Movie On Fire...

Rating: 9/10 (9 July 2005)

Excellent. Powerful.. Emotional... Innovative... The only real problem i had was in the casting of the supporting players. There are PLENTY of Mexican and/or Chicano actors who, in my opinion, would probably have done a better job than the players who were used. Carlos Gomez, Ricardo Chavira, Jacob Vargas, and pretty much the entire cast of Amores Perros, to name a few.
Giancarlo Giannini, an Italian, was struggling badly in his role as the Chilango (a denizen of Mexico City) police inspector. As was Rachel Ticotin, a Nuyorican, as the investigative reporter. Poor Marc Anthony, another Nuyorican, was simply not ready to take on such a dramatic role. Their "Mexican" accent when they spoke Spanish was atrocious, and unfortunately, reminded me that i was watching a film each time they opened their mouths.
Shifting gears, it was hilarious, in a good way, the way that Creasy (Denzel) simply barrelled his way up the food chain of the organized crime circuit "La Hermandad" with such relative ease. You'd think after he took out the first few peons, the higher-ups would catch on and be at least SOMEWHAT ready for him. But anyone who knows how the United States of Mexico functions (or MALfunctions) would've laughed tongue-and-cheek at his brazen bravado, as it was totally plausible.
A Home Run...