Punto y raya

I'll not comment a lot, what's to??? Stereotype characters, absolute ignorance about Colombia's reality, awful mise en scene, poor color choice, NOT funny (it supposed to be a comedy and they expect that you will laugh because some distend music it's beside the nonsense scenes), Very poor actors direction (if you see somewhere those people, I mean the interpreters, you'll know they are at least good, but seeing this so call film, it is impossible to guess it), you get tired of the music... this "comedy" has no rhythm, the only good rhythm in it, it's the rap sing in the final credits....pathetic, doesn't it? etc...etc... It has been a long time I haven't seen a movie so bad!!

While the underlying theme and plots of most war movies are similar, this film at least adds the novelty of this rarely shown, but nevertheless, very critical and crucial world conflict.

I (and the film) refer to the drug traffic/coke labs/Maoist rebels/ Venezuelan/Colombian feud. It's a multi faction civil war that is rarely talked about since, of course, the area is neither in Eurasia or North America. But the coke and crack consumers that keep it going are. So, though dozens of films continue to address Bosnia and the ex-Yugoslavia (close to "Europe" and the Middle East), hardly any have been made about this ongoing war which is even more complicated, and ongoing than any other, and closer to many Europeans and North America drug users than anyone wants to recognize.

This film is a light, comedic way of educating those in the "rest of the world" what those around you may contribute to, if not cause, this war and keep it going, fueled by continued consumption of drugs from South America (virtually all, if not all the coke and derivatives, plus marijuana, with a sideline of Ecstasy production, this last drug not native to the area). It is also an interesting take on Venezuelan/Colombian relations along the long, drug, and guerrilla infected border they share.

The film is not at all a sermon about this subject. I personally make it a point in this comment to highlight why the film is so unique, so worth watching. All this, in addition to its being a wonderful, entertaining film, showing human qualities and frailties which can be appreciated anywhere.

Truly exceptional, this film has been a hit at all the festivals it's hit so far. Here in Brazil, it was a hit in Rio in September, and is on the list of the top ten most-voted films at the S. Paulo Festival in October/early November. Highly recommendable!

This movie it's a joy, a wonderful experience to find the craft of this essential art in a new voice like the voice of Venezuela. It's funny (really Funny), sad, but it's after all a human movie, with a very mood script. The vision of the director make you feel about the really essence of the south American people. The plot it's about a little war between Colombia and Venezuela. got a very interesting new talents (Roque Valero rules with his character of the Venezuelan soldier) Now Edgar Ramirez work in the new movie of Tony (Top Gun) Scott. A great experience thanks to this powerful movie.It's in other word: supreme. When you see this movie, you really feel the art in the screen.

transitively latinamerican and borderline dramatic, punto y raya hit us as a fairly well told story about friendship altering people's life. of course there's a movie about this little hypothetical war between countries, and the intimate war between two guys for a long-time-no-seen-virgin-girlfriend, but mostly it's about two enemies trying to stay alive through extreme circumstances: the war itself, the jungle, crazy women living in colombian guerrilla camps, and a pair of boots they shall share. the best thing about this film is elia's work with actors direction, pushing them through the adventure and making them seem not only believable but amazingly genuine. a great direction and production work from one of venezuela's most prolific film dupla (novoa-schneider), actually our favorite (our respects to garimpeiro and huelepega)for its perfect inclusion of humor inside a drama environment.

Elia Schneider, the talented Venezuelan film director, surprised our expectations with "Punto y Raya", one of the highlights of the recent Latinbeat 2005 at the Walter Reade theater in New York. Not being prepared for what to expect, this movie proved to be a winner. The public, at its presentation the other day, seemed to enjoyed it a lot.

"Punto y Raya" is a film that presents us all the factions in a conflict that one hears nothing about in the press, and it has to do with the involvement of the Venezuelan and Colombian armies in their fight to control the drug trafficking between the two countries plus the leftist guerrillas and the paramilitary forces that are all fighting one another, especially in Colombia.

The film focuses on two soldiers, one, the disarming Cheito, a small time drug dealer in Caracas, who is caught selling and as a punishment is made to enroll the army and sent to the border with Colombia as part as the forces patrolling the area. Pedro, a Colombian recruit, who has joined the army to combat the drug problem, is an earnest man. Pedro believes in the system and is willing to give his best in order to see his country free of drugs.

Fate intervenes and both Cheito and Pedro form a bond, as they are caught by the different factions. Cheito is a chameleon, he can change colors and be convincing to whoever happens to be questioning him. Pedro, on the other hand, is an uneducated man whose honesty and integrity are in sharp contrast with the slick Cheito.

The film is delightful to watch because of the magnificent display of acting by Roque Valero, a great new talent to Latin American films and Edgar Ramirez, who is becoming known also to the American movie fans. Both actors deserve success in whatever they decide to do next because they prove in "Punto y Raya" they certainly can act and are totally convincing.

Congratulations of Elia Schneider for giving us a film that will stay with the viewer for a long time to come.