Los bastardos (2008)

A 24 hour period in the lives of Fausto and Jesus, two undocumented Mexican day-laborers in L.A. Each day another task, each day the same pressure to find money. They go about their daily ... See full summary »

Director:

Amat Escalante

Writers:

Amat Escalante, Martín Escalante

Stars:

Jesus Moises Rodriguez, Rubén Sosa, Nina Zavarin

6 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jesus Moises Rodriguez	...	Jesús
Rubén Sosa	...	Fausto
Nina Zavarin	...	Karen
Kenny Johnston	...	Construction Boss
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Albaca
Teri Booker
Aron Briggs	...	Racist BBQ kid
Trevor Glen Campbell	...	Trevor
Rodolfo Carreon
Darren Collins
Antonio De La Torre
Helena De Lang
Irana De Lang
Michael De Lang
Erik Deckard

Storyline

A 24 hour period in the lives of Fausto and Jesus, two undocumented Mexican day-laborers in L.A. Each day another task, each day the same pressure to find money. They go about their daily routine, standing on the corner at the Home Improvement Store waiting for work to come. Today, the job they are given is well paid compared to their poor usual wages. Today, Jesus carries a shotgun inside his backpack.

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Plot Keywords:

mexican | day laborer | vomiting | mexican immigrant | strawberry | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

Mexico France USA

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

28 January 2009 (France)

Also Known As:

The Bastards

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$52,940

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mantarraya Producciones, Tres Tunas, No Dream Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

[All trivia items for this title are spoilers.]

User Reviews

Raw, powerful, and deliberately slow

If the purpose of a film is to simply elicit an emotional response from the audience, Los Bastardos succeeds in spectacular fashion. Ultra- realistic and unflinching, it tells the story of two illegal immigrant brothers and their struggle to make enough money to support ailing family back in Mexico when they are hired to kill a single suburban mother. The long takes, no soundtrack, and use of non-actors create the feeling one might get from watching a documentary. The pace is achingly slow, with very little dialogue and minimal plot. Yet, the sense of dread and uneasiness reach a level very few films are able to achieve. Watching this film is about as enjoyable as getting dental work done, but the emotional impact one is left with after the credits roll is undeniable. It will stick with you and maybe even haunt you for a considerable amount of time after. For the patient viewer not expecting your typical Hollywood blockbuster or rom-com, Los Bastardos is a very unique, devastating, and powerful film. I highly recommend this film be watched, but with an open mind as it is unconventional.