Sans signe particulier

A mother's perilous journey across Militia-run lands inspires. Expertly crafted and shot. Valadez' extraordinary feature debut.

Screenplay...................................... 10 / 10 Acting............................................... 10 Cinematography............................... 10 Sound................................................... 8 Editing................................................ 7 Score....................................................... 6 Timeless Utility................................. 9 Total.................................................... 60 / 70 ~= 8.6 (which I rounded to 9) Verdict................................................. Highly Recommended

This is a very good movie with great production values, an excellent cast, and some very good performances. But it's a very bleak movie, it's very somber and realistic and it shows the blurred lines between the Mexican police, the military and the cartels. It really shows the truly diabolical nature of the cartels and what Mexico has to deal with.

End the war on drugs and the cartels cease to exist. America has essentially created the cartels with this ridiculous war on drugs and Mexico has paid the price.

This movie is to the brain dead (conservative) immigration talking points what Flags of our Fathers is to Letters from Iwo Jima. It's the exact opposite counterpoint and it shows the price of the Mexicans have to pay for their desire to emmigrate to America for a better life.

Great debut for the director Fernanda Valadez - it was definitely uniquely told story, that feels as real as it gets. The cinematography is bleak and heavy but no complaints about the quality of it, except some filler shots of sky and grass... her choice of close-ups, angles, blurs, got us close to the real viewpoint of the mother searching for her son and felt quite authentic.

Sadly, you could notice the short film material dragged out to 96 minutes, and it felt so much longer with its snail paced scenes... I understand that added to the dramatics but if was painful!

So, I would recommend it for one off watching, and prepare yourself - it will seem long!

A story well shot and told, but far too long and slow. The cinematography is excellent, and Valadez's direction and choice of close-ups, angles, blurs, etc, make it feel like your are walking in the mother's shoes.

Valadez's film has gone off as a firecracker, winning awards at the most recent Sundance Film Festival. It explores and exposes myths as well as expanding filmmaking tropes on the topic of "borderlands".

This film was directed by Fernanda Valadez but she co-wrote its Sundance Award-winning script with Astrid Rondero.

Its cast include Mercedes Hernández, David Illescas and Juan Jesús Varela. It plot is about Guanajuato mother, Magdalena (played by Hernández) trying to search for her missing son, Jesus (played by Varela) at the U.S./Mexico border.

It some ways, the story becomes an emotional, traumatic road trip, exploring the "border" within fear, anxiety, even looking into surveillance border technology and "coyote" subcultures.