O Cartel

This is one of those films that has so many characters in it that it's very easy to lose track of the plot as people discuss their intricate relationships and interactions. I enjoyed the film and was engrossed in it, but frequently lost due to the many twists and turns. Of course part of the appeal is wondering just who is doing what to whom and why, so perhaps this isn't as much of a problem as I'm making it out to be.

It's a very well-made, well-acted film with a great cast and exotic, frightening location. I doubt it will do much for tourism to Tijuana, but it is a very taut, timely movie that will hold your interest. There are a few typical clichés (the hooker with the heart of gold - Mexicans who speak English to each other even when there are no native English speakers around), but these are kept to a minimum. Ray Liota is one of the producers of the film, but it's not "his" movie. In fact, Andy Garcia does a superb job of being quietly creepy and even a bit sympathetic.

If you're looking for a powerful, somewhat dark drama, The Line fits the bill excellently.

"The Line" is an overly complicated drugs cartel movie with a very good cast and some first-rate cinematography as well as ambitions above its modest station. Ray Liotta is an assassin, Esai Morales his target, Andy Garcia a dying drugs lord and Armand Assante a very dubious priest. It's almost impossible to follow with too many characters involved in too many double-crosses and with too many needless flashbacks though there is a neat 'explanatory' twist at the end. Fleshed out a bit this might have made a good six part series; as it is it's over before it really gets started. Dedicated to the city of Tijuana it's also unlikely to encourage anyone, not involved in the drugs trade, to go there for a visit.

Wow, it's getting to where I really can't trust IMDb ratings to decide what to watch anymore. This movie is underrated. I suspect many people who rated it low, wanted more explosions and car chases. This is not an action film. It is a subtle yet intense look at how a person can be extremely tough yet so very vulnerable at the same time. There are no feel good characters. No role model action heroes. No clear cut lines between good and bad.

Other reviewers have noted that it was confusing. Admittedly the script was confusing at first. It wasn't clear who was motivated by what, and what flashbacks meant what to whom. But about halfway through the film it starts to come together beautifully and continues to do so to the interesting and somewhat moving end. If you stop waiting for the gratuitous action scenes which never happen, and just watch the story, it works well. Yes, some plot points seem a little unrealistic, but that's why I put the story at only a 7.

While the story is good, the acting is all around superb. I have never been the biggest Liotta fan. He's good, but like a lot of tough guy character actors, sometimes his tough guy persona crosses the line into bluffery in my opinion. Not here. He was near perfect. Almost everyone was, including minor characters played by people I have never heard of. No fake looking bluffery, nothing overdone. I would give this a 7 for story and direction, but the acting puts it up to 8.

Also, the music was as wonderfully chosen as the actors. There was a point in the middle of the movie where one character began to cry. We aren't shown explicitly why, no details, but we are shown enough to understand and fill in her story for ourselves. I found that one scene, with the song from Melody Gardot, particularly beautiful.

In a nutshell, I would describe this as a smoulderingly intense drama. If you are looking for an action thriller you will be disappointed.

It is very difficult to give something new to the audience. Specially when talking about such a controversial topics as Drug dealing, mafia, terrorism, cartels Etc.

Being Mexican myself I looked forward to see how a new director would portray this "not to take lightly" topic. The first impression I got as I began to watch the movie was the serious influence of Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic", a fabulous movie which provides an unusual vision of the drug underworld. As the movie continued it was not difficult to identify some the similarity with some other movies, not only character wise, but also concerning plot, conflict and even cinematography.

Shields' character is a weird mix of Denzel's Creasy in Man on fire and Pierce Brosnan's hit-man in Matador. Both very well structured characters, but when combined do not have the same effect.

It is difficult to be bring something new to Drug dealing movies, particularly because everything has pretty much been said about dealing drugs; so when a director tries to give some extra dramatic flavor, it has a contradictory effect, It is appealing but not very coherent.

Check out this movie it is not completely dismissible, specially if you take into account its independent nature. But do not expect to see anything worth referring to in the future.

Although you'd be forgiven for mistaking THE LINE for an action flick, it turns out to be anything but: this is in actual fact a character study of various interacting and rival personalities in a violent Mexican city. Ray Liotta bags the central and most interesting role as a hit-man traumatised by an event in his past and given the opportunity to make amends in the present.

Against him is gang leader Pelon, played to the hilt by the chilling Esai Morales. This is a guy who thinks nothing of torturing rivals to death and who fully deserves his comeuppance – should it ever come about. The supporting cast is made up of an excellent ensemble of actors, including those better known for B-movies (Danny Trejo and Gary Daniels both have brief henchman roles) as well as more familiar faces. Andy Garcia, who's been off our screens for quite some time, is particularly interesting as the former gangster wasting away from a terminal illness. Also look out for Bruce Davison, an unrecognisable Armand Assante and the ever-underrated Joe Morton.

This may not be an action movie, but there is at least one splendid shoot-out to enjoy. In any case, the entire film is well shot and the script holds your attention in the snappy, heartfelt dialogue scenes as well as the thriller elements. Comparing it to other recent gangster movies, it comes in under CITY OF GOD but above GOMORRAH.