El Narco (El inferno’)
Written and directed by Luis Estrada
2010, Mexico
Billed as a gangster movie of the same scope and caliber as Scarface and Goodfellas, but set in Mexico, El Narco (formerly El infierno) cribs the skeletal arc of these films adequately but is thematically and tonally all over the place. It’s a film that very clearly was built to fit into that tradition of epic, bloody crime dramas, but, not unlike the film’s protagonist, director Luis Estrada gets greedy. As a result, El Narco is bloated and aimless for much of its run as Estrada tries to balance farce, ultra-violence, detached irony, tragedy, tender emotion, politics, earnest drama, and several opposing moral platitudes. And, really, it could all just be detached irony. But it remains unclear what exactly El Narco is intended to be, as it seems like it is intended to be everything it imitates.
Written and directed by Luis Estrada
2010, Mexico
Billed as a gangster movie of the same scope and caliber as Scarface and Goodfellas, but set in Mexico, El Narco (formerly El infierno) cribs the skeletal arc of these films adequately but is thematically and tonally all over the place. It’s a film that very clearly was built to fit into that tradition of epic, bloody crime dramas, but, not unlike the film’s protagonist, director Luis Estrada gets greedy. As a result, El Narco is bloated and aimless for much of its run as Estrada tries to balance farce, ultra-violence, detached irony, tragedy, tender emotion, politics, earnest drama, and several opposing moral platitudes. And, really, it could all just be detached irony. But it remains unclear what exactly El Narco is intended to be, as it seems like it is intended to be everything it imitates.
- 10/8/2011
- by Emmet Duff
- SoundOnSight
Director: Luis Estrada Writers: Luis Estrada, Jaime Sampietro Starring: Damián Alcázar, Joaquín Cosio, Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Mauricio Isaac, María Rojo, Elizabeth Cervantes, Salvador Sánchez, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Jorge Zárate, Isela Vega, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Benny Garcia (Damián Alcázar) moved to greener pastures -- the United States -- back when he was a teenager with hopes of becoming a successful Capitalist. Twenty years later he is deported back to Mexico -- presumably due to the increasingly xenophobic immigration policies in the U.S. Upon his return to his hometown, Bennie quickly discovers that a pair of feuding drug lords have taken over the region; his younger brother (Tenoch Huerta) and several of his closest friends have died as a result. Determined to remain on the straight and narrow, Benny begins working at his godfather's garage; but as soon as Benny falls for a gorgeous prostitute (Elizabeth Cervantes) -- the mother...
- 9/27/2011
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.