Ladrão Que Rouba Ladrão

Ladrón que roba a ladrón or Bandoleros is a stupid movie which apparently is made in U.S. in Spanish language. Looking at the rating of 6.9 from IMDb, I figured it must be a good movie and I bought the DVD. The rating in IMDb is usually accurate and this is the first time I find it disappointing. I will probably end up giving this movie away since I don't think I will ever watch it again. This movie is a repeat of other successful or (fairly successful) movies made in the past. However, with bad directing, acting, boring plots, etc.. While movies such as Ocean's 11, 12, etc. are available, don't waist your time on this unless you are content with a mediocre movie.

I don't believe that I need to recap the plot of this movie since other commentators have done so quite clearly. However I would like to expand on three aspects of the film: the casting, comparable movies, and the technical credits.

I'm an Anglo and came across the movie by accident on Amazon.com. As such I was totally unfamiliar with the cast of this movie, most of whom appear to have extensive credits in Hispanic television series. When an actor delivers a good performance you can credit the actor. When all the actors fit their roles you have to credit the casting. Saul Lisazo, as the putative villain Moctesuma Valdez, was impressive. Both of the gang leaders, Miquel Varoni as Emilio Lopez and Fernando Colunga as Alejandro Toledo, were in character. While the latter was billed first, I assume he's better known for his television work, I would say the former was more of a standout in this film. Ruben Garfias was expressive as car jockey Rafa and Ivonne Montero was very dynamic as his motor-head daughter Rafaela. Gabriel Soto brought some charm to the usually thankless role of caper muscle man. Julie Gonzalo was attractive in the role of the nanny Gloria but Sonya Smith had little to do as Mrs. Valdez (apparently she was more actively involved in a sub-plot which was cut from the movies to reduce run time). Oscar Torres as Miguelito, a would be actor, and Jon Molerio as a security guard provide standout comedy relief. Only the computer "nerd" role of Julio Miranda was surprisingly under written given that it was played by JoJo Henrickson, the author of the screen play. It is relatively seldom that all major roles in a film are well cast. It is a high compliment when I say it makes me want to go out and look at the other work of these performers.

Commentators have compared this film to Ocean's Eleven (1960/2001) or the The Sting (1973) in terms of where it was derived from and the style of the caper. I don't know who made the first caper film, with people coming together to stage a heist, but I know it definitively precedes Ocean's Eleven (1960). Without even pausing I can think of Jules Dassin's Rafifi (1955), Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956) or John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle (1950). In terms of style I think we must remember that this film was apparently made on a budget of US$900,000 over twenty days. Its simply not going to have the high-technology caper of a big budget Ocean's Eleven (2001). The complexity of the caper is more like that of 1960's television series Mission Impossible or Man From U.N.C.L.E. However the director and writer of this film wisely choose to concentrate on character and social commentary rather than complexity of the caper. This fits better within both the budget and the concept of invisible immigrants staging a caper. Part of the emotional satisfaction with the ending is the social commentary embedded within it.

Technical credits are normally taken for granted but deserve comment in this case. The camera work is particularly impressive, with use of continuous takes as the camera moves amongst the participants in the scene. This style binds the characters together and creates both realism and a sense of activity. I was also impressed with some of the framing of the shots, with the main characters bookending the background events. I don't think I've ever commented on subtitles in a movie. Inevitably one senses that the subtitles you are reading are a poor reflection of what's said in the original language. In this case the English subtitles, I presume by the screen writer JoJo Henrickson, are fluid and fully convey the emotions on the screen. The catchy soundtrack also adds to the professionalism of the credits.

LADRON was released in August 2007, just before the U. S. economy hit a gigantic speed bump in 2008... If you're over 25, I'm sure you remember what the next couple years were like, right?

Well, I remember watching promos for the film some years back and how people involved with the film said, "It was produced in Miami...The Capital of Latin America!" Strange...Since the big recession, really haven't heard that phrase tossed about anymore! To counter that, however, as an L. A. ex-pat, it sure looks as though a lot of the filming was done in the Hollywood Hills...But IMDb said there was no INFO on filming locations, so I can't really be sure!

