Just had to say something about this movie.
Rarely have I encountered a film, let alone the first major film of a director, where stark realism can project such meaningful and unexpected dialogue. This is the kind of film that some won't appreciate because, at times, scenes appear 'convoluted' or illogical. However, from beneath these seemingly illogical scenes arises a continuity that is as refreshing as it is unpredictable, and from seemingly illogical actions imparts a strong feeling of authenticity. This is the hallmark of realism, and Director/Producer/Writer Greg Kwedar understands this.
When one of the Border Patrol Agents (BPA) first pulls his gun against his fellow agents you know something sinister is at work. But most scenes after this don't happen quite the way one would expect. BPA Flores thinks he can fix the situation but finds out he can't; BPA Hobbs thinks guilt rests entirely with BPA Davis (the agent who first pulled the gun) but as the plot unwinds we begin to understand that this isn't really the case; and Davis(?), well he realizes that he was 'cursed' all along.
The unpredictable nature of circumstance is always at play and always rings true. The scene in the garage with the cartel employed 'bad guy' who doesn't turn out to be so bad, the way Hobbs dies, the illegal immigrants who choose to give up their freedom to help dying Flores, the scene in the Border Patrol office where everything gets swept under the carpet...none of these things were expected but they all add up to an experience that, along with everything else, yields a truly remarkable and authentically realistic film.
Rarely have I encountered a film, let alone the first major film of a director, where stark realism can project such meaningful and unexpected dialogue. This is the kind of film that some won't appreciate because, at times, scenes appear 'convoluted' or illogical. However, from beneath these seemingly illogical scenes arises a continuity that is as refreshing as it is unpredictable, and from seemingly illogical actions imparts a strong feeling of authenticity. This is the hallmark of realism, and Director/Producer/Writer Greg Kwedar understands this.
When one of the Border Patrol Agents (BPA) first pulls his gun against his fellow agents you know something sinister is at work. But most scenes after this don't happen quite the way one would expect. BPA Flores thinks he can fix the situation but finds out he can't; BPA Hobbs thinks guilt rests entirely with BPA Davis (the agent who first pulled the gun) but as the plot unwinds we begin to understand that this isn't really the case; and Davis(?), well he realizes that he was 'cursed' all along.
The unpredictable nature of circumstance is always at play and always rings true. The scene in the garage with the cartel employed 'bad guy' who doesn't turn out to be so bad, the way Hobbs dies, the illegal immigrants who choose to give up their freedom to help dying Flores, the scene in the Border Patrol office where everything gets swept under the carpet...none of these things were expected but they all add up to an experience that, along with everything else, yields a truly remarkable and authentically realistic film.