Sicario

Denis Villeneuve, 2015

IMDB

3/5

A common theme in Canadian-director Villeneuve's films is uncertainty. Particularly uncertainty about a person, if that person is the person that you think they are. It's certainly a theme in Sicario, Villeneuve's seventh feature film. When it comes to the Mexican cartels, finding someone you can actually trust is a rarity. With the Mexican State Police on the Cartel's payroll, the CIA working covertly underneath the nose of many other government agencies, the list of people you really know is very short. So it isn't unusual for Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) to be suspicious of why she is thrown into the middle of the fray. She is told by her higher ups that she will be helping them "shake things up" and "make noise". She is told that it's a thing that they do to force Cartel members to act impulsively and make mistakes. Kate is definitely the moral force at work in the film, never really comfortable with the circumstances she is put in and the decisions that she is forced to make. Blunt is a proven acting force at this point and holds her own alongside Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin. 

What transpires is skillful filmmaking in line with good storytelling blended with skilled acting, which one comes to expect from Villeneuve at this point. He has yet to make a disappointing picture. While none of this films are as impactful as the very much under-rated Incendies, you see constant improvements in his craft. At times Sicario is reminiscent of the night vision sequences of Zero Dark Thirty. Certainly up there with some of the intensity fueling everything. The story certainly doesn't hide it's comparisons to the Mexican Cartel and the U.S. Government, and whether or not they are actually that different from each other. One interesting consideration is how you notice the Cartel members are family men, or at least have people to go home to. The American characters are more career-focused, married to their jobs.

Sicario certainly blends elements from films like the aforementioned Zero Dark and even some of the southern border bloodshed of Breaking Bad. But it feels like a movie that might be too stable, too uniform. His other work leaves you with images and story-threads that you will never shake. Sicario feels like a solidly made film that won't leave you with the same memories.

Y Tu Mama Tambien

Alfonso Cuaron, 2001


4/5

Set in Mexico, privileged teens Julio (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Tenoch (Diego Luna) encounter a beautiful older woman named Luisa (Maribel Vernu) at a prominent family wedding. They attempt to impress her by telling her their plans to travel to a faraway beach. When she surprises them by showing interest in tagging along with them, they scramble to put the trip together. Little do they realize the impact this road trip will have on the rest of their lives.

Alfonso Cuaron's coming-of-age, hormone-driven road-trip film runs on a much traveled road (no pun intended) but certainly takes its own original path. At times very raw and offensive, but also very authentic and honest. To simply call it a road trip film would be unfair. It's about life experience. Growth. Love. Being young. Living in the moment. Indulgence. Change. Consequences of past actions. The barren, destitute Mexican towns and villages give way to serene coastal views. The abandoned road-sides give way to sand-floor Cantinas. The run down motels give way to a welcoming tent on the white beach. Julio and Tenoch, moderately wide eyed and innocent, give way to experience and life lessons. Their relentless sex-drive is quite evident early on. In a way it could be the most exaggerated feature of the film, but its clear that it reinforces the overall theme. At times they come off as selfish and lazy, but there are snippets of generosity and kindness here and there (they never turn away a beggar or anyone holding a cup out). They are loyal friends, for the most part. They are young, thrill-seeking, and unaccountable. And then enters Luisa. They ascend on her at the family wedding like hungry wolves. When she jumps at the idea of going to the ocean with them, they are surprised. Little do they know she has her own agenda. But regardless, she becomes instrumental in changing them forever. Maribel Verdu brings a lot of vulnerability and experience to her performance.

The film has a memorable visual elements but also has a fitting score along with interesting narration peppered in throughout. Although there are hints of danger and political unrest in the film, Cuaron's Mexico appears to be actually quite kind. When there's a breakdown on the side of the road, there are helpful hands that will help tow via tractor. When the group sit down for a meal during their travels, there's less of an emphasis on monetizing and more of an emphasis on community and enjoyment. There's an obvious disparity of wealth, but there's no judgement present. The film has a story that grows and goes. And who knows, by the end of the trip maybe you'll be changed too.