Nicotina

'Nicotina' is a dark semi-gangster comedy revolving around gangsters (obviously), a computer geek, a corpulent Russian kingpin, two hairdressers and a convenience shop owner among others. The premise is interesting and I liked the premise and the Mexican humour.

However, the film starts off slow. The dialogues are a little repetitive but the pace brilliantly picks up after about the first half hour. Rodriguez could have incorporated more style in his execution. The editing could have been tighter but at the same time, some of the characters could have used more development.

The comedic situations, which the characters encounter and deal with, work excellently. The irony is well displayed and the film has a darkly whimsical feel to it. I thought a different background score would have worked better, something with a little more energy.

Yet, 'Nicotina' remains an enjoyable urban film. Diego Luna, Martha Tenorio, Rafael Inclán and Rosa María Bianchi are very good. At the time, dark urban comedies may have been a trend in Mexican cinema but that does nOt stop 'Nicotina' from being fun.

I went to watch this movie because my girlfriend is a fan of Diego Luna. However, i just didnt get excited at any minute of the movie. Its the story of a young hacker in mexico city who steals passwords from swiss banks accounts, and tries to sell them to the russian mob. The story is kind of boring, and the humor is average at best. My recommendation is: dont spend any money watching this in the movies....MAYBE it will be worth the rental price in a few months from now. 2 1/2 out of 5 stars...

Hugo Rodriguez' "Nicotina" is a fun picture, but it is enough to say that it is a Mexican version of Guy Ritchie's English heist flicks, albeit less so. Less violent, less convoluted, less hilarious. And yet, still violent and convoluted and

hilarious enough. So there it is. Diego Luna's in it, and ain't nobody doesn't think he's cute. Rodriguez uses funky wipes as scene transitions, punched up by

goofy sound effects, there's a scene where a bitchy barber's wife cuts open a guy's belly to get at some diamonds. And there's that smoking theme --

everybody's quitting, trying to quit, in denial about quitting, can't afford the smokes, can't find any lighter fluid, something. It's a motif and it's a metaphor, though perhaps not the deepest one ever (you never what's gonna kill ya!). It makes for a catchy title, though.

NiICOTINA is a perfect example of the transformation Mexican cinema has undergone in the past 30 years!!!

Equal parts Tarantinoesque film noir, Greek tragedy and sociocultural satire, Nicontina makes for a rousingly entertaining 90 minutes!!!.

Populated by a rather oddly colorful assortment of characters whose lives, seemingly, in one way or another, revolve around cigarettes or attempting to curtail their use. In this way, "NICOTINA" is a passive cast member of sorts.

What really makes this work is the quality of the ensemble performance, and the uncanny sense of timing of both director (Argentine Hugo Rodriguez-Producer/The Violin) and editor (Alberto de Toro). Diego Luna(Y Tu Mamá También) delivers an Oscar nomination worthy performance as the Über-creepy obsessive voyeur nerd next door!

With a Classic flair noir twist, Lolo (Luna) learns a painful Karmic lesson on the nefarious repercussions of his techno-voyeurism.

8.5********* ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!

Great actors (and specially actresses), well defined characters (again women make the best), an interesting plot, hilarious situations and decent dialogs make this contemporary mix of violence, action and comedy not a must but a good option. Familiarity with Mexican and Argentinean culture is a plus to fully enjoy the film, although the story is by itself good enough for everyone.

Extraordinary, intense and absurd as life in Latin America can be, this is a story that fits just right in a city like Mexico.

Do not expect to see something like Amores Perros or Y tu mamá también, but rather something like Snatch with a Mexican flavor.