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"BORDERTOWN" (R)
Directed by Gregory Nava
Starring Jennifer Lopez,
Martin Sheen, Sonia Braga & Antonio Banderas
Jennifer Lopez stars in
Bordertown, one of the worst films of the year
By Johnny Alba
Lauren Adrien (Jennifer Lopez), a
cutthroat journalist from The Chicago Sentinel, is sent against her
wishes to cover the notorious murders of hundreds of female workers in
the stereotypical bordertown of Juarez, Mexico. Soon after her arrival
though, she discovers there is more about the murders than the
government wants the world to know and she also finds herself more
involved than she would have thought. It’s on this premise where all the
problems begin for this ludicrous film as writer and director Gregory
Nava provides a very superficial approach to the real-life events and
instead, invests most of his energies on sending a manipulative
anti-globalization and anti-NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
speech. The film debuted to boos at the past Berlinale and I thought
most of this story was exaggerated by the international press but if
anyone cares to watch it like I did, they will undoubtedly get the boos
from the moment the opening credits start rolling.
As the film’s heroine, Adrien is poorly developed and is never
believable as a “blonde american” trying to solve the massive murders
that according to the film, both the mexican and american government are
hiding for economic reasons. Jennifer Lopez does nothing to lift her
character above the pages and therefore, make us care little for her
actions and motivations.
Antonio Banderas is more natural as Alfonso Diaz, Adrien’s former
co-worker/love interest, who is trying to solve the murders himself as
the editor of the only newspaper willing to say the truth in Juarez.
Martin Sheen and brazilian actress Sonia Braga do their best in minor
and underwritten roles.
Directed with major clumsiness by Gregory Nava and appropriately
scripted as a bland TV-movie, “Bordertown” has an atmospheric thriller
vibe, a very bad one that is. Oscar-wise, this film is obviously out of
all races and it probably never was despite early pre-production buzz.
0/**** |
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