Few people saw this film outside of some festivals, but I was delighted to discover it on DVD at my local library. My impressions moved from mild curiosity into serious involvement within 30 minutes. The "illegal" Mexican Work Force is as vital to the American Economy Today as slavery was 200 years ago, and these hard workers are reviled politically at least as much as the slaves were during the time of the "Founding Fathers".In music we recall their story in "Deportees" by Woody Gutherie and now "Sinaloa Cowboys" by Bruce Springsteen on the closing credits of this fine film, which echoes the theme of the story we have just witnessed. The director gives us characters we care about, supplemented with the use of "Non-Actors" in the tradition of Eisenstein,"Salt of the Earth" and India's Satyajit Ray! As a filmmaker myself, I say "Bravo"! If John Carlos Frey never made another film, he would have left us with "The Gatekeeper" as an important legacy of one significant aspect of America in the early 21st Century.I will spread the word on this one to my friends, even as I investigate Frey's two newest films, not yet listed on the IMDb! Be sure to check out the "Gatekeeper Productions" web site!

While I agree with many others that this film had many unrealistic lines and images, I feel the big picture frey was going for was achieved in showing a rarely seen take on illegal immigration. I know quite a few people who are 'half and half' and many are very conflicted about what to think of and/or how to deal with the illegal immigration problem. So I forgive many of the criticisms from a film making point of view because it did present a very realistic portrait of one man's struggle.while I would not give him any directorial awards, I think he was the perfect choice to star in this. I sure would have selected an actual latina for the female role of Eva, but he financed the thing. I feel he would have had better luck by not going astroid with a pretty far out there 'work it off for a year' thing. 99% of the people coming across are let go the second money hits the coyote's palm. Same with the multiple murder. That makes for a great trailer, but how often does that happen? I guess when you do your own financing you can take a liberty or two. So I suggest it for those who have an interest in this topic. If you're in film school and desperately need ideas on how to become the next Scorcese, pick another flick.

Imagine hating your own race so much that you are willing to fight against them. This is what Adam Fields life is like in The Gatekeeper.Adam Fields is a border patrol officer, whose goal is to prevent Mexicans, whom he hates with a passion, from illegally crossing over into America. He is so passionate and committed to his cause that he decides to go on an undercover mission (proposed by a Mexican Hate group he belongs to) where he wears a GPS device so that they can understand how Mexicans cross the border. ***SPOILERS***I really liked the journey of the main character. His acting was incredible in the sense that in the beginning you could relate to and begin to rationalize his hatred of the Mexican culture and people, but at the end you really saw a change in him.Despite the great acting on John Carlos Frey's part, this movie did not rank high in my book. I would describe this move as dull, boring, and slow. It had a good concept, but the writing was terrible. It could have been really suspenseful and entertaining when Adam was faced with making drugs for a year to work off the trip. The writers also could have developed the part where Adam is discovered as being a cop. Sure, this would make the movie a little more "Hollywood" but a movie should at least provide some entertainment value rather than just trying to abstractly make a statement. Overall, I give this movie a 6 out of 10, strictly because of the acting and message.

I actually thought this movie was really good. Especially if you consider they filmed it in 18 days with only 200,000 dollars, as I was told by the J.C. Frey, the Director/writer/main actor, when they screened the film here at the U of A, in Tucson. The story is mostly accurate from what I've witnessed living in Tucson for 5 years and Phoenix for 10. So many Mexicans die crossing the border, their families are split in search of better jobs, or they are coerced into criminal labor that I think a movie like this puts the issues at the forefront. Hell, the migrant group (secondary actors with little or no speaking roles) were real Mexican workers who the film crew hired for realism. I think that's really cool.And for someone living in Arizona, where the previews at theaters are often preempted by "Methlabs and kids don't mix" anouncements, the story of Adam/Juan Carlos being forced to work in the methlab is all too real. Just because this is an independent movie and therefore limited to resources doesn't mean it's bad. The secondary theme of Adam rediscovering his Mexican roots is very powerful and also a very prevalent theme in the southwest, especially.