Battle in Heaven (2005)

Mediocre unknown filmmakers like to use aspirant actresses in cheap sex scenes to get easy promotion of their "art films". "Batalla en el cielo", a.k.a. "Battle in Heaven", is no different and begins and ends with fellation scenes performed by the hot and sexy Anapola Mushkadiz. The story is a complete mess, there is no explanation for capital points (for example, why Marco and his wife kidnapped the child of a friend?) and the screenplay uses explicit blow jobs, grotesque sex scenes with ugly and fat couple, nudity and even a man pissing his pants to be on the spot. Last but not the least, the pace is too slow and vague in this boring and dull film. My vote is four.Title (Brazil): "Batalha no Céu" ("Battle in Heaven")

There is a semblance of a plot in Carlos Reygadas' "Battle in Heaven" and it may even be an interesting one but it's not the plot that interests Reygadas. He opens (and closes) his film with shots of oral sex and there is a fair bit of explicit sex in the film, mostly between the overweight Marcos and his bosses' attractive daughter, who seems to be some kind of sex worker or between Marcos and his middle-aged and overweight wife. Using people who are not conventionally 'attractive' in 'real' sex scenes seems to be Reygadas' way of saying this is 'real' but, of course, we know it's not; it's a fiction about a couple who kidnap a baby who then dies. The husband, Marcos, then seems to be consumed with guilt, confesses what he's done, commits a murder and then goes on a kind of pilgrimage to purge himself of his sin.Most film-makers might have concentrated on the kidnapping, cut back on the sex and thrown the pilgrimage in as an afterthought but Reygadas isn't most film-makers. One of Mexico's foremost directors Reygadas takes the germ of an idea and holds it at arms length, often using non-professional actors, as he does here; even the murder feels unreal and, to be honest, a bit pointless, (were it not for this killing we could be watching a documentary). It's superbly shot though the pacing, (and, I'm sure, the sex) won't be to everyone's taste. It is, however, now regarded as something of an art-house classic.

For two thirds of this film I was spellbound and then it suddenly span away from me. Listening to the director speaking afterwards, I think I know what went wrong and I shall have to view again some time to find out. It is all very watchable but slightly confusing towards the end, which is a shame and may be my fault, that of the director or even of Mexico itself. Whilst I have never been to the country it did seem that part of the lifeblood of this movie was the tangled city of contradictions itself. Even though not perfect in my eyes there was enough to show that this is a director of keen and original talent who will produce much more. His liking to work with non actors is welcome and his treatment of actual graphic sex is stunning. Very affecting, bitter sweet movie.

Boring. A plot that doesn't move, but rather seems situational. Instants of good cinematography, but you see them all in the trailer. Acting that could be portrayed by dead people. Sex that you wish was done by dead people. I thought I was over 2 hours into the movie and checked the clock - just past an hour. Yeesh! Avoid, unless drinking with friends. (OH! I see IMDb wants more review than that - okay, **spoiler warning**) A physically gross guy getting a BJ from a cute thing. She sheds a tear - why? You won't find out. Offscreen, his wife and he had stolen and accidentally killed a baby - why? You won't find out. But she was tired of hearing the mother, her friend complain. Callous (and not so bright to boot) -- Why? You won't find out. Ultimately the guy seeks redemption through religion - and gets it! Why (even though murder is a "deadly sin" and cannot be redeemed)? You won't find out.Don't waste your time.