Under the Salt (2008)

Slow, small town, Mexico. Everything revolves around the salt mine. Mounds of white rock and powder, seep into the very soul of the people. The young women disappear and some of the bodies are finally found. Edgy, rough big town policeman is sent to solve the case. This is a different kind of Mexican movie. Slow moving, creepy, with horror undertones. Eccentric characters all over the place... and that is the trouble. Everything seems to be a little slanted, a bit shafted to the side, albeit intensionally in a manipulative way. Like the director wasn't sure enough in the story, so he felt the urge to connive and twist little too far to be believable. Still, well worth watching.

BAJO LA SAL has a lot going for it: a BLUE VELVET kind of quirkiness, some solid performances (with one notable exception: the Culprit, who, when revealed, chews the scenery toothlessly; Dennis Hopper this guy ain't), and some genuinely suspenseful moments. The undertaker's son shows up for his date driving (of course) the family hearse. But rest assured: the quirkiness doesn't stop there: the kid makes his own stop-motion slasher flicks using Barbie dolls, and these are intercut throughout the movie proper (sometimes featuring slow motion sequences that only add to the unsavory savoring of the slashings). Like the aforementioned BLUE VELVET, UNDER THE SALT is a murder mystery into which our hero (also a suspect) gets sucked. A little more depth to the grizzled ex-cop would've helped (we never really get to know him, but his "outing" as an EX cop lends one more twist to an already twisted tale) and, as stated, the villain's big finale leaves a lot to be desired, but BAJO LA SAL is nonetheless worth a look.

I've just finished watching this movie at home because of the poor distribution that had when it was released at Mexican theaters. The fact is that it is a very good movie for Mexican standards, if not the best released during 2008, even I liked more than Arrancame la Vida; the main reason because I enjoyed this movie is because it maintains the suspense that a thriller should have, especially during the last 15 minutes when we discover who is the killer. Also the movie has excellent production values, good acting and an excellent editing. The problem are the development of the characters, which is the problem of many Mexican movies; we never care about them and is the same if they die or not, if the win or not. The actors do they job very well but the have to follow the script, so they can't make characters who make connection with audiences. I think the Mexican screenwriters should learn how to develop better characters so they make them for us enjoyable. If this movie had that, it would be an excellent Mexican product... ahhhh! and also the movie has holes on the plot. For the next time I recommend director Mario Muñoz take notes from this advices and will be able to make a masterpiece.

Mexican cinema has never been known for its ventures into genre. Generally we are accustomed to the heavy socially oriented drama that reminds the rest of the world of the low capacities of this country. This was the old school, but it reigned for more than 5 decades. I am pleased to gather that this no longer reflects the present and the future of cinema in this country. Bajo la sal, or Under the salt, is a compelling, if somewhat predictable slightly clichéd thriller that was premiered last night at the Morelia International Film Festival, and I had the pleasure to be at the red carpet. The director was there, along several actors and the screenwriter , they seemed quite surprised of the highly wide reception the film had with audiences. Although the film is not without its problems, it worked. Humberto Zurita, a legend in Mexico, stars as a police detective who is now investigating a series of murders in a far town whose main trade is salt mines. The film explores the plots, lies and secrets a small town carries under its grass, a lá Blue Velvet. One of the most interesting things about the movie are a set of dreamlike animations with dolls, that reflect the broken mind of the teenager who works at the funeral home. These set pieces will give something to talk about among moviegoers. Overall, a nice effort, not the best thriller ever, perhaps in terms of Mexican cinema it is a milestone, but bot for the genre. Let us hope we are watching the first in a row of interesting, different and more daring Mexican cinema that is already at the door.