Crónicas (2004)

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.