Matando Cabos

Good characters, well paced, with a tight script full of twist and well placed turns. People will often dismiss any movie that is well crafted by comparing it to another movie that's well crafted. In this case I felt like it was more of a good thing instead of "more of the same", sort of like getting a second helping of something great. The movie does build it's central premise (a series of wild coincidences, characters that are larger than life, the fast paced-all in one night action) on other movies that feature similar elements (Snatch, Pulp Fiction, etc) but because the situations and characters are unique I did not feel ripped off. Overall I found this film to be very entertaining. I saw it at Sundance this year (2005). I hope it comes out in the US, I would recommend it to anybody that like to be entertained.

Matando Cabos is a complete tribute to Pulp Fiction and some other American movies, that if it wasn't for the language (spanish) and the little parody of El Santo (which is one of the few highlights of this movie)I wouldn't know that this is a Mexican film. Those dialogues extracted literally from Taxi Driver in one scene? a shame. This movie is done by some fancy kids with the intention to glorify the Tarantino style and a type of American cinema that doesn't need more cheers than the one that has already been giving in the USA, but if you are already out of ideas and you wanted to do a Tarantino dirty stylish Mexican film at least you should have written those typical adapted Reservoir Dogs dialogues strong and smart enough to keep out that boring "we already seen that and better" feeling.

Why all this new self-made Mexican film-makers can't come with original ideas or at least with a homemade tribute? The movie felt like a sequel of Nicotina (a Mexican copycat of Snatch and Smocking Barrels), it makes me feel like there is no Indio Fernandez, no Almada Brothers, no Pedro Armendariz's father! to honor so we have to honor foreign concepts. All right, there is some good earn funny moments, very chilango moments too, in the movie but where is no substance there is nothing good enough to make our film industry a worthy one, let's not say a good representation of the Mexican way of life with all those cartonish characters like the ones in Matando Cabos.

Although it is not a master piece or or anything; it is good to have many good laughs and just have a good time. "Matando Cabos" is about two kidnappings (among other things) that go very wrong. Mr. Cabos is a ruthless business man who has hurt and taken advantage of many. Everybody hates him. On the same night different people decide to get back to him; but things go very wrong, confusion starts and things get mixed up (very mixed up).

The movie is funny from start to finish even tragic things can turn into a funny scene. It's a movie that laughs at the misfortunes of life. It does have some really violent and sexual scenes (not my favorite) but it is part of the way the movie is done. I am not sure if foreigners would like it, it is "Mexican" humor. It's worth the try.

I attended a special screening for this movie and I was quite surprised to see two Mexican aspiring actors writing and starring their own motion picture. The premise of the movie is that it was done by people under the age of thirty. Thus, it is intended to be enjoyed solely by this sector of the population. This film noir that uses black comedy as well as screwballism is very funny indeed and it is very inventive. The presence of only two well known actors (Pedro Armendáriz and Ana Claudia Talancón) increases the audience's interest in the plot itself. One problem that this movie faces is that it has too many things to tell and very little time. It is possible for the spectator to find it slow at times, but it's ending is well worth the wait. Newcomers galore in this wonderful Mexican production. This movie represents Mexican cinema that is well done and that has right support. I recommend it strongly. **** out of 5 stars.

In Mexico City, the powerful and violent magnate of steel Oscar Cabos (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.) surprises his daughter Paulina (Ana Claudia Talancón) having sex with her boyfriend and his employee Javier "Jaque" (Tony Dalton) and he works Jaque over. On the next day, Jaque pays a visit to Cabos in his office and the angry man comes with a golf club to hit Jaque again. However, Cabo accidentally treads on a golf ball, falls on the floor and faints. Jaque calls his best friend Mudo (Kristoff) to help him, but the janitor Nacho (Pedro Altamirano) finds his boss fainted on the floor and he steals and dresses his clothes and jewels. Meanwhile, Nacho's son Botcha (Raúl Méndez) and his friend Nico (Gustavo Sánchez Parra) have planned to kidnap Cabos and they are waiting for him in the garage. When he arrives in the place, the two kidnappers hit him on the back, believing that he is Cabos, and they wear a hood covering his face. They head with the abducted man to the house of Botcha's girlfriend Lula (Rocío Verdejo). Meanwhile, Jaque and Mudo calls their wrestler friend Ruben "Mascarita" (Joaquín Cosio) and his midget partner Tony 'El Cannibal' (Silverio Palacios) to help them to get rid of Cabos in his birthday party. But both plans do not work well along the night.

"Matando Cabos" is a gem of dark humor and one of the funniest comedies that I have recently seen. This comedy of errors has a wonderful and original screenplay, and the situations are unpredictable and hilarious. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Matando Cabos" ("Killing Cabos")