El Narco

This is a picture of Mexico's reality: drugs, violence, corruption and zero opportunities to people. Estrada is a no-fear director that shows what are happening in my country, he told about corruption in police corps, army, politicians inclusive with president Calderon y former's presidents, the church (catholic) has a important role in the film. Damian Alcazar is a warranty, Joaquin Cosio, Gomez Cruz, Maria Rojo, Salvador Sanchez all of them great actors that make a brilliant movie. The story is about Benny Garcia (Alcazar) a deported Mexican who found his town worst than ever, without job and no money he was introduced to mob group by his best friend Cochiloco (Cosio). Love and violence, loyalty and human feelings is mixed in this picture. Congratulations to Estrada for his courage to say the things like are in a country like Mexico.

"El Infierno" is a satirical approach to the actual social situation of Mexico. This movie was released few days before of The Bicentennial Independence Day celebration. That fact gives a plus to this movie because it shows in a "funny" way how brutal the reality in this country is. Director Estrada wants to show that there is nothing to celebrate in a Nobody's land, where the law is made for those to have the money to corrupt a whole system. "El Infierno" shows not only a harsh present, but also a hopeless future.

The main topic of this movie is, of course, drug-trafficking; but, in this case, is only a pretext to show that drug-trafficking is not the problem itself, because it is only the consequence of a very long "tradition" of arrangements between mafia and government. The most characters in this movie were very well performed. I said the most characters, because Maria Rojo's performance was not so good as the other actors. This movie is easy to see and although it contains brutal violence it will be never so brutal as the headlines at the daily news.

Many of my acquaintances did not watch this film accusing it of trying to "justify" the path of a narco or of being "another film of violence", something that at this moment perhaps they are already tired of watching.

But I didn't see any of this: In "El infierno" I saw a film with a very careful rhythm (Luis Estrada has improved) that enters a world of violence that is the daily reality of many Mexicans. Like others, I started the film laughing, I ended up almost shivering. Humor, which can be criticized by telling such a story, is an effective way of making the world in which Luis Estrada introduces us bearable, exposing with simplicity and realism situations that are more complex than they can sound and where everyone plays their part.

Luis Estrada, hand in hand with Damian Alcázar presents us with a third film that we didn't think possible in Mexico, where things are called by their name and make us think about what we have got or can get at.

This makes movies like Scarface look second rate. It's well made and high quality. The subject matter is impressively dealt with, though there are no surprises for those that know the subject.

The characters have real warmth, even though the events are presented in cold, brutal fashion.

Most movies about the drug wars have a small Latino element. They assume the person watching has never heard of Mexico, they have clichéd characters and information overload so the movie-goer is 'educated'.

The story packs in quite a lot, but in a relaxed style.

It's probably one of the most believable gangster movies ever made. The characters are well developed. They never apologise for what they're doing, but they're aware of what they're doing.

Worth watching before if you're about to snort cocaine. Just to see where your money goes.

This is by far one of the most intense, realistic and utterly depressing portrait of Mexican reality nowadays. Given the fact that this film was released as part of the Mexican Independence Bicentennial, it is a slap in the face of the society, the government and the organised crime. Its tag line says it all: "Nothing to celebrate".

With much of irony, black comedy, and criticism, it disses everybody and everything: from the corrupted government institutions of a failed state, to the hypocrisy of a rotten Catholic church, to a de-humanised and selfish society. This film accurately reflects the current situation in Mexico. And it does with such mastery and accuracy, it shocks the viewer.

Best Mexican film this year by a wide margin. And one of the bests of all time.