**may contain spoiler**
Well made Colombian gangster flick. In my opinion Colombian cinema has changed a lot last years and it's with joy and excitement I follow their progress internationally. Also foreign movie makers aren't that afraid anymore to shoot movies about Colombia IN Colombia. This however is a totally Colombian production and probably one of the better ones I've seen lately.
The story is set in 80's Medellin at the peak of the cartel activities, and shows successfully how Colombian society and especially how the upper class and upper middle class are infected with dirty money and criminal activity. And you have to take a moral stand and keep a low profile if you want to remain safe. Directly or indirectly, being wealthy in 80's Medellin consists of fraternizing with people that can easily ruin your life or end it, and will do it if you give them the chance. They are all a part of it, you just have to respectfully be as clean as possible without stepping on anyones toes.
We see the story through the eyes of Santiago, a well educated engineer and family man with good manners, who befriends Don Gerardo. A rich gangster that on the surface seem to have a lot in common with him, but through the course of the movie more and more starts to reveal his true self. After a while Santiago has to pay a heavy price for having got mixed up with the wrong people. And everything he can be happy for in his life is turning into garbage.
The acting of especially the two leads are excellent. Don Gerardo reminds me a bit of Joe Pesci in the American gangster flicks, a short, chubby and cocky little man with scary sides. Fabio Restrepo makes an excellent work portraying him, and you totally forget that it's actually an actor you are watching. Juan Carlos Uribe does an equally good work portraying the little naive engineer Santiago, who at first is easily impressed by the money Gerardo spreads around. So much that he totally forgets who he is dealing with.
I once saw a movie called "bad influence" starring James spader, this movie could've been named the same. They are a bit alike.
It's good that Colombians make these kinds of movies, and openly criticize what's wrong in their society, and therefore taking a closer step to changing it. I think every one living in Colombia can more or less relate to everything portrayed in this movie. Recommended viewing.
Well made Colombian gangster flick. In my opinion Colombian cinema has changed a lot last years and it's with joy and excitement I follow their progress internationally. Also foreign movie makers aren't that afraid anymore to shoot movies about Colombia IN Colombia. This however is a totally Colombian production and probably one of the better ones I've seen lately.
The story is set in 80's Medellin at the peak of the cartel activities, and shows successfully how Colombian society and especially how the upper class and upper middle class are infected with dirty money and criminal activity. And you have to take a moral stand and keep a low profile if you want to remain safe. Directly or indirectly, being wealthy in 80's Medellin consists of fraternizing with people that can easily ruin your life or end it, and will do it if you give them the chance. They are all a part of it, you just have to respectfully be as clean as possible without stepping on anyones toes.
We see the story through the eyes of Santiago, a well educated engineer and family man with good manners, who befriends Don Gerardo. A rich gangster that on the surface seem to have a lot in common with him, but through the course of the movie more and more starts to reveal his true self. After a while Santiago has to pay a heavy price for having got mixed up with the wrong people. And everything he can be happy for in his life is turning into garbage.
The acting of especially the two leads are excellent. Don Gerardo reminds me a bit of Joe Pesci in the American gangster flicks, a short, chubby and cocky little man with scary sides. Fabio Restrepo makes an excellent work portraying him, and you totally forget that it's actually an actor you are watching. Juan Carlos Uribe does an equally good work portraying the little naive engineer Santiago, who at first is easily impressed by the money Gerardo spreads around. So much that he totally forgets who he is dealing with.
I once saw a movie called "bad influence" starring James spader, this movie could've been named the same. They are a bit alike.
It's good that Colombians make these kinds of movies, and openly criticize what's wrong in their society, and therefore taking a closer step to changing it. I think every one living in Colombia can more or less relate to everything portrayed in this movie. Recommended viewing.