Sin Nombre (2009)

The film starts out captivating your attention by throwing yourself into the perspective of a Gangster. I like the real-life sense that you get from watching the movie. I didn't dislike anything about the movie. I loved how professional and high-budget the film seemed. The film seemed not American because there wasn't a happy ending. Usually, in an American film there are basic guidelines that the movies follow. Culturally, the difference between Mexico and America was evident from the gangs to the clothes the actors wore. It was easy to see that crime overtakes at least some cities in Mexico. The perspective I take from this film is that the only reason these people wanted to cross the border was for hope of a better life. The people who actually stay in Mexico are the gangs, it seemed to me that those who wanted to leave were the ones not in gangs. If I was in Smiley's position I probably would've done exactly what he did. It seems that if you are not in a gang that you are in danger. I wouldn't change the ending; what made the movie so good was the realistic feel that the ending could've happened in real life.

I really enjoyed this film because it tells us a great story. It starts off a bit dull and looks like a movie with a low budget and people that aren't star actors, but it shows us how people live in different parts of the world. For example, the gang violence in Mexico is frowned upon by the general population of Mexico.The gangs are in control but in this movie they did not seem to bother the ordinary people as much as their own gang members, rival gangs and the people they know or love. I can only recall gangs bothering ordinary people once or twice through out the whole film. This movie really keeps you up on your feet cause you never know whats going to happen next with the series of twists and turns as the movie progresses. This movie is not like any ordinary American film that we are used to, there is no happy ending. Although I felt like the ending was not as harsh as it could have been; to me the ending of the film was moderate. I learned many things from this film of which I did not know before. One being that the border is not actually a giant wall. In the movie it was portrayed as a.... The movie made me more knowledgeable about their living conditions in Mexico and the great deal of pain that people in Mexico go through to come to America.The movie made me think about how the lives of some people in Mexico can be so poor because of the gangs or by even having gangs in the area. However, some people in Mexico do live normal lives with no gangs related activity around them.

I personally enjoyed this movie a lot as it was my first viewed international film. I liked how the director was able to show us what gangs might actually be like in these Central American countries and how they are spread out throughout the continent. Willy seemed to be getting tired of the gang life, and when the La Mara leader killed his girlfriend, Willy was tipped over the edge. Willy then proceeds to kill the leader of the La Mara which basically turns him into a dead man because every La Mara person is coming after him. I thought that this would be very uncommon of a gang member killing another "brother" because they all treat each other like family. At the end of the film, I didn't really enjoy seeing Willy getting shot by Smiley. I would've rather liked to see Willy to escape with Sayra and cross the creek, making it to America to start a new life.

Story/Pacing: This story feels very original and real. When it comes down to it, this film is following opposites who slowly become attracted to one another but it is told from a unique perspective making the film feel really genuine and authentic. The film evokes many emotions without thrusting clichés and corny metaphors in front of you and it also keeps moving at a steady pace. The violence is at times brutal but thats mostly due to its context as opposed to the physical actions on screen. The only downside is that several of the minor characters are just not developed enough despite being in the first two acts of the film and acquiring the viewers interests. Acting: Exceptional and never an unconvincing moment. Sayra and El Casper have believable chemistry while the gang leaders are chillingly evil but the best actor is Kristyan Ferrer who plays El Smiley. You feel his pain, his anger, his happiness and the young actor does it all without breaking a sweat.Technically/Music: Simplicity certainly works for this film. Overall the film looks somewhat like a documentary and the music accompanying the visuals is subtle. This only adds to the film's authenticity and allows the story and the characters to keep the viewers interested. Overall, the film is very entertaining, original and emotional and feels very real. Its a film that survives on its plot as opposed to technical capabilities and at just over 90 minutes its a fast paced easy movie.