A decently thrilling film that explores the moral ambiguity surrounding the perpetual war on drugs

Rating: 7/10 (12 April 2016)

Things that were cool:
1.) The acting. This film features a very talented cast front-lined by Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and and Josh Brolin. Particularly mesmerizing is Blunt who is able to convincingly convey the sense of urgency and confusion her character experiences.
2.) The cinematography. Far and away my favorite part of the film. Shot by Roger Deakins (Shawkshank Redemption, Skyfall, A Beautiful Mind), the cinematography beautifully pushed the narrative. Several of the shots used from the airplane view were incredible as well as the sweeping views of the western plains. The intro scene and first operative mission both utilized very engaging cinematographic techniques that generated a lot of cool tension.
Conclusion:
A very solid film that forced me to think hard about the parameters appropriate to right injustice and fight against crime. The movie definitely implies that you do have to be okay with getting your hands dirty for ultimate good to come. The film also does a great job of considering this issue from the side of the Mexican people who deal with this problem from a completely different angle. The deep-seated gloom inspired by the last scene portrays what we consider a grandiose "war on drugs" to be nothing more than "another day in the life" for these Mexican civilians. Food for thought.