Ana Claudia Talancon was aesthetically pleasing.

Diversión garantizada Fun for sure

Funny from beginning to end, with great references to the classic Mexican wrestling cinema (el santo) and very interesting characters, being "mascarita" and the cannibal unique, all mix up in a movie that in my opinion didn't had many expectations, but at the end it was all worth, really entertaining.

Also, even though the acting from Tony and Kristoff is not Oscar winning, is light but adjusts to the characters, simple and stupid, and don't forget "butcher", a kind of nice psycho trying to avenge his father and being such a funny villain.

8/10

Although it is not a master piece or or anything; it is good to have many good laughs and just have a good time. "Matando Cabos" is about two kidnappings (among other things) that go very wrong. Mr. Cabos is a ruthless business man who has hurt and taken advantage of many. Everybody hates him. On the same night different people decide to get back to him; but things go very wrong, confusion starts and things get mixed up (very mixed up).

The movie is funny from start to finish even tragic things can turn into a funny scene. It's a movie that laughs at the misfortunes of life. It does have some really violent and sexual scenes (not my favorite) but it is part of the way the movie is done. I am not sure if foreigners would like it, it is "Mexican" humor. It's worth the try.