Review - Sin Nombre (2009 - Dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga)

Sin Nombre is a down to earth American/Mexican hybrid based on life in South American gang culture. It's an unusual film in that the gritty conventions are conformed to in the plot and subject matter, but the cinematography is anything but jerky handheld action. Fukunaga goes for the full Hollywood wide-screen production with some beautiful images of urban and rural Latin America as the backdrop for this tale of lost love and the search for sanctuary.

For Mexican grit fans the film provides few surprises, but equally little in terms of disappointment. There's a whole host of punishment beatings, gang based shootings, execution style killings and general organised crime based mayhem. There's even an accidental murder just for fun, and you almost hear the perp say 'Whoops!'. It's the two convergent story-lines that turn this into a film that is head and shoulders above the gritty waterline (Gomorrah). The plight of El Casper (Edgar Flores) and innocent border crossing hopeful Sayra (Paulina Gaitan) unite their contrasting lives while fleeing for the perceived safety of the USA in a epic journey through inhospitable urban dangers. The acting is universally brilliant with Tenoch Huerta Mejia a particularly charismatic and hauntingly frightening gang leader.

The background and setting of the film tells a second story; of the hardship and desperation of people attempting to escape to a better life. The director used real migrants in the film and this added to the realism of the danger, abuse and daily battle for survival that is fought on the tops of speeding trains. Some of the shots of the train, particularly at night, are stunning and worth the price of the DVD alone.

If there's any criticism, it is that the film could have benefited from being half and hour longer for that true epic feeling. At the end of the day though, if you want a gritty story in a gritty setting, but without the gritty camera work, this is quality piece of work and fits the bill to a tee. Watch on a big television for full effect.

8/10

Doccortex

If you like this you could also try:
Carandiru, Amores Perros, Elite Squad.

Review - Wasteland (2010 - Dir. Lucy Walker, Karen Harley,João Jardim)

This is a bizarre film. It's interesting and thought provoking, however not necessarily that awe inspiring. The premise of the documentary is to follow artist Vik Muniz as he creates art from the lives of the workers and recycled materials of the largest landfill site in all of Brazil. The film is enjoyable on some levels and less so on others, and can basically be split into three distinct areas.

1. As an investigation into the lives of the Jardin Gramacho 'pickers' the film provided an excellent portrayal of the tough and exhausting lives of the team of workers who root through tons of rubbish to scavenge for all manner of recycled material. The stories of all the participants were handled beautifully and it was a heart-warming experience to see the camaraderie and sense of family in the pickers association. If nothing else the project lifted their self esteem and bank balances, at least in the short term.

2. The exploration of Muniz's artistic process was also fascinating. From the initial concept and photography, through to the final gallery displays the attention to detail and love of the subject matter was evident. Ultimately the art was at times breathtaking in its scale and relevance. Muniz takes the idea of a 'large Art Attack' to a whole new level and just shows what Neil Buchanan could have achieved if he'd been given the budget to take Art Attack to global locations.

3. The most disappointing part of the film is the project itself, which left me feeling the participants had been used in some way. Vik's plan had certain aspects in common with the plot of  'My Fair Lady', but attempting to make the pickers into world famous artists which left me feeling slightly uncomfortable. The film doesn't shirk the issue as Vic's wife brilliantly voices her concerns and wariness, but Vic disappointingly refuses to listen and basically tells her to 'shut it.'  I'm sure he would argue the creation of this sense of 'unease' in the viewer is all part of the art. It did really make me think, but I'm still not sure of the morality of the whole project.

At first glance the juxtaposition of grittiness and art looks like an odd combination, but Walker produces an excellent and at times moving documentary that is engaging for both grit fans and art aficionados. If only they'd gone with Andy Goldsworthy instead of Muniz - the mind boggles at what he could have achieved.

6/10

Doccortex

If you like this you could also try:
Rivers and Tides - Andy Goldsworthy Working With Time, Love Is The Devil, Art Attack - Top 20 (VHS).

Review - Favela Rising (2005 - Dir. Jeff Zimbalist & Matt Mochary)

A laudable and interesting documentary based in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.  It's possibly as gritty as documentaries get in terms of both style and subject matter, but never really registers on the excitement-o-meter. The film follows the lives and work of  Brazilian musicians and youth organisation AfroReggae as they battle to save local kids from the clutches of the drug cartels and lure them into more wholesome pursuits of music making.

