Soba

SOBA (Beaten) is a story of corruption and sexual violence that is at the same time an unconventional love story, set in Mexico City. Very dark in its subject matter, the story is told with broad strokes (more metaphorical and melodramatic than realistic) almost in the fashion of a graphic novel such as Frank Miller's Sin City, but much more discrete in its depiction of violence and not at all played for laughs or thrills. The story of innocence and corruption operates as a kind of metaphor for the interconnection between political, moral and sexual corruption on the one hand and poverty and economic depression on the other. Soba is a powerful re envisioning of the film noir genre - filmed in stunning black and white, with 15-year old Justine alternating between innocent victim and "femme fatale" and the sadistic but honest cop Ivan playing a role of ambiguous savior analogous to that of Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle to Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver

I saw this movie at the Latino International Film Festival in California last month. I really loved it. Obviously it's not a movie for everyone because of its story and subject (the rape of a young girl, violence by policemen...) but if you look at it for what it is, you'll love it. It's a really great movie. The direction is very particular and stylish, I loved the quirky point of view the director adopted to tell this painful love story. He's supported by a really impressive black&white cinematography and by an excellent actress: Claudia Soberon, seemingly to be at her feature film debut, delivers a remarkable performance that really support the whole movie. Strangely, the first in the credits is the supporting Dagoberto Gama, who is the cop who saves the girl. He also gives a good performance but Ms Soberon is just excellent. Sometimes slow-paced but still interesting, "Soba" is a fine and original drama filled with crude scenes (the scene when the cops rape the girl is quite disturbing even if the action is often off-screen) and funny parts (the "friends" of the girl's mother, their dialogs are quite funny). i'm glad I had the chance to see it. Really hope to catch it on DVD sometime soon. Look for it if you like the good cinema.

I have just seen this movie, and let me tell you it's a very interesting proposition.

First, you have to be aware that it's not your standard Mexican melodrama and it's not intended to be a realist film. It plays with the viewer using several interesting techniques - dubbing, B/W photography, strategically placed fades. If you intend to see it as a realistic picture, you won't like it. Like many wonderful movies, it should be seen as a world on its own.

Cinematography is wonderful. Music is so-so.

I don't want to spoil too many details about the plot, but let's say it's "De Sade's Justine meets Nabokov's Lolita"

Recommended.