Nicotina (2003)

Director:

Hugo Rodríguez

Writer:

Martín Salinas (writer)

Release Date:

3 October 2003 (Mexico)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama

Plot:

A real-time dark comedy about a science geek who tangles with a clutch of Russian gangsters after he delivers them the wrong computer disk.

Plot Keywords:

Diamond | Caper | Hacker | Mexico City | Gangster

Awards:

12 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Diego Luna	...	Lolo
Lucas Crespi	...	Nene
Norman Sotolongo	...	Svóboda
Jesús Ochoa	...	Tomson
Martha Tenorio	...	Eulogia (as Marta Tenorio)
Rafael Inclán	...	Goyo
Rosa María Bianchi	...	Carmen
José María Yazpik	...	Joaquín
Marta Belaustegui	...	Andrea (as Marta Beláustegui)
Eugenio Montessoro	...	Carlos
Carmen Madrid	...	Clara
Daniel Giménez Cacho	...	Beto
Alexis Sánchez	...	Andrei
Jorge Zárate	...	Sánchez
Enoc Leaño	...	Memo

Also Known As:

Cigarros, desamores, y 20 diamantes (Mexico) (working title)
Nicotina (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

Argentina:93 min | Canada:93 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:90 min | South Korea:84 min

Country:

Mexico | Argentina | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | USA:R | Spain:13 | Australia:MA | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Brazil:16 | Germany:12 (original rating) | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Company:

Altavista Films

Fun but pretty inconsequential

Hugo Rodriguez' "Nicotina" is a fun picture, but it is enough to say that it is a Mexican version of Guy Ritchie's English heist flicks, albeit less so. Less violent, less convoluted, less hilarious. And yet, still violent and convoluted and

hilarious enough. So there it is. Diego Luna's in it, and ain't nobody doesn't think he's cute. Rodriguez uses funky wipes as scene transitions, punched up by

goofy sound effects, there's a scene where a bitchy barber's wife cuts open a guy's belly to get at some diamonds. And there's that smoking theme --

everybody's quitting, trying to quit, in denial about quitting, can't afford the smokes, can't find any lighter fluid, something. It's a motif and it's a metaphor, though perhaps not the deepest one ever (you never what's gonna kill ya!). It makes for a catchy title, though.