If you look at the actors and the people involved in making LADRON, it is a sort of an International Hispanic "Who's Who!" In the Director's chair, we have Joe Menendez, born in NYC, Cuban-American; His life-partner, Roni Eguia Menendez is credited as #1 Producer, there is no background on his specific ethnicity, but Eguia seems to be of Basque origin.

The principal leads are: Fernando Colunga, born in Mexico City; Miguel Varoni, although born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was raised in Colombia and most people consider him as such; Saul Lisazo is from Argentina, but has lived in Spain and now in Mexico City; Gabriel Soto, from Mexico City; Julie Gonzalo was born in Buenos Aires, but has lived in Miami since she was 8; Sonya Smith, of Telenovela Fame, born in Philly, she is Venezuelan-American. Most of the rest of the cast seem to be of Hispanic origin, but born in the USA!

LADRON is done in a style that is quite tongue in cheek. I'd say almost a BIT too much so at times, making for a rather Cavalier experience for cast and crew, who seem to be having a lot of fun making the film!

Does this insider merriment translate into viewer enjoyment? In general, yes, but not always. In any case, I think the vast majority of people will find it breezy, fun and enjoyable! Just under $7 Million Gross for most movies released in the U. S. would be considered dismal...Yet, LADRON is the highest grossing film produced and released in Spanish EVER in the U. S.! Well, at least until 2008...I can't really be sure about after that.

Yes, the film is in Spanish...Well, at least about 98% of the dialogue is in Spanish. Would a non-Spanish speaker enjoy the movie as much??? The answer to that has to be NO, of course, but that doesn't mean that it isn't worth seeing just because you don't speak Spanish. In fact, if you are interested in the dynamics of cultural differences, you might find the interaction of Hispanics from many different countries within the U. S. to be rather interesting and amusing.

How well done are the subtitles in English? Since I never pay much attention to them, I'm not really sure...But I did notice there did not SEEM to be much in the way of gaps where there were no onscreen subtitles! Sorry, but that's about the only help I can provide in that area!

ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

Ladron que roba a ladron is a great movie, and I recommend it to Spanish-speakers and non-Spanish speakers alike. The captions seem to be excellent (I know some Spanish but am far, far, from fluent). The movie is a great deal of fun, and the actors do a wonderful job. Especially enjoyed Miguel Varoni, Saul Lisazo, and Ivonne Montero. Fernando Colunga was great eye candy. Other reviewers have summarized the plot well. It did remind me of Ocean's Eleven, but on a smaller scale and with perhaps even more humor. I understand that some scenes were cut in order to shorten the running time, and I sort of regret that. You will be glad you made the effort to see this film.

I was born in the US to immigrant parents and while I don't care for telenovelas or the typical overracting that is present in Latin entertainment, I really enjoyed this movie.

While it may seem to be a wannabe Ocean's 11, you also have to bear in mind that the recent O11 movies are also knockoff's of an original movie made in the 60's. I don't think that this movie is in any way trying to set itself apart or claim complete originality. The formulas have been used in many movies in the past, present and will continue to be used in the future.

What sets this movie apart is how the subject appeals to a broad group of people on a personal level. This is not the type of movie that could truly appeal to non-Latinos because they have no emotional investment in the storyline. While there may have been a few things that others would consider predictable, it was still worthwhile to view. I think that if non-Latinos could understand the struggles that Latinos endure trying to come to the US, they would have a deeper understanding of what it means to get back at someone who robs their own people.

I think that if I did not speak Spanish I would probably not appreciate the film as much. The nuances in tone and inflection by some of the actors, particularly Oscar Torres, are just outstanding. I loved watching him on the screen and hope to see him in more movies. I think that his character alone, led the audience to an uncertainty of the outcome of the heist. The other actors, popular in the world of Telenovelas, still had some very good performances.

Personally , I would not really compare this to Ocean's Eleven, Italian Job or any of those types of heist movies. Those movies had an air of sophistication that is entirely different than LQRL. I would compare LQRL more to the Donal Logue show, Knights of Prosperity. Equally zany, hilarious and in some cases the performances are so nonsensical you can't do anything but laugh your @ss off.

The ending is of a different type than most heist movies in that it circles back and closes well.