Frontera

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.

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 am retired and living in Mexico. Like most Americans, I knew nothing about Mexicans, even though I grew up near the border. When I was in high school in the 60's, I would hear the garden hose come on at night. Being only 10 miles from the border, I would hear the quiet sounds of Mexicans getting a drink of water on their way North. My bedroom door was unlocked. These illegal aliens were 10 feet from my door. I had no fear of them, nor did I have any reason to.

Frontera is a movie about how little Mexicans and Americans understand one another. Americans, with their sense of entitlement, have no understanding of the aspirations of the less fortunate neighbors to the south. Mexicans have no understanding of how hard their Northern neighbors to own what they have. To Mexicans, we are all lazy rich people. To Americans, our neighbors to the south are whores and taxi drivers, not worthy.

The story begins realistically, a hopeful Mexican man hiking north, leaving his wife and family behind. He crosses the border on foot, his only crime is illegal entry. Bad stuff happens, all of it unnecessary, and all of it because of the suspicion and mistrust between neighbors in different countries and different worlds. There are few real villains in this movies for all the violence and hatred it displays. The misunderstanding between the two cultures is the real villain.

Ed Harris and his real life wife, Amy Madigan, are excellent. You won't recognize Eva Longoria without her slut makeup and push up bra. Surprise! She can act a little! Michael Pena also deserves praise for his portrayal of a man caught in a culture war while simply trying to obtain a better life for his family. The story works. People change, and have a better understanding of what each needs from the other. A good, entertaining film with a happy ending and a message of hope for two countries who could learn a lot from each other.

I'm a big movie buff and I focus on the values of writing, production, and entertainment. I'm tired of all the buddy-cop, cookie cutter action movies these days. They are ALL THE SAME. I look for movies that have interesting ideas.

Frontera was a welcome relief to my annoyance with the current movie industry. The writing was very well done and the pacing was perfect. I felt interested and engaged the entire time. I like how the Mexicans actually spoke Spanish. Even though there were a lot of subtitles, it was much more realistic.

I loved the implications of importance placed on the family. The families of Miguel, Roy, and the sheriff are all placed in extremely difficult situations which must be overcome. I feel like most people could relate to these situations in some way-- I did. In addition, the things that Miguel's wife goes through sheds light on the circumstance and difficulties of those looking for a better life. The maltreatment and suffering they go through are real.

Finally, I loved the ending. My heart was racing because I had established a personal affection for the characters. This movie was well worth my time.