Frontera

I saw this film at the Showlo film festival in 2018 and really enjoyed it. It's a slow burner that really picks up the middle. Performances are great, especially by the two bad guys. The director Jake Armbruster really put a lot into this thing. The budget was so minimal that I can't believe he got such great production value out of it.

I think a lot of these people are friends with the cast and crew because the film is definitely not a ten.. I found the film on amazon while searching for an Ed Harris movie with the same name. I didn't want to pay to watch Ed Harris movie so I saw this one to the side. I liked the poster and the trailer and free, so I decided to give it a watch.

First I'll start with the positive. I think the pacing and script are quite good. And a solid ending. The characters were all good and acting was actually pretty good for not having a real budget and more known actors. And another thing is the quality is way better than you would think for a film made for only 30k. Also music was admirable.

Now for the bad. I just think this story has been told way too many times in Hollywood films. The themes expressed and the way the story plays out seems similar (but defiantly cleverly done a bit differently) to other films. The Godfather comes to mind. Probably a huge influence on this one. Also there are no female characters. I mean, there are two, but they have nothing going for them. Both are poorly acted compared to their male counterparts and the script just doesn't give you enough to care about them. There was no chemistry between the Sara and Somny characters who were supposed to be this couple with a history. Also I just couldn't find out why I couldn't like the lead character Sonny, as opposed to the other lead actor who plays the older brother. I don't know what it is because I liked the actors performance and the script really developed him well and gave him a good arc. You need your lead to be likable a little in my humble opinion.

Very talented up and coming cast and crew. I really commend director Jake Thomas Armbruster for pulling off what he did with this film. With only 30k I can't believe what he was able to make. Will look to watch some of his short films and look out for what he does in the future. Kudos to all involved.

Excellent film about familial power struggles. Packed tight with great performances, suspense and powerful action scenes. Armbruster has incredible talent as a director.

I saw this movie on Amazon because my friend is friends with the director. He told me to give him an honest review so here it is.

I thought that the movie was really slow in the beginning and it doesn't pick up until the middle parts. I think the main part is that I didn't connect with the lead character of Sonny. Also all the females in the movie are just damsels in distress, we never really get to know them.

But the way the story unfolds it does really all come together in the end. This script was good. I was surprised to find that the acting was pretty good ( VERY good in some cases) and the production quality was on par with higher budgets.

I enjoyed the movie overall a 7/10

The film was expanded from a 35-minute mini feature into an 86-minute full length one - as well as shot over a period of four years, it was affectionately described by lead Justin Berti at a post-LIFF screening Q & A as a 'miracle film'. It's another triumph of determination and creative spirit (a sort of micro-budget 'GODFATHER') that evokes memories of John Carpenter's work on his 1976 classic ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13.

The plot-line and characters are familiar and the mix of ambiguity amidst politics and arms deals has been explored in any number of classic Hollywood films over the years. FRONTERA does lend itself to films like HEAT and TRAFFIC in that the characters are entwined on both sides of the coin, but politics in recent years has become a little more open in its' frankness about the dealings of politicians in the shadows.

That said, considering the constraints it has had in the production of it, it comes off rather well. There's a neat shot of Sonny looking out on what appears to be the aftermath of the recent California flash fires which devastated Southern California in places like Malibu.

Cinematographer Matthew Macar creates a rawness in the look of the film, with crisp light and shadow throughout and Armbruster is to be applauded for his efforts here.