Colombian Revenge Light

Rating: 1/10 (28 September 2015)

This fictionalized story is surely based on events that have been press and news stuff, with more or less successful result from long time ago. And is probably based back in time when the war on drug-traffic supremacy was at its peak, when the Mexican kingpins took the lead in narco-traffic from the Colombian cartels, the traffic exploded in scope, volume and money value, and in consequence many cartels and narco groups were created to dominate each in their own region, with the unavoidable drug wars between these. It is also probable that it is based in more resent events when the Mexican police went tired of these wars and declared war on the cartels. It was a bold an daring action, but with not very good results because this new war actually developed even more crude and the number of deaths did not decrease, it went up on both sides and with negative consequences for the public. Unfortunately none of these issues are taken on the film even if the atmosphere and scenery superficially tells us about drugs and of course killings without even mentioning where and why they occur, they assume we have been reading the news. So in the end what is this film about? For me it was hard to tell, is it a film to show that chivalry and sense of justice among the arms of the law is in jeopardy? Is it a war between CIA and FBI? Or is it a story of revenge between Mexicans and Colombians? I must say it's all these things at the same time, and that's what in my opinion makes this film a little messy and hard to swallow. We see a lot of violence but in most scenes we don't know the motives or the reason for it, the film lacks to go in depth about this and without it, it just becomes another very violent film with some action. The dramatic scenes without action do not contribute to clarify what is going on, on the contrary. US squads are trying to get rid drug traffic from Mexico to USA but we really never know where the drugs are coming from or what kind of drugs. Is it marijuana? No because now it is allowed in many states in the USA and easily available. Is it cocaine from Peru or Bolivia? Is it heroin from Afghanistan? By whom and how came to Nogales? All these interesting questions remain unanswered and the film disintegrates in a personal family feud and vendetta. Which creates another controversy: a hit-man usually doesn't act with personal issues; otherwise the film should've been called "Colombian Revenge Light" The scene when "Sicario" dispatched a cartel boss is just not right these guys don't have 3 bodyguards they have dozens and dozens. The performances of the main actors are ambivalent. Emily Blunt is definitively miscast, and why is Josh Brolin laughing all the time? it doesn't have a reference of what is going on in the film or perhaps the script demanded a contrast figure from Benicio del Toro who is soooo serious all the time? It is