La Zona

This is about the Mexican big city, there rich people have created a zone behind walls. They keep the world out, but they are also kept out. Three young thieves enter and the hunt begins. The rich just don't want to defend their privileges. They want to kill for them.

But few of them are monsters. And what could have been an after all rather conventional social thriller, is more than that. The plot turns many times and everything isn't what it seems.

A strong movie about a class hatred which is becoming a dangerous threat to our kind of societies. It's a warning to us, not just to the rich.

In Mexico City, a wealthy compound is surrounded by walls and surveillance system to protect the locals against the violence of the slums. During a stormy night, a billboard falls over the wall and three smalltime thieves cross the border through the breach to rob. They break into a house and kill an old lady; the residents organize militias to chase the delinquents. Two of them and one security guard are murdered by the vigilantes, but the sixteen year old Miguel (Alan Chávez) hides in the basement of the teenager Alejandro (Daniel Tovar). When Alejandro finds Miguel, he feeds and helps the boy, but it is impossible to escape from the Zone.

"La Zone" reflects the life in a Third World big city, where the afraid middle-class lives in houses, compounds and buildings surrounded and under siege of slums and protected by walls, fences and gates. Further, it shows the corruption in the police, where the work of an honest policeman is affected by the general corruption. This drama unravels how dangerous might be the principle of an eye for en eye and when common people becomes vigilantes. The performances are very realistic, giving a total credibility to the plot. The DVD released by the Brazilian distributor Dreamland Filmes has a problem and for accessing the last chapter, the viewer needs to go to "Scene Selection" in the Menu, otherwise the DVD stops. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Zona do Crime" ("Zone of the Crime")

Thrilling and thoughtful film dealing with a rich compound besieged by walls and security electric system to guard the inhabitants agains the violent exterior characterized by poorness , chaos and misery . Set in Mexico D.F. , when a billboard falls on the wall it creates a breach in which three tiny delinquents enter into the enclosed neighborhood .But it results to be a location that is impossible to getaway and they find caught-up in the wrong place and the wrong time ; then things go awry for the three unfortunate crooks . The residents turned Vigilantes to be aware the enemy invasion and relentlessly pursue the small time thieves .

A stirring and violent film that delves the real confrontation between social classes shocked by crimes and misdemeanors: The upper class and the lower class , as well as the police corruption and many other things . It shows the dark atmosphere of paranoia , tyranny , and mass hysteria of the wealthy people surrounded by strict surveillance system to protect against the poor slums and even organizing militias , acting as judges , juries and executioners . There are good acting by a decent cast , such as Daniel Gimenez Cacho as a council member who takes law on his own hands , Maribel Verdu as a mother who attempts help and guard his son , Carlos Bardem as a violen neighbour , as well as the veteran Blanca Guerra . Special mention for the newcomer duo teen : Chavez as the escaped boy hiding within the neighborhood's borders , at a basement , and Daniel Tovar as Alejandro , the good teen who brings him food and a pair of trainers and he tapes his story on his videocamara .

It contains an atmospheric and adequate cinematography by Emilio Villanueva . And an evocative and intriguing musical score by Fernando Velazquez who has composed a lot of successful soundtracks with such international hits as The impossible, A monster calls , The orphanage, Crimson Peak , Gernika and The invisible guardian .Compellingly produced by Mexican/Spanish prducers as Alvaro Longoria , Pilar Benito , Rafel Cuervo , Ricardo Fernandez and Rodrigo Pla himself .The motion picture was well written, produced and directed by Rodrigo Pla. He is a fine craftsman who has directed nice shorts and full feature films as Desierto Adentro , A monster with a thousand heads and La demora .

La Zona is one of those rare films which grips you from the start and doesn't let go till the end credits roll up. It is also a rare example of a thriller and social drama which delivers on both fronts.

La Zona are residential compounds in Mexico for the rich and the affluent. They have their own security system and guards and even law, thus separating them from the normal law of the land. These "zones" are real and do exist in Mexico city. The one depicted in the film is separated from the slum neighbourhood by large concrete walls and barbed wire. An accident causes one of the power pylons next to the Zone to collapse thus paving an entry for three young petty thieves from the slums to enter the Zone to make a quick burglary. Things go wrong, however, and two of the boys are shot dead while the third manages to escape from the burgled house but not from the zone.

We then follow the search for the boy, by the residents (who intend to kill him) and the cops, who are mostly corrupt ready to turn a blind eye for the right sum. The Zone is a superbly tense thriller and a damning indictment of the social system in Mexico. The residents in these zones appear to be totally cut off from the reality outside; a nice contrast is a golf course inside the Zone from which the players get a panoramic view of the slums.

It is hard to believe that this is the feature debut of its director Rodrigo Pla. It's one of the most accomplished feature debuts that I have ever seen and you can be certain that Rodrigo Pla's name is going to be much better known in the coming years.

La Zona for me looks like a Hollywood film. That is not of course a bad thing, but after hearing about this film, I was expecting a more original look. Now it felt like any other drama coming from L.A. Even though this one was done in Mexico.

For me a lot of the acting was overdone and very theatrical. There were a lot of scenes that were touching and felt real, but there was a kind of unreal feeling through out the film.

It was however very well made. The cinematic style and compositions were well thought.

For me the film felt like a film, and I didn't believe in it. This caused me the lack of feeling and I didn't attach to the piece.