Frontera

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...

Having worked as a photojournalist in New Mexico I am always a bit hesitant to watch movies purporting to depict the "Border Problem." Thus when I ran into this movie on Netflix I was at first hesitant to give it a try. Happily, my reservations proved unfounded as this turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen in the past year or two. The lead role was virtually made for Ed Harris and his stoic, unwordy, acting style fits into the theme like a hand fits into a custom made glove...just right! Residents of the American Southwest are not known for wordiness and Ed's quiet although intense acting more than rings true throughout...lending an air of authenticity all too rarely encountered these days.

Michael Peña, Amy Madigan, and Eva Longoria were all excellent and the cast fit together as well as the hand fit the custom made glove referred to earlier.

As far as comments made by other reviewers relating to the movie sidestepping the more controversial aspects of the current immigration scene I'm not sure I agree. It's a complex issue and any movie attempting to render solutions will fall flat. Surely it's more than enough to attempt to put a human face on what's become a political hot potato and media frenzy bullseye and this movie more than succeeded in doing that.

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.

A former Arizona sheriff's wife (Amy Madigan , Ed Harris's real wife) is mudered while riding on their ranch property. It would appear a Mexican man (Michael Peña) illegally crossing into the US is at fault and he's framed and relentlessly pursued as a killer . As the former and the current sheriff (Ed Harris) search for answers, but things go wrong . As he decides to take a stand for his deceased wife and against the corruption he's found out into the police station ; eventually , he'll stop at nothing , at whatever cost. The hard investigation of the complex case will change their lives forever . As the ex-patrolman moodily scratching his conscience pitying the poor immigrants and wetbacks and going up against undercover operations .

An interesting film exposing tragedy and corruption along America's chain-link souther frontier . The border is not only a fence between two countries , it's a moral line between decency and indecency, between moral compromise and being our starring a truly humane and compassionate person , regardless of the consequences . Not an award-winner, but an effective and interesting character study . All of the actors here deliver nice but rather under-rated performances . Ed Harris plays a on-the-take ex-border patrol cop or sheriff trying to go straight, but surrounded by corruption on both sides of the fence . Ed Harris finally has to choose between fitting in by being a good man and being true to himself and cutting his ties with his other colleagues . With Ed Harris , there's no theatricality, no eccentricity, just a good, straightforward, impassioned portraya l. Portraying the desperation of a man trying to make a difference , and do the right thing . And being well accompanied by Michael Peña as the unfortunate Miguel , Eva Longoria who is lovely and extremely engaging in spite of her distresses , and one might wish that she'd had more opportunities in American film over the years, as well as Amy Madigan and Aden Young. Michael Berry made his professional feature film debut with this border drama Frontera which he directed and co-wrote. He often uses Mexican/Hispanic based characters and themes in his films . Following Frontera, Berry wrote the screenplay and directed the original musical feature film Stuck, which is based on the stage play of the same name. And Berry also directed the stage production of Stuck in New York. Berry has an extensive background as a New York based stage actor and has appeared in Broadway productions, including Next To Normal and Les Miserables .

This ¨Frontera¨ 2014 belongs to a subgenre usually set in the Tex-Mex border concerning illegal immigration , such as : ¨Border Incident¨ 1949 by Anthony Mann with Ricardo Montalban , George Murphy , Howard Da Silva . ¨Borderline¨ 1980 by Jerrold Freeman with Charles Bronson , Bruno Kirby , Michael Lerner , Wilford Brimley and Ed Harris . ¨The Border¨ 1982 by Tony Richardson with Jack Nicholson , Valerie Perrine , Warren Oates , Harvey Keitel. ¨Crossing over¨ 2009 by Wayne Kramer with Harrison Ford , Ray Liotta , Jim Sturgess , Alice Eva , Alice Braga , Ashley Judd . ¨Desert¨ 2015 by Jonás Cuarón with Jeffrey Dean Morgan , Gael Garcia Bernal, among others.

To say that I enjoyed Frontera is an understatement … because I rarely ... take the time ... to write a review. So when I say I really enjoyed the film and was entertained, I am really thanking all involved for its production. This film had a western genre feeling to it that I personally like, and it had many social topics that plague our society, i.e., desperation, survival, rape, hate, man's inhumanity to his fellow man, et cetera. The actors' performances were superb in that the flat/stock/stereotypical characters were well-developed and rounded. Ed Harris' Texas Ranger Style of police work and justice was a bonus. I would have to say that this film/movie/picture had a little something for everyone. Again, the social and ethical implications regarding nepotism that sheriff was considering for his son, border issues, gun control, etc., were many and depicted quite well. This film is a must see – Great Job!