This movie really really amazed me and also kind of renewed my faith in Mexican cinema, although it is set in New York. As mentioned on this page, I definitely saw it as a counterpoint to Under the Same Moon, and it even features one of the same actors. It shows the side of (illegal) immigration that turns respectful, principled people into criminals and liars (and vice versa I would say). In his book "Las peliculas de mi vida" Alberto Fuguet quotes an el salvadorian cab driver as saying that everyone in El Salvador is a criminal but once they reach the USA they are all about helping each other. This movie, of course, attests to the contrary. It forces viewers to question their views about the plight of illegal immigrants, obviously, but also raises questions about the idea of entitlement and family. I can't recommend it enough, not only to fans of Latin American cinema, but to any North American who wants to see how bad the illegal immigrant experience can be.Also excellent performances by the whole cast, but for me Armando Hernandez stole the show. I had only seen him previously in "Amar te duele," so obviously this was a pleasant surprise for me, but he oscillates between mildly menacing and downright sinister and despicable in a performance that affected me more than anything I've seen in a while. I'm sure he'll be getting some roles worthy of him based on this performance. Honorable mention as well to Juan Diego and Paola Mendoza, they were great.For me, this is the kind of movie that I want to show to everyone I know, just because it is the kind of movie that made me question many ideas held by Mexicans and North Americans about the American dream. I think that although it is a much darker picture of Mexican entrance into America, it does coincide with Under the Same Moon in that very strong ties, and sometimes even familial ties, are formed based on shared language and/or experience. Watch this movie!

Mr. Zalla is a very good director, he gets wonderful performances from the actors and demonstrates a great sense of visual composition. However the writing is sloppy at best, the story does not hold water, is filled with inconsistencies and maintains a gruesome, almost sordid tone to a movie that could have said just as much about the condition of immigrants without stripping them of their humanity. That the characters are flawed is expected, but must they all be beyond hope of redemption? A day after seeing this movie, I am still making lists of all the details that did not add up or were entirely too coincidental for such an otherwise "realistic" movie. The soundtrack by Brian Cullman is excellent. One wishes there was more of it.

Mexican and Spanish cinema have been giving us some remarkable films lately. From the psychological horror of "The Orphanage" to the complex "Amores Perros", those films are interesting, original, and show us that it is still possible to tell a good story. Here comes a new film, "Sangre de Mi Sangre", and it delivers in all possible ways.The film follows a young Mexican immigrant in his quest to find his unknown father in Brooklyn. Such a quest becomes problematic, as he has no documentation, speaks no English, is illiterate, and he happens to run into another young man who might have an agenda that might become lethal to a few of the main characters in the film."Sangre" is difficult to categorize as it keeps surprising us with the different scenarios it explores. There are moments when it is the other side of the story told in "Under The Same Moon", being so different in his stark and unsentimental approach. In addition to showing the underbelly of a supposedly civilized world, we become witness to the plight of people who have very few resources and sometime fall prey to even their own kind.In this film there are clear differences among the immigrants, shown at times as supportive, but we can also read an undercurrent of resentment and lack of sympathy for individual cases. The film feels very real as it portrays the consequences of living in a world that forces you to ignore your humanity and prevents you from creating any bonds with other people in order to survive. It is an existence where the real self is not allowed to surface because it is too dangerous.The acting in the film is phenomenal as stereotypes are abandoned and individual portrayals show characters ranging from innocent to perverse with much clarity. Even supporting types are given enough time for us to understand how they are important parts of the fabric of society. "Sangre" follows many of the patterns in "No Country for Old Men", with the introduction of another character that has very few if any redeeming qualities, a human being with a past that might be so horrible that it led to the creation of a monster. There are twists and ironies that will leave many in the audience quite upset, and be prepared to face a dark portrayal that offers very little in the way of hope."Sangre" shows what an artist of the technical ability of Scorcese is able to do if he rains himself and keeps control over the story over the technical. It is an amazing work of art, one that will have many discussing it for weeks.

Sometimes a film with certain narrative or structural weaknesses has so much excellence in its content that you are well rewarded if you just throw out your criticisms and enjoy the moments as they unfold."Sangre de mi Sangre" (the better title is the original "Padre Nuestro") was just given two showings at the Chicago Latino Film Festival. It's a film that deserves wider distribution. Perhaps overlong, and with a plot that is rather too complex and relies on coincidence a bit too much, this movie nevertheless sucks you emotionally into the lives of its characters, Mexican immigrants living at the margins in New York City. The core of the movie is the story of the two young Mexicans trying in their separate ways to survive in an alien environment. The plot revolves around stolen identity and personal interconnections as the two protagonists try to gain security through money or through relationships. The story recalls another masterpiece of ambivalence, "The Son", and I'll say no more, except to indicate that the conclusion of the action is richly satisfying, if harsh. Just a word about the performances: the director is clearly a genius at handling actors. The leads give virtuoso turns to their characterizations, and the cast throughout shows never a false note.