The Border

I watched this movie ages ago and rewatched it yesterday. Honestly, the only thing I remembered was Telly Savalas in it. The opening is fairly exciting, but after that, we go towards slow motion. No doubt there are faster ways to introduce characters and to make the position of our hero clear. We have it all: bad guys (even a corrupt police chief), lovely innocents, some (hard) action and even gore (the slaughterhouse). And an abrupt ending... I vaguely remember that in the good old days that happened quite often (budgettary or other reasons). Telly Savalas does an adequate job, masculine chest included, but it's a pity that in large sections of the movie he is absent (probably the budget again). Too slow to really call it an action movie, but I didn't get bored!

A film sensitive to the plight of Mexican immigrants coming to the US for a better life.

Savalas plays a border agent with a compassionate heart. Savalas is really great in this role, and the production/writing nearly rises to his level. When he's not on-screen, the film is two dimensional. The other agents are hateful Americans, the immigrants are sentimentalized heroes. I like the heartfelt understanding, but I wish it wasn't so "good guy/bad guy".

Savalas somehow makes it all credible, but he's not always the focus. When he is, good flick.

Telly Savalas showed in his career that he could play heroic roles as well as bad guys. He plays a good guy role here, and he does his best, but most of the rest of the movie erodes his efforts. After a passable action beginning (which boasts some impressive stunt work), the next half hour or so is a real bore, with practically NOTHING in this half hour advancing the plot. Eventually, things start moving again, though pretty slowly for the most part. But despite that, the movie remains pretty boring, with Savalas' character curiously offscreen for several sections of significant length. The movie ends on an odd note, as if the filmmakers ran out of money and weren't able to film an ending that would have been really satisfying. Apart from the opening sequence, the only other part of the movie that will have viewers alert is a scene in a slaughterhouse, which shows the (real) slaughter of cattle that will disgust most viewers.

Chesty gringo Telly Savalas (as Frank Cooper) is a US-Mexico "Border Cop". He serves as a father figure to young immigrant Danny De La Paz (as Benny Romero), who wants Mr. Savalas to be best man at his impending wedding. Savalas is tough, but boss Eddie Albert (as Commander Moffat) may be tougher. Tough is what you need to stop smuggler Michael V. Gazzo (as Chico Suarez). Alliances may be in flux.

If you find the possibility of hearing "Kojak" and "Oliver Douglas" uttering expletives to be repulsive, you ought to steer clear of "The Border". If not, you may not have the stomach for the "realistic" cow slaughtering scene. Although it doesn't end up being worth much, Mr. De La Paz and Cecilia Camacho (as Leina) steal the show.

** The Border (1979) Tony Richardson ~ Telly Savalas, Danny De La Paz, Eddie Albert

A movie that must necessarily to be seen by Donald Trump, as long as he's still in office! The film is not great, but the message is simple: the cause of Mexican poverty and the vital need to cross the border to the North. Telly Savalas, as usual, is very good in the role. Unfortunately, the script is not very consistent. The other actors, Danny De La Paz, Eddie Albert, Michael V. Gazzo, Cecilia Camacho, also give their strength as much as they can.