PlatinumRead Just so...so bad

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

ma-cortes Thrilling and thoughtful film dealing with a rich compound besieged by walls and security electric system to guard the inhabitants agains the violent exterior characterized by poorness , chaos and misery . Set in Mexico D.F. , when a billboard falls on the wall it creates a breach in which three tiny delinquents enter into the enclosed neighborhood .But it results to be a location that is impossible to getaway and they find caught-up in the wrong place and the wrong time ; then things go awry for the three unfortunate crooks . The residents turned Vigilantes to be aware the enemy invasion and relentlessly pursue the small time thieves . A stirring and violent film that delves the real confrontation between social classes shocked by crimes and misdemeanors: The upper class and the lower class , as well as the police corruption and many other things . It shows the dark atmosphere of paranoia , tyranny , and mass hysteria of the wealthy people surrounded by strict surveillance system to protect against the poor slums and even organizing militias , acting as judges , juries and executioners . There are good acting by a decent cast , such as Daniel Gimenez Cacho as a council member who takes law on his own hands , Maribel Verdu as a mother who attempts help and guard his son , Carlos Bardem as a violen neighbour , as well as the veteran Blanca Guerra . Special mention for the newcomer duo teen : Chavez as the escaped boy hiding within the neighborhood's borders , at a basement , and Daniel Tovar as Alejandro , the good teen who brings him food and a pair of trainers and he tapes his story on his videocamara .It contains an atmospheric and adequate cinematography by Emilio Villanueva . And an evocative and intriguing musical score by Fernando Velazquez who has composed a lot of successful soundtracks with such international hits as The impossible, A monster calls , The orphanage, Crimson Peak , Gernika and The invisible guardian .Compellingly produced by Mexican/Spanish prducers as Alvaro Longoria , Pilar Benito , Rafel Cuervo , Ricardo Fernandez and Rodrigo Pla himself .The motion picture was well written, produced and directed by Rodrigo Pla. He is a fine craftsman who has directed nice shorts and full feature films as Desierto Adentro , A monster with a thousand heads and La demora .

Sindre Kaspersen Uruguayan screenwriter, producer and director Rodrigo Plá's feature film debut which he co-produced and which was written by screenwriter Laura Santullo, was screened in the Venice Days section at the 64th Venice Film Festival in 2007, in the Discovery section at the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival in 2007, was shot on locations in Mexico and is a Mexico-Spain co-production which was produced by Spanish producer and director Alvaro Longoria. It tells the story about a student named Alejandro who lives in a restricted area with his mother and father which is made for the wealthiest people to protect them from the not so wealthy people who lives in Mexico City. Distinctly and finely directed by Latin-American filmmaker Rodrigo Plá, this finely paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints draws a gripping portrayal of how a segregated society acts when someone from the other side of the fences that shields them from the unwanted enters their community. While notable for it's naturalistic milieu depictions, sterling production design by production designer and art director Antonio Muño-Hierro, cinematography by cinematographer Emiliano Villanueva and use of sound, this narrative-driven story where class distinctions are remarkably evident depicts an empathic study of character and contains a good score by composer Fernando Velazquez.This socio-political and atmospheric thriller from the late 2000s where a young man gradually learns the true nature of the society he has been raised in and how far they are willing to go to preserve their self-made and idealistic aristocracy, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, esoteric characters and the fine acting performances by Mexican actor Daniel Tovar, Spanish actor Daniel Giménez Cacho, Mexican actress Marina de Tavira and Spanish actor Carlos Bardem. A conversational, incisive and consistently intriguing drama which gained, among numerous other awards, the FIPRESCI Prize at the 32nd Toronto Film Festival in 2007.

dromasca In a world subjected more and more to violence, with the established societies not able to provide appropriate answers to social and political conflicts, ordinary people try to protect their normality by building walls. Tall, barbed wired walls, with armed guards behind which the apparently normal life – with children playing games and going to school and adults indulging into the pleasures of comfortable routine – can continue. To what extent are these walls efficient may be measured by statistics that show if crime or violence are lowered by building them. There is another factor and effect however that is harder to measure – what is the psychological impact upon the ones who are supposed to be protected by these walls? To what extent are the people protected by the walls really free? What is their relation to the world outside – morally? legally? Can normality of life be really protected by walls?Those generic questions get some answers in the Mexican director Rodrigo Pla's first film, applauded by critics and the jury of the Film Festival in Venice, a story about a well-doing urban community in Mexico who build a wall around their district and protect themselves in a vigilante manner. A state within another state unable to protect its privileged citizens. When intruders almost accidentally break into the protected area, the inevitable happens, and the members of the community are faced with the dilemma of continuing to protect their way of life at the cost of covering the killings of the not-so-innocent intruders and chasing the sole teenage survivor of the incident.Pla's efficient film making and good acting keep the interest awake for the whole duration of this film, despite the rather expected story line and the conventional characters. It is however the questions that can be asked beyond the immediate details of the story that provide value, questions about the balance between the need for normality and the price to pay in order to earn it, about the rights of all members of society not only to a quite life but also to basic living conditions and equal chances, about the moment when the power of law is superseded by the laws of power. The story may happen in Mexico but it is true and actual for many other places in the world.

philipfoxe This is clearly the work of a novice on a tiny budget. The scripting is weak and the characters poorly developed. Nevertheless despite this it manages to convey some points, which, with more resources available would doubtless be developed in an interesting direction. Others have covered the plot line,but what the film does portray is a bleak modern urban environment with the bourgeois families ensconced in their fortress, terrified of the outside world. They are atomised and have no social cohesion. Each family and also each individual within the family is isolated and paranoid. At the smallest fear, they turn on each other. The police officer who tries to be decent and do his job, is subverted by the endemic corruption of the force and reverts to brutality, turning his guilt and self-hate against the desperate mother. At the end we have poor Alejandro whose basic human instincts have survived, helpless in the face of an uncaring brutalised society. A bleak film to be sure; no one is saved, but it's probably better for that. You are left to think 'How could this be changed?'