El patrullero (1991)

Director:

Alex Cox

Writer:

Lorenzo O'Brien (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 December 1991 (Mexico)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

An episodic look at a young man's life in Mexico's national highway patrol. We follow Pedro Rojas from...

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Drugs | Surrealism | Police | Desert

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Roberto Sosa	...	Pedro
Bruno Bichir	...	Anibal
Vanessa Bauche	...	Maribel
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez	...	Griselda
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	Sargento Barreras
Malena Doria	...	Abuela
Towi Islas	...	Emilio
Ernesto Gómez Cruz	...	Comandante Navarro
Mike Moroff	...	Comandante Sanchez
Jorge Russek	...	Sr. Mateos
Ana Bertha Espín	...	Sra. Sánchez
Eduardo López Rojas	...	Sr. Rojas
Maricruz Nájera	...	Sra. Rojas
Adyari Cházaro	...	Isabel (as Adjari Cházaro)
Carlos Álvarez	...	Luis

Also Known As:

Highway Patrolman (International: English title) (USA)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA | Mexico | Japan

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | UK:15 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Company:

Cable Hogue Co.

Movie Connections:

Features RoboCop 2 (1990)

Soundtrack:

Tema 'Noticiero del Norte'

One of Cox's finest movies - superb character study!

Alex Cox is one of the most original, brave and uncompromising directors to emerge from Britain in the last twenty years. Unfortunately it seems he has to fight tooth and nail to get his movies made, and when he manages to get them released they are virtually ignored. It's a shame that a second rate, audience pleasing hack like Guy Ritchie gets all the attention he does when he doesn't have a TENTH of the talent Cox has!

Ever since Cox's second feature 'Sid And Nancy' his career has been a mess. His follow ups, the controversial political drama 'Walker', and the self indulgent spaghetti western homage 'Straight To Hell', almost killed stone dead any chance of mainstream Hollywood success. After a period in the wilderness he returned with his Mexican made 'Highway Patrolman', and it is his most polished, conventional and artistically successful movie to date. Sadly it hasn't reached a larger audience, though one wonders if Steven Soderbergh is a fan, as sections of his 'Traffic' (the good bits!) bear quite a striking resemblance to Cox's movie.

Everything about 'Highway Patrolman' is superb - the script, the acting (especially Roberto Sosa in the title role of an idealistic young cop who must wrestle with his conscience), the editing and cinematography. The movie lacks Cox's trademark surreal subversiveness, so it is not all that representative of his output, but who cares when the results are as fine as this. An emotionally engaging, well crafted movie that any film maker should be proud to be responsible for. Try and see it!