The star man in the proceedings is head honcho Anderson Sa, who comes across as a man of complete integrity and honesty. He strives to educate children on the dangers of becoming drug soldiers, performs with his rap group and generally acts like the voice of common sense. The moment where he stands firm against a lynch mob from the neighbouring favela is particularly impressive, however the most moving scenes in the film show his stunning work in drumming workshops with local children banging a range of plastic containers and tins to produce inspiring music. 

The documentary is shot in a edgy, gritty style with handheld cameras, silhouetted interviews and secret footage of the drug gangs, which combine to give the impression that the film-makers were taking their lives into their own hands on the streets of the favelas. There are also some lovely panoramic shots of Brazilian landscapes which add to the feeling of the vast scale of urban poverty in Rio. It's ultimately successful in presenting this dangerous and deprived area in a more positive light, and almost acts as a perfect source of background information for South American gritty film fans. The real life Elite Squad cops make an appearance and if anything are even more extreme in their real life exploits than in the film, Elite Squad!

Despite all the positives you can't help but feel that the film would be better suited to the small screen and doesn't quite have the cinematic star quality or detail of top documentaries like Into the Abyss. It's enjoyable and inspiring, but possibly only suited to committed grit fans or world music lovers.

5/10

Doccortex

If you like this you could also try:
Carandiru, Elite Squad, Bus 174, Sin Nombre.

Review - Y Tu Mamá También (2001 - Dir. Alfonso Cuarón)

This is in essence a grittier Mexican version of Weird Science, with less science and more sex. Gritty legend Gael García Bernal teams up with Diego Luna to play a couple of randy seventeen year old boys who somehow charm an attractive older woman (Maribel Verdú) into undertaking a road trip to a beach destination that they are not sure even exists.

What transpires is an engaging coming of age tale with the boys learning everything about life, love and the universe from their more experienced companion. The film explores wider themes of social values, sexuality and a period of economic change in modern Mexico, but is essentially a light hearted romp hardly registering a score on the gritty checklist. This is no disaster and there are even a couple of agreeable twists at the end of the film.

The acting by the three main characters is excellent with Verdú particularly impressive as the recently shunned wife, longing to regain her youth, and Gael basically doing what he does best; smoking, sweating, driving, fornicating and generally doing gritty stuff. Best of all is Diego Luna, who fulfils a role parallel to Wyatt in Weird Science, perfectly capturing a sense of likeability and rich kid naivety.

It's not a world changer and it's not particularly gritty, or particularly sexy, but it's a fruity, fun watch and shows that Mexican cinema has a great deal to offer. Perhaps it's more a sub-genre of grittiness, rather than pure grit, but enjoyable all the same.

6/10

Doccortex

If you like this you could also try:
Weird Science, Amores Perros, Open Your Eyes.

Review - Carandiru - (2003 - Dir. Hector Babenco)

If it's the stereotypical prison drama you're after then Carandiru may not be for you. That's not to say there aren't brutal scenes of fighting, drug taking, scalding, shanking, rat attacks and several other features of the Prison Checklist, however the film is much more than a gritty tale of incarceration. The action conveys a sense of warmth and humanity to the lives of the characters mainly through the examination of flashback scenes of their pre-custody lives relayed to the prison doctor and this makes the whole thing more real and at times disturbing.

Over the first three quarters of the film we get to know, like and believe the stories of the inmates and this makes the ultimate ending so much more powerful. There's also an intriguing contrast between the characters we think we know and their actions in the prison environment. For instance, it's hard to believe a charismatic romeo called Highness can behave the way he does away from his previous life and the ladies, although his chat up techniques are equally unbelievable. The fact that we view the prisoners' stories through the eyes of the prison doctor, and subsequently the author of the novel recounting his actual time within Carandiru, also adds a sense of realism and authenticity to proceedings. 

The fact that the film was shot on location in the real prison just before it was demolished adds an extra layer of realism and the naturalness and unforced nature of the acting may be a direct result of them living and working in this environment. There are no weak performances with Maria Luisa Mendonça (Dalva), Rodrigo Santoro (Lady Di) and Lázaro Ramos (Ezequiel) the pick of the bunch. It's Brazilian, it's original, but I doubt it's what you're expecting. Definitely worth a watch.

7/10

Doccortex

If you like this you could also try:
Favela Rising, The Elite Squad, Bus 174.