This film could just as well serve as a, "Cliff Note" for newcomers to Guatemala. Its plot surrounds corruption, which, is a central theme in everyday life in Guatemala. More than anything this film conveys the desperate behavior of government officials as they grope for all the money they can possibly get their hands on while in public service. The plot twists within the movie are eerily similar to the stories that you find in the newspapers here every day. The side story in this movie is the Prostitute. This movie is upsetting to many because of the nudity and sex. However, you cannot deny that the movie accurately reflects prostitution, which, is a very common and profitable business in Guatemala that does not discriminate against race or social class. More importantly though, the movie brilliantly illustrates the perverted reality that exists here and that nothing is as it seems, especially on the five-o'clock news! The film's actors are unknown people. However, most of them are good actors and the fact that they are not Hollywood stars is what makes you forget you are watching a movie. The actors do a good job of representing the manipulative, desperate, heartless group that makes up the rank and file of government service. Anyone who has spent the last four or more years in Guatemala can attest to the horrible effect that government corruption has had. How is this film different from other films that explore corruption? To someone in the United States the movie will seem far-fetched. To someone who has spent considerable time in Central America, it seems more like a documentary.
