Mexico City

This movie shows great insight into what Mexico City is actually like. Not necessarily the mugging and shooting, however the shots of the city are outstanding. From the town square to the mix between poverty and wealth, the camera work in the film is unsurpassable. Even down to the green volkswagen beetles, the film is precise and real. Enjoyable movie.

This film will never turn up as an in-flight feature on Mexicana Airlines. It shows the gritty, often ugly reality of Mexico City. Its tale of corruption and intrigue is nothing special. But the film captures the essence of Mexico City --- crowds, bustle, poverty, pollution, crime, machismo, antiquity and always, "la mordida" --- with compelling cinematography and a hauntingly effective Spanish guitar musical background. The camera angles are brilliant. The warm tones of the colour are perfect for the subject. There are many classic closeups of Mexican faces that alone make the film worthwhile. You almost smell the "pollo con aroz." And the amount of Spanish dialogue without subtitles underlines the frustratiions of the film's unilingual main character as she searches for her brother in an alien, puzzling and hostile environment. (Whatever did happen to him by the way?) The plot isn't new. Innocent American searches for missing ( )boyfriend ( )husband ( )wife ( )son ( )daughter ( )other in corrupt foreign capital with no help from double dealing US embassy. But this one is done superbly.

In "Mexico City", Edwards plays a woman with recent personal loss who is reluctantly vacationing in the title city with her brother when he disappears. This very mediocre journeyman flick is all about her search for her bro and the intrigues which follow. "Mexico City" seems to lack authenticity (made in Mexico by Americans), paints a rather dismal portrait of the city, has plotholes and foibles galore, and is watered down to a very soft R rating. For those who can overlook these flaws, however, a tale of one woman's determination pitted against corruption and treachery in Mexico awaits. (C)

I never had heard of this movie, or any of the actors(less Robert Patrick) before. It was a slow Sunday morning, and I just happened to have it on the channel showing this movie. I certainly enjoyed this movie much more than I thought I would. It was a very well acted, well-written study of the helplessness one would feel placed in the proverbial situation of a stranger in a strange land. It definitely showed Mexico City in real light, but I thing more importantly, it showed that not everyone in Mexico is corrupt, or dispassionate about helping outsiders. The character of Pedro was especially heroic. I definitely felt the level of frustration the lead character (Mitch) was feeling. Expert direction by Richard Shepard.

I got bored in the begining already and could not get better later. Just more bored