Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Lea There are plenty enough reviews that summarize the plot and give the synopsis of the story but they rarely ever tell you about the movie itself and why you might like to see it. So, if you want to know what the movie is about read the plot outline, read some of the other reviews or read the back of the DVD box. If you want to know why I think this movie is really good, read on.One of the things I like best about La Cucaracha is that nothing is revealed too soon. Like an intricately folded napkin in a fancy restaurant, the characters slowly unfold their secrets allowing glances at their true selves and in so doing, completely undo their original appearance. It is not until the very end that you know who anyone really is. Eric Roberts gives one of the most engaging performances and plays one of the most likable characters I've seen from him. He gives subtle urgency a whole new meaning. Don't be surprised if you find yourself leaning forward in your seat, your forehead furrowed as you listen to Walter coming clean with his true identity. You may even find yourself rethinking all those assumptions you've made about the people you've met in your past and the things you've done or have yet to do. The rest of the cast is spot on as well. Their characters are all dealing with the deep emotional impact and ramifactions of their own deeds and you feel their pain, you see it etched on their faces. Aspiring filmmakers can learn a lot from this one. The camera work and lighting are so precise that they work as unseen hands in helping the characters reveal themselves to us and each other. Audiences who just like watching a good movie with a good story and interesting characters will love it too. This movie shows the real magic and artistry of film-making.James McManus wrote a really tight story with just enough humour to keep you from being drawn too deeply in the dark depression that is Walter's life. Jack Perez has once again proven his ability to pull an enormous and beautiful rabbit out of a very small hat. For a real treat and one of the best commentary tracks ever made, buy or rent the DVD.

brobstreperous Hoping to flee a life of all-American banality, Walter Pool (Eric Roberts)begins anew in Mexico with the aim of writing a novel. He only succeeds in becoming an alcoholic loner, as he lacks the drive and verbal polish to become a writer. His routinized escape from routine does take on a new twist when he becomes involved with shady characters who do have drive (a willingness to deceive and kill to meet their ends), and verbal polish (speaking in over-the-top purple prose to justify their crimes.)*La Cucaracha* unveils the hollowness of cultivated words and calculated appearances (e.g. the crime king in Armani suits speaks of the ennobling power of suffering, sheds copious tears and makes spectacular shows of philanthropy); however, actions ultimately reveal character. As Pool, Eric Roberts succeeds in playing a man whose verbal inarticulateness painfully reflects his moral inarticulateness. Even though he can't find his writer's voice, does he still have a voice of conscience? Does he have the will to transform his life through action, whether corrupt or heroic? Not since *Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia* have I seen the "loser in search of redemption in a tragic, corrupt world" theme played so well.Although Eric Roberts' acting is superb (especially the scene in which he finally meets and breaks down before the woman he had so idolized), *La Cucaracha* is definitely not for everyone. There is no morally unambiguous hero, and the violence is somewhat heavy, though not mindless--the consequences of violence are frequently the subject of deliberation and remorse. Some might find the dialogue a bit stilted, although it might be more fairly compared to older noir films rather than the quick, punchy dialogue in a lot of recent crime films. If you like noir, character studies of ex-pat drifters, *and* Eric Roberts (his *Coca-Cola Kid*/*Star 80* caliber performances, as opposed to the *Best of the Best Series*), then this could well be for you.

Chris J. If you have ever liked an Eric Roberts performance, this film is one you should make time for. It's a very unconventional film, making surprising and funny revelations here, twisting what you are expecting to happen there, and gradually revealing itself to be one of the darkest comedies you are likely to see.The story is pretty simple, disillusioned loner is mistaken for a criminal, hired to do a hit, and a series of unfortunate events occur which are not what you expect and comprise the film.This is certainly not for everyone. It's a variation on James M. Cain and if that's got some appeal the film is right up your alley. I suppose I might roll my eyes if read that in a review and think, "oh not that again...". Let me assure you, there's several surprising points of departure this film takes from most which sets it apart and above.A few scenes are over-written, there are flaws, but there are enough clever moments and Roberts' brilliant performance overcomes all the bumps in the road.If you don't like Eric Roberts however, you'll not like the film. He's in nearly every shot.This will quickly and deservedly develop a strong cult following.

bainst LA CUCARACHA (1998) is an original, intelligent dark-comedy that sneaks up on you and gets under your skin. It was the winner in many of the film festivals of 1998. Eric Roberts gives the performance of his life as a snivelling, weak, drunken coward that finds redemption; a part that should have broken him out of his B-movie status, if not for the industry fumbling in the movie's distribution.It is a moral play, delineating the human ability to rise above our animal instincts. It begins, as most Great Films do, with a tone and pace that could take the story in any direction, and once its tone of "dark comedy" is set, it remains consistent throughout. Instead of leaping into an easily recognizable formula, it takes its time to set up the character of our protagonist (all of the characters in this film are written, portrayed and presented so well, one wonders if it weren't written fifty years ago, when dialogue in a film actually mattered).There is horror and tragedy within the story, but it is never gratuitous nor glorified.If you love great dialogue; if you love great character development and motivation; if you love great direction and timing; if you long for the days when there were actually good, solid, meaningful stories; do yourself a favor and FIND THIS MOVIE.