Frontera

Two Mexicans trying to cross the border are implicated in a murder they didn't commit. The film follows the fallout as the dead woman's husband pieces together the mystery of who was responsible for her murder.

This is an excellently played and filmed modern day western drama which thankfully steers clear of many of the obvious clichés and is never predictable. The intelligent script sparkles and is helped by a superb cast led by Ed Harris, Michael Pena and Eva Longeria all of whom put in superb performances.

The ending for me was a little rushed and disappointing and therefore it just falls short of a great movie in my opinion. This is just a personal opinion though and for others it may work out fine.

Frontera is a good addition to the modern western genre and well worth watching.

Frontera (2014)

Part of me says: any movie that helps our understanding of the real illegal immigration situation from Mexico should be watched. This does that.

The problem is made immediate and intimate, and you are meant to understand both sides of the issue. It also avoids for awhile the sensationalism of lots of these cross- border dramas. A young man crosses into Arizona in one of those remote areas where it seems possible to sneak through and walk away. Some American kids taking pot shots at him with a high powered rifle end up accidentally killing an American woman on her horse (she falls off when the horse is spooked) and the immigrant becomes the main suspect.

This all happens early in the movie, and it is the dead woman's husband, played by Ed Harris, who holds up the other half of the movie. We follow then the Mexican (played by Michael Peña) as he flees and encounters "justice" (and later his wife, played by Eva Longoria arrives to help him). And we follow Harris who steadfastly digs into what really happened.

So there is plenty of drama here (one reviewer on rotten tomatoes said this had no drama, and that is completely false—just wait until you get to the coyotes kidnapping people). And yet there is a sense of balance, that there are good guys and bad guys and misapprehensions on both sides. You might say this makes the movie too balanced, so it lacks punch, but instead I think it has depth, which is better.

It's imperfect, for sure, as things get wrapped up and plots become increasingly intertwined. But overall I found it strong and well intentioned. And well acted, set in some genuine looking arroyos and deserts (it was filmed in New Mexico).

I watched this film out of respect for a friend associated with the movie. Being in the industry I wasn't expecting too much but to my surprise it was great! Ed Harris doesn't let us down. Casting was done perfect, and the writing was superb. I am not a big fan of subtitles but this movie grips you to were you can't let go and don't even notice the subtitles. Eva Longoria is excellent, such a gorgeous woman in real life but not for this production giving us a performance that we won't forgot. See Michael Pena in numerous roles over the years I can safely say an award could be coming his way. I can't say enough about the film. A great drama, enough action and some romance make for a great view. Go see for yourself and let me know...

This a truly great film. It shows what people are capable of. For the good and for the bad. I not understand that this film is not quoted higher on IMDb. The story is simple, but acting is top not, every character is believable. It also works on different layers. It is a crime story, a tensed thriller, and even although the hard images, also surprisingly a "feel good movie". And it has a message, how bad people can be, there is always hope, when there are also people, who do the "right thing". When all you see in the movies today, is digital effects, really nonsense, action that goes so fast that you not even can follow what is happening, this is what cinema is all about, good story, that keeps you on the edge of your seat, about what is going to be happening next.

A very relevant and worthwhile watch. The acting is good. The story is complex, deep and without a perfect solution, and so goes life on earth, and that's exactly what this film really hits you with. There are no perfect solutions to many of our problems, and also that innocently intended pranks can sometimes result in drastic and irreversible consequences. There certainly is a good size audience out there that will appreciate this film. So far it hasn't found enough of that audience it seems. This is a very realistically minded film that will make you think and feel, either that or its realism will just scare you even further back into your already well zombified state. Goodnight sleepwalker!

7.5/10.