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Crónicas (2004)

Director:
Sebastián Cordero
COUNTRY
Mexico/Ecuador
GENRE
Drama/Thriller
INTERNATIONAL TITLE
Cronicas
RUNNING TIME
108 minutes
Producer:
Alfonso Cuarón
Isabel Dávalos
Bertha Navarro
Guillermo Del Toro
Jorge Vergara
Screenwriter:
Sebastián Cordero


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Manolo Bonilla John Leguizamo
Vinicio Cepeda Damián Alcázar ½
Marisa Leonor Watling
Victor Alfred Molina
Ivan Suarez Jose Maria Yazpik ½

 

Review

John Leguizamo excels (at times a bit too much) in this Mexican/Ecuadorian thriller about child murders and the power of television. The set off is extremely potent as we witness the uproar of an entire Ecuadorian village against a suspected child murderer. Director Sebastián Cordero does a fine job in delivering a spontaneity and very organic feel to the first part of the film, but then becomes a bit to comprehensive and overly focused on message as the film struggles to be both a suspenseful thriller and an intricate look at television ethics. Ultimately, the Vinicio Cepeda character is undermined and the TV-drama becomes somewhat of a drag, but the wrap-up is powerful and provocative and brings the film's dramatic value back to life.

Copyright © 1.3.2006 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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