Mexico City (2000)A woman's desperate search for her brother in the capital of Mexico. Director:Richard Shepard |
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Mexico City (2000)A woman's desperate search for her brother in the capital of Mexico. Director:Richard Shepard |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Stacy Edwards | ... |
Mitch Cobb
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Jorge Robles | ... |
Pedro
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Johnny Zander | ... |
Sam
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| Robert Patrick | ... |
Ambassador Mills
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| Roberto Sosa | ... |
Head Thug
(as Roberto Sosa Martinez)
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Antonio Zavala Kugler | ... |
Thin Faced Man
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| Geraldine Zinat | ... |
Hotel Desk Clerk
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| Carlos Sanz | ... |
Lieutenant Menedez
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| Rick Negron | ... |
Mexico City Policeman
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Ramón Álvarez | ... |
Cantina Drunk
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| Dyllan Christopher | ... |
Max
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Jorge Malpica | ... |
Doctor
(as Jorge Romero Malpica)
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Alejandro de la Peña | ... |
Toupee Man
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Beto Villareal | ... |
Panama Hat Man
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José Marrós | ... |
Priest
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After divorce and the death of her two children, Mitch is headed for Oaxaca with her brother Sam, a photographer. During their one-day layover in Mexico City, Sam goes out for a night on the town and doesn't return. Mitch goes for help to the American embassy and starts her own search with the aid of Pedro, a cabbie. She finds the cantina where Sam was drinking and stands up to a gang leader to learn some of what happened that night. He gives her Sam's camera, and the photos on the last roll of film become the object of a hunt by some very determined criminals. Can Mitch find Sam, learn what he saw that night, and stay safe? Whom can she trust? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
This film will never turn up as an in-flight feature on Mexicana Airlines. It shows the gritty, often ugly reality of Mexico City. Its tale of corruption and intrigue is nothing special. But the film captures the essence of Mexico City --- crowds, bustle, poverty, pollution, crime, machismo, antiquity and always, "la mordida" --- with compelling cinematography and a hauntingly effective Spanish guitar musical background. The camera angles are brilliant. The warm tones of the colour are perfect for the subject. There are many classic closeups of Mexican faces that alone make the film worthwhile. You almost smell the "pollo con aroz." And the amount of Spanish dialogue without subtitles underlines the frustratiions of the film's unilingual main character as she searches for her brother in an alien, puzzling and hostile environment. (Whatever did happen to him by the way?) The plot isn't new. Innocent American searches for missing ( )boyfriend ( )husband ( )wife ( )son ( )daughter ( )other in corrupt foreign capital with no help from double dealing US embassy. But this one is done superbly.