- Home
- Cinemascope News:
- This Week's Reviews:
- Cinemascope Five:
- Contact Cinemascope
Submitted by cinemascope on Mon, 2006-06-12 14:03. :: Contemporary
Movie title:
Secuestro Express
Starring:
Mia Maestro, Jean Paul Leroux, Carols Julio Molina, Pedro Perez, Carlos Madera
Directed by:
Jonathan Jakubowicz
Written by:
Jonathan Jakubowicz
Genre:
Crime/ drama
Year:
2006
Country:
Venezuela
Language:
Spanish
Runtime:
90 minutes
Imdb:
Rating:
Synopsis
Wealthy young Caracas couple Carla (Maestro) and Martin (Leroux)are kidnapped after a night on the town by street thugs Trece, Budu and Niga, who demand $20,000 ransom money from Carla's father. Things after that don't go according to plan.
Wealthy young Caracas couple Carla (Maestro) and Martin (Leroux)are kidnapped after a night on the town by street thugs Trece, Budu and Niga, who demand $20,000 ransom money from Carla's father. Things after that don't go according to plan.
Review
Director Jakubowicz has been upfront about his influences: Tarantino and Danny Boyle being two, although to a certain extent he’s also influenced by fellow Latin American Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, and Amores Perros in particular. Crucially though, all these directors know how to use style alongside rather than over substance, and know how to use character to drive the narrative, rather than the reverse. Ostensibly sympathising with both the victims and the perpetrators of the crime, Jakubowicz instead creates wafer-thin stereotypes who rarely stray from the behaviour expected of their cardboard cut-out characterisations. More worryingly, in an attempt to draw attention to the financial disparity between the wealthy and the grindingly poor in modern Venezuela, the film – perhaps unwittingly – seems to condone brutal violence, menaces and rape. Only Argentine actress Mia Maestro manages to bring more to the screen than her scripted character, giving her wealthy but responsible young clinic-worker a spiky and feisty attitude that brings her part alive.
Director Jakubowicz has been upfront about his influences: Tarantino and Danny Boyle being two, although to a certain extent he’s also influenced by fellow Latin American Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, and Amores Perros in particular. Crucially though, all these directors know how to use style alongside rather than over substance, and know how to use character to drive the narrative, rather than the reverse. Ostensibly sympathising with both the victims and the perpetrators of the crime, Jakubowicz instead creates wafer-thin stereotypes who rarely stray from the behaviour expected of their cardboard cut-out characterisations. More worryingly, in an attempt to draw attention to the financial disparity between the wealthy and the grindingly poor in modern Venezuela, the film – perhaps unwittingly – seems to condone brutal violence, menaces and rape. Only Argentine actress Mia Maestro manages to bring more to the screen than her scripted character, giving her wealthy but responsible young clinic-worker a spiky and feisty attitude that brings her part alive.
