Secuestro express (2005)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Jonathan Jakubowicz

Writer:

Jonathan Jakubowicz (writer)

Release Date:

10 March 2006 (Mexico)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Young couple Carla (Maestro) and Martin (Leroux) are abducted by three men and spend a terrifying night in Caracas as they wait for Carla's father (Blades) to hand over the ransom.

Plot Keywords:

Caracas | Drugs | Money | Ransom | Gay

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Mía Maestro	...	Carla
Rubén Blades	...	Carla's Father
Carlos Julio Molina	...	Trece
Pedro Perez	...	Budu
Carlos Madera	...	Niga Sibilino
Jean Paul Leroux	...	Martin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dalila Colombo
Elba Escobar	...	Drugstore Cashier
Dimas González	...	Guardia
Miguel Ángel Landa	...	Police's Councilor.
Balmore Moreno	...	Oficial Briceno
Ermahn Ospina	...	Marcelo
Rider	...	Cangrejo

Directed by
Jonathan Jakubowicz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jonathan Jakubowicz		writer

Produced by
Elizabeth Avellan	....	executive producer
Sandra Condito	....	producer
Rodolfo Cova	....	line producer
Eduardo Jakubowicz	....	executive producer
Jonathan Jakubowicz	....	producer
Salomon Jakubowicz	....	producer
Stephanie Mora	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Angelo Milli

Cinematography by
David Chalker

Film Editing by
Ethan Maniquis

Art Direction by
Andrés Zawisza

Costume Design by
Belica

Makeup Department
Stella Jacobs	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Cecilia Conti	....	post-production supervisor
Rodolfo Cova	....	unit production manager

Sound Department
Brad Engleking	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paula Fairfield	....	sound effects designer
Paula Fairfield	....	sound effects editor
Stefano Gramitto	....	sound recordist
William Jacobs	....	supervising sound editor
Charles Maynes	....	sound editor
Carla Murray	....	sound effects designer
Carla Murray	....	sound effects editor
Sergio Reyes	....	sound mixer
Edward M. Steidele	....	foley artist
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Scott Beardslee	....	additional camera operator
Scott Beardslee	....	gaffer

Editorial Department
George Chavez	....	color timer
Jonathan Jakubowicz	....	second editor

Music Department
Jonathan Jakubowicz	....	music editor
Joe Rangel	....	music supervisor
John Roome	....	score music

Other crew
Diane Macke	....	project manager: efilm

Thanks
Marc Sadeghi	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Tres Malandros

Distributors

• Miramax Films (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Buena Vista International (2006) (Argentina) (all media)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Orphanage, The (Magic Bullet services)

Other Companies

• Sound Satisfaction  foley recording facilities

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, drug use, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

USA:86 min | Argentina:90 min

Country:

Venezuela

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Venezuela:PG-13 | Argentina:16 | Ireland:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Italy:VM14 | Singapore:R21 | Greece:K-13 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Caracas, Venezuela

Company:

Tres Malandros

Trivia:

The director Jonathan Jakubowicz has been kidnapped, and his cinematic style in this movie is a translation of the way he perceived reality while held hostage 45 minutes with a gun under his nose.

Quotes:

Radio Locust: It's 6am in the Bolivarian Republic of Marijuana. Let's listen some music while we call one of our herbal therapists.

Movie Connections:

References Pulp Fiction (1994)

Soundtrack:

War Dogs

A Twisty Crime Thriller With Political and Social Commentary

"Secuestro Express" is a neat little twisty thriller in the exaggerated style of gritty British crime dramas like "Layer Cake," with a pointed political and social overlay.

Using swooping, in-your-face close-up cameras, limited narration and dossier-style on screen character and time descriptors, writer/director Jonathan Jakubowicz, in his full-length fiction debut, captures a docudrama feel to make the kidnapping of a young, lighter-skinned couple by a motley group of "nigros" (darker-skinned) thugs, with a variety of psychological and financial motives for doing this "work", a commentary on class in Latin America, specifically in Caracas, Venezuela.

The individuality of all the characters, including the criminals, adds to the explosive unpredictability as stereotypes of Latin American culture are ironically skewered, including oligarchies, macho men, religion and sensuality, as each person uses political and class rhetoric to justify greed, selfishness and condescension on all sides.

Drugs are caustically shown to have pervasively corrupted and enthralled all levels of the society through a harrowing picaresque exploration of "the ghetto" (as the subtitles translated the geography).

The acting is excellent, particularly Mía Maestro, of TV's "Alias," who goes through an entire spectrum of emotions. Jean Paul Leroux as her boyfriend "Martin" is very good at shifting gears as our sympathies shift around him.

The song selection felt very atmospheric and the soundtrack kept the tension ratcheted up.

The "fire next time" coda didn't quite work or add much to what we think the characters learned that night except assuring us that life ominously goes on among all the classes despite the continuing sharp differences.