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Not rated. () |
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All Flixster |
(720) |
137 |
604 |
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(184) |
35 |
154 |
Male |
(536) |
101 |
450 |
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Plot:
A teenager living inside an isolated residential "Zone" guarded by private security finds himself protecting a boy accused of murder from his vigilante father and neighbors. Nevertheless, the boy is c...( read more 
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:March 24, 2008This film was an excellent selection playing at this year's San Diego Latino Film Festival. I doubt if it will receive any sort of promotion or theatrical release in America, but it should.
This is the story of a blocked-off community in the heart of Mexico City. The gated neighborhood is called La Zona and it is a sole entity in the eyes of the city. The residents of this zone have made a pact with the city to be left alone and live in peace. They abide by their own rules and have their own committee which mimics a sort of small-scale government.
However, one night--a breach in security allows for three outsiders to intrude the zone and a manhunt is soon in place to find the men who pose a threat to the safety and security of their idealistic village.
The film is magnificent in its message and social commentary. The performances of every member of the cast were brilliant and brought such gravitas to a project that had potential based on its story; but really needed good actors to carry it through.
The film relies on world-events to make its point loud and clear. It evokes a plethora of emotions in the audience and makes for a really entertaining time--plus it brings a refreshing look at the way we see one another in the world--whether its people living across the street or across an ocean. -
MCT:October 17, 2008
Una impresionante pelicula que nos muestra como la minoria es la mayoria, asi como la mayoria es la minoria; de lo morbosa y cobarde que puede ser la gente; de lo impulsiva, de lo introvertida; de lo acosante. Una critica inmensa no solo para el pueblo mexicano, sino mundial. Totalmente recomendable, ademas de que compro absolutamente todas las actuaciones... todas.
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MCT:October 9, 2008
Wow! That "Skimo" guy has more talent in him than I had given him credit before and does a great job as one of the few likeable characters. This film was a little depressing because even though some people claim to be a little too exaggerated, I thought it was still reaslitically portrayed, which was kinda depressing.
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MCT:October 7, 2008Harsh Latin American reality. A very good and touching movie on the nature of the human condition - one of the more thought-inspiring movies I have seen. Now who are the murderers?
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MCT:September 22, 2008
Rodrigo Plá, Rodrigo Plá....I saw his second film, Desierto Adentro, recently at a film festival, which had it's merits but was so damn depressing. And he did it again, I felt the conclusion of his debut film, La Zona, also ended up being a very bleak ending to a social commentary sort of film....
La Zona can be described as representing a microcosm of Mexico City...though really a lot of (urban) Mexico is reflected in this movie...of ever widening social stratification with an enclosed space, of the creation of walled communities, fear of escalating crime...
What we have here is a gated community with high end private security...when it gets breached one night due to an accident, a couple young guys working at an adjacent junkyard/mechanic shop hop the wall to break in one of the homes of La Zona...which of course ends up being a botched job since it wasn't planned, two of the guys are killed while the youngest of the group escapes within the confines of the gated neighborhood, whereabouts unknown to anyone for a while.
This ends up being a new, twisted take on a "small town takes care of their own" kinda story...the community took up their own arms to kill those couple of intruders, and want to keep the police out of it for obvious reasons of protecting the person that actually did the killing as well as keeping out police corruption/ineptitude from "polluting" their perfect little high tech secure world...which the residents try to do by bribing the police lieutenant that shows up when shots are fired and police are called...though turns out he ends up being a bit of a straight-edge and wants to know what's being covered up.
The huge twist here is that the "criminal" on the run ends up being the one who needs to fear for his life from these upper class citizens of this utopia. Not only is there social commentary being made about Mexico here, but the film does a good job at examining human nature, at unveiling "good decent folk" being just as dangerous as those purported "dregs of society".
I don't want to give away too much...the plot is all pretty standard, the dialog a bit hokey though I think intentionally so, as a jab at the Mexican "fresas", but acting was decent to good, very slick look for the design, editing, and cinematography. More interesting for the director/writer was the message here, on our insecure nature and how dangerous it can be, how walls only perpetuate the problems of society.
A very impressive debut for Plá...it had the tone of a good tv-movie from the US and certainly had some plotting problems...I overlooked them due to the bigger scope the film was achieving. My only gripe would be that Plá and his co-writer didn't go far enough, in really making some pointed critiques of the class problems Mexico has, and to maybe make larger links to relevant international problems (like between the US and Mexico and another wall that our buddy Bush wants to build) involving culture/class clash, security, and the barbarism of human nature.
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