The Zone (2007)

Residents of an enclosed neighborhood in the middle of Mexico DF are shocked by a violent crime, and for one resident in particular, young Alejandro, the drama is ratcheted up when he encounters the lone kid who escaped the event and is hiding out within the neighborhood's borders.

Director:

Rodrigo Plá

Writers:

Laura Santullo, Laura Santullo (story)

Stars:

Daniel Giménez Cacho, Daniel Tovar, Alan Chávez

18 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Giménez Cacho	...	Daniel
Daniel Tovar	...	Alejandro
Alan Chávez	...	Miguel
Carlos Bardem	...	Gerardo
Mario Zaragoza	...	Comandante Rigoberto
Marina de Tavira	...	Andrea
Maribel Verdú	...	Mariana
Fernando Becerril	...	De La Garza
Andrés Montiel	...	Diego
Claudio Obregón	...	Ricardo
Blanca Guerra	...	Lucía
Mayra Serbulo	...	Ernestina (as Mayra Sérbulo)
Asur Zagada	...	Carolina
Germán Valdés III	...	Eddie (as Germán Váldez)
Pablo Aron López	...	Mauricio (as Pablo Arón López)

Storyline

In Mexico City, a wealthy compound is surrounded by walls and surveillance system to protect the locals against the violence of the slums. During a stormy night, a billboard falls over the wall and three smalltime thieves cross the border through the breach to rob. They break into a house and kill an old lady; the residents organize militias to chase the delinquents. Two of them and one security guard are murdered by the vigilantes, but the sixteen year old Miguel hides in the basement of the teenager Alejandro. When Alejandro finds Miguel, he feeds and helps the boy, but it is impossible to escape from the Zone.

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Plot Keywords:

gated community | wall | teenager | security guard | violence | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Episode #5.41 (2008)

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Soundtracks

Yo me voy pa' la cumbia
(Bruno Garciía - Sargento Garciía)
© 2006 by Delabel Editions / EMI Music Publishing France. Edicíon autorizada en exclusiva para todos les países del mundo a EMI Music Publishing Spain,
S.A. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

User Reviews

Third world class struggle police thriller

In any large city of Latin America or the rest of the third world, wealth and poverty coexist side by side, not uncommonly separated by just a thin high wall. In typical fashion the rich appropriate the bulk of the country's wealth, a few of the poor reclaim a tiny portion back through robbery and muggings, and the rich react in turn by protecting themselves and even striking back. It's low intensity class warfare.

La Zona is an enclave, a walled-city with massive iron gates, widely scattered security cameras and around-the-clock monitoring. It's the modern equivalent of the medieval castle. Laying siege is a slum, where live the nemeses of the inhabitants of La Zona. They have come to this enclave out of fear, for protection against further assaults, to enjoy the good life in a secure haven. Many are angry. Some have been victims. Some are vengeful.

The story begins when, during a storm, the wall is breached and electrical power is lost. A threesome from the slum takes advantage to penetrate the enclave and steal a few things. The temporary invasion does not go well. Shots are exchanged. People die. That event sets the wheels of the thriller in motion.

The typical characters are present. The honest police investigator whose work is subverted by a corrupt police department. The good bad-guy, the bad bad-guy, the good good-guy and the bad good-guy. They are all there, some in multiple copies. It's formulaic, but effective.

Details

Country:

Spain Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

9 November 2007 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Zona

Filming Locations:

Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,795,399

Company Credits

Production Co:

Morena Films, Buenaventura, Fondo de Inversión y Estímulos al Cine (FIDECINE)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1