As I watched the opening 10 minutes of this film with budding fascination, a maniacal lynching sequence and a torrid depiction of Ecuador starts to take shape. Slowly the set pieces are positioned amidst the self-possessed ethos of the crowd, with Manolo Bonilla (John Leguizamo) being the sidestepping knight along side his gutsy rook, Ivan Suarez (Jose Maria Yazpik) who rushes headlong into the mob on a mere command, while their queen, Marisa Iturralde (Leonor Watling) is being kept out of harm's way by the men. But this television crew is in essence, just pawns to the machinations of the news media's escalating demands.Bonilla dithers on the sidelines until he finally intervenes. All I'm reminded of is the tragic circumstances surrounding the award winning South African photojournalist, Kevin Carter when he snapped the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of a emaciated Sudanese girl being descended upon by a ravenous vulture. He later described himself as yet another vulture, a predator in the midst of suffering. "Crónicas" is a depressingly cynical look at the state of affairs in a third-world nation and the ersatz concerns that the foreign news media shows in order to exploit its people. Everything that is done carries with it the terrible feeling of ulteriorities as a faux smile and a warm handshake (sometimes tucked in with a bit of cash) manipulates situations and opens doors that should have stayed closed. It is very much an unforgiving indictment on the news media and its dogged pursuit of a ratings goldmine.Threading on the same lines as "Network", it crosses its fictitious coverage with a compelling thriller involving the 'Monstruo de Babahoyo' (Monster of Babahoyo), a serial killer who has raped and murdered over a 150 young children. Bonilla, a self-involved tabloid television reporter and his crew belong to a Spanish language news network stationed in Miami that airs throughout Latin America. He walks about with a swagger, signing autographs and stays on the sidelines waiting for the right moment to turn on the spotlight. But he's not a hack by any sense of the word. He understands that duplicity is an asset in his line of work, a tool to dig out the information he needs. In this case, he wants to uncover the identity of the Monster for a scoop of a lifetime and potentially his own show. Leguizamo gives the best performance of the cast in his understated portrayal of a well-worn reporter haunted by his guilt and questioning the price of his celebrity. And that's saying plenty considering that every performance in this Foreign Oscar submission by Ecuador is worth its own weight in dramatic gold.With the backdrop of rampant institutional corruption and those only too willing to exploit it, it paints a harsh and gritty landscape of living in a country of poverty and injustice where everyone has slippery fingers when it comes to the truth. It's further amplified with a strong sense of visual authenticity, which does not accentuate the grungy dwelling areas, the shantytown slums and frenzied lawlessness of communal disagreements, but instead captures it with an unattached verite style technique.Director Sebastián Cordéro peels back the layers of verisimilitude to slowly reveal the grim, unsettling actualities of his thriller. It shocks and daringly pushes the boundaries of audiences in some ghastly scenes. He constantly pounds us with the ethical dilemmas of journalism such as the validity and protection of sources, the emotional involvement with subjects and brokering of deals that have more to do personal gain than journalistic integrity. The more complicit that Bonilla and his crew become, the more they lose of their conscience. The throwaway lines in particular, divulges much about the inner workings of television journalism and network politics. The conversations between subject and interviewer pose the most perplexity and intrigue, as their insinuations and silence reveal more than words ever could.

I hate to start a review this way, but you have got to see Crónicas. If you like good Latin American films, if you like thrillers, if you like good acting, writing and directing, you will not be disappointed.At first, this film is difficult to watch, given the subject matter of violence against children. Soon it becomes obvious that there is more to it than that, and that is where the hook comes in.One of the reasons the Crónicas is so compelling is that the theme of ambition cuts through the disturbing material.Others have written about this film much better than I ever could, so I will just end by saying that this is one of those films that in my reveries as a lottery winner, I am giving large sums of money to talented young directors all over the Americas.

For Ecuadorian people who loves the movies was a frustration to don't have an iconic filmmaker. Now we are very happy because we have Sebastian Cordero. In his opera prime "Ratas, ratones y rateros" we saw a lot of elements of our country. It made me to considerate that movie like a fine domestic product but "Cronicas" is different. Cordero was faithful to his convictions and made a movie in his style, but "Cronicas" is a movie for everybody. There were some illumination problems and a few in-congruences in the script but there were insignificant when we appreciate this movie at all. The performance of the actors were magnificent. Leguizamo and the monster were excellent and Cordero was fundamental in this. I'm proud about Cordero. He will make big things with more money.

Remind me never to be a journalist in South America. Not only are you putting your physical well being in danger, but the psychological trauma must be unbearable! John Leguizamo gives the strongest performance of his career as Manolo Bonilla, a Miami journalist who goes to Ecuador to investigate a serial killer called "The Monster" who has raped and murdered over a hundred children.Cronicas opens with the funeral for three of the latest victims. When a child runs into the street and is hit by a car, the driver of that car, named Vinicio, is attacked by a mob that beats him, douses him in gasoline, and sets him on fire. All the while, Manolo is filming every second of the attack, but he eventually intervenes and saves the man's life.Vinicio is sent to prison where he covers himself in his own excrement to keep from being attacked by other inmates. Manolo offers to help Vinicio get out of prison if he gives him information about "The Monster." Through the power of the media and the sway of public opinion, Vinicio is set free. But has justice actually been served, or has this reporter helped to free a vicious serial killer? Cronicas is dark, twisted, and positively rife with dramatic irony… the kind that makes you want to scream at the screen, "Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!" But the actors never listen, do they?