Father Geek here, relatively safe within the barbed-wire surrounded compound that is Austin, Texas' GEEK HEADQUARTERS, with a rare report from our former Latin-AICN editor LOBO. What stirred Lobo to pen another story for us? Well, he's an ex-Ciudad de Mexico guy all too accustomed to reading about kidnappings in the hometown daily papers, soooo this is a story close to his heart, something he grew up with.
I saw this film a couple of days ago and loved it. It struck a true note to me. Then again a very dear friend of our family went thru this EXACT scenero (in real life) a few years ago in Mexico. A family member was kidnapped by a complexly organized gang of renegade cops and held for a couple of months until a huge ransom was paid. We heard all about it day by day as the events unfolded, and the gang was organized just like the one in this flick. The rogue cops were eventually hunted down, but not until our friend's family had been put thru the worst of tortures. Anyway, I think MAN ON FIRE is a damn good action flick, there are some problems, but then what action film doesn't have a few. There are none here that really bothered me, and the main plot elements (maybe farfetched to some of you) rang very true to my personal knowledge of the current Mexico kidnapping rackets.Now here's LOBO's take on it...
Que onda cinelocos!
Anyway, I think MAN ON FIRE is a damn good action flick, there are some problems, but then what action film doesn't have a few. There are none here that really bothered me, and the main plot elements (maybe farfetched to some of you) rang very true to my personal knowledge of the current Mexico kidnapping rackets.Now here's LOBO's take on it...
Que onda cinelocos!
Que onda cinelocos!
I know it has been a long while since I last wrote anything for this site, but here I am una vez más... This time with a little something about a movie that caught my interest once I saw the previews and the special on HBO. MAN ON FIRE, a movie I have in my agenda to go see this Month for sure, and one of the reasons is the fact that it was filmed in Mexico City and it takes places in el DF the one and only Chilangolandia. Ciudad mother of crime, corruption, smog, acid rain and landmarked with endless adventures and things to do, a 100% living city 24,7,365-360º. Like Mi Ciudad, there will never be a thing close to it.
That is what got me into wanting to watch this film, knowing that a whole film crew from Hollywood got the cojones to go down there and make a movie about the kidnaping (RAPTO/SECUESTRO) situation in the City. This day-to-day reality to the MASSES of people living in el DF is mind-hell disturbing and the worse of it is not knowing where, why, and who is next. So I applaud to this brave crowd that even trusted the "authorities" enough to watch out for them.
The crowd is formed by Director Tony Scott the guy behind 3 movies I enjoy mucho (True Romance, Enemy of the State and The Last Boy Scout) all great Action flix. So this has gotta be a great one also. I mean it is not only the Director that makes the movie but also the actors that took part in this endeavor.
Christopher Walken for example a guy that so far I don't even recall a bit of bad acting from, maybe Bad movies with him in them like GIgli or Suicide Kings, but those are not his fault right !?.
Then we have Denzel Washington an academy award winner for "Training Day" however in my opinion he should've gotten the oscar for his work on either "Remember the Titans" or "Malcom X" where his acting was more worthwhile and deserving. Denzel is the man that carries the strings on this story, the whole background of his past and present life combined with a need for vengance against the Señores Secuestradores that blackened his time for a while. A guy that literally as the title of the movie describes, builts that fire underneath his veins in search of revenge at any cost. Something that if every victim of kidnaping will end up doing in Mexico City there will be Hell all over the streets and chaos would take over Chilangolandia and the land built over the lake will become a living man made volcano. But this is not the case so, let's keep moving shall we...
The group of supporting actors involved in Man on Fire is lead by Jesús Ochoa (Sr.Fuentes) with previous appearances in acclaimed movies from México; "La Ley de Herodes", an awsome satire/ dark comedy winner of 10 Arieles (Mexican Academy Awards), his most recent film was "Nicotina" which by the way was the opening movie at Cine Las Americas Festival here in Austin Tejas recently(cinelasamericas.org) and my favorite one of his is "Ciudades Oscuras" a Quentin Tarantino type of flick mixed with Love's a Bitch.
Then we have MARC Anthony a full-timer Musician/Singer that in particular I like more as an Actor, just because he is a badass, not that many movies on his record but his performance is flawless in every single one. Starting with "Hackers" a small part but he did a great job on that one, "The Substitute" just the best actor in the whole movie and the one that makes me wonder why is he not a full time Actor? and finally "Bringing out the Dead" playing the crazy drugy dude Noel, Damn he is good !!
Finally Roberto Sosa, which is not credited at all, could be he has a really small part and maybe even minutes but his presence is enough to make me go see what his part its all about. He was in "Mexico City" (another DF kidnapping flick),playing a "Highway Patrolman" (Alex Cox)where he does a hell of a job in this great film which is not yet released here in the USA, WHY??
But there you have it, my pesos on this one. Racing against KIll Bill Vol 2 at the box office it might have small chances of winning in figure$$, but definitely it will make the top 20 of this year just because I believe Denzel is the type of Actor that after winning an Oscar pushes his performance to the max, and let's not forget 2004 has just started with the Big Hits so in my opinion the list has just started this month with the exception of "The Passion....." of course.
