Mediocre unknown filmmakers like to use aspirant actresses in cheap sex scenes to get easy promotion of their "art films". "Batalla en el cielo", a.k.a. "Battle in Heaven", is no different and begins and ends with fellation scenes performed by the hot and sexy Anapola Mushkadiz. The story is a complete mess, there is no explanation for capital points (for example, why Marco and his wife kidnapped the child of a friend?) and the screenplay uses explicit blow jobs, grotesque sex scenes with ugly and fat couple, nudity and even a man pissing his pants to be on the spot. Last but not the least, the pace is too slow and vague in this boring and dull film. My vote is four.Title (Brazil): "Batalha no Céu" ("Battle in Heaven")

It can be said with certainty that all students of cinema would be completely mesmerized by camera angles used in 'Battle in Heaven'. Watching its deft camera work, one can easily say that the film's DOP Diego Martínez Vignatti has been given complete freedom to capture all kinds of emotions from characters' faces as well as from items surrounding them. One important scene shows two actors busily copulating with excitement. It is interesting to observe how the next scene quietly takes viewers out from the bedroom's window to a neighboring area where a television antenna is being installed. This is one positive point about this film's technical prowess. One problem area concerns sex scenes which are not easy to watch. This has nothing to do with prudish attitudes but there is blatant de- glamorization of sex. In mainstream media, sex is glamorized to such an extent that viewers are foolishly led to believe that it looks good only when beautiful, handsome and smart people are engaged in sexual activities. This is one reason why there are not many viewers who would appreciate watching how fat as well as ugly people copulate ? As far as narration is concerned, it is unfortunate that characters have not been developed to a large extent. This might be viewed as a major disappointment by viewers as characters' motivations are not clear. Director Carlos Reygadas works hard to reveal the behavioral traits of people especially in depicting how do people behave especially outside the comfort of their homes. This is one reason why the rich versus poor angle is explored but at a superficial level. As a last work, in spite of its inherent weak points, Battle in heaven can still be considered an average viewing experience as it says a lot by using limited amount of words.

I don't disagree that this movie has great flaws. I mean the dialog could be more fluid, the editing could be more crisp, so on so forth.But while the movie is choppy as a whole, some of the scenes are breathtakingly raw. Like the part where Marcos is driving Ana from the airport, you can see, even almost smell, the city's absurd contrast between its economic classes. When Marcos is just staring into oblivion, you know you're looking at a real person, whose sweat is his own sweat and the grease on his face is his own grease.There is something mysterious and incomprehensible about the faces of every single person living and struggling in the city. It is not just a face of frustration, anguish, or despair, that a typical actor might give off.It's a face that is unique to that person, one that you will never get to know probably, but when you take a glance of in the subway or the bus or the sidewalk, you know somehow you relate to them, somehow you know there's a story behind them.This movie is just a mere glance of one person. It's not quite a study of Marcos, because we never got to be let in that deeply into his past, his motives, his whatever. It's simply presenting his situations and actions as they are, not pushing any particular perspectives the way most films do, not giving us any 'insights,' 'revealing monologues' or any of that.letting us simply be the judge of him if we are judgmental, the observer if we are observant, the aloof bystander if we are one, and most likely we're a little bit of every one of those types when watching this film.And that's very commendable for a film to let the viewers ultimately be the camera and the editor of the film. Instead of telling us how to view things.

This was one of the strangest movies I've ever seen. I expected to see some modern style drama with explicit elements, but I was stunned by the deep observation and human understanding, which Reygadas shows in his film. The camera work was very impressive. I admire such kind of directoring- to show everything in details and to try to be as close as he could be to reality, without neglecting the art side of the process. There was something interesting for me in the slow motion and the development of the storyline. It seemed as if the life of the underdog and his wife is somehow connected with their background, with the real everyday life in modern day Mexico city.Anapola Mushkadiz gave a great performance as Ana and her part made the movie even more complex. The urban atmosphere was strong throughout the movie and it reflected on all of the characters. I recommend this movie to all the people who enjoy serious cinema and are eager to see something different and new, away from the mainstream crap.