There are more stories and plots woven into the film's structure and, like most of these films, it's assembled out of time sequence, returning again and again to the pivotal accident. The result is absolutely stunning, reflecting the cyclical nature of love and romance, the wandering attentions, self-doubts, misplaced loyalties and most importantly the way true love opens us up to both true joy and dangerous vulnerability. The actors are all startlingly natural--it's like we're watching real life. Mexico City could be any place on earth. And the emotions the characters feel are the very same things we both yearn for and fear. That said, the film is very long, rather repetitive and a bit too violent for us to really identify with the situations these people get themselves into (not many of us face mutilated dogs, bank robberies, gun-toting thugs, assassinations or disfiguring injury on a daily basis). But as a metaphor for the struggles we all go through to find real love and happiness, this is clever, meaningful, moving stuff indeed.

strong adult themes and situations, violence, language

15.Feb.01

"This is a classic film that deals with every level of human life. It's a film that will stay in your mind for a few days after you walk out of the movie theater. It's so profound that its caracters remain in you mind for a long time and every scene in the movie has meaning in real life. It's very well acted by all actors, especially El Chivo (Emilio Echevarria). And the direction of the movie is much better that any other movie I've seen; also the cinematography keeps the tension of the movie going. This is definitely a must-see movie. A masterpiece." --Raul Guevara, Los Angeles 16.Apr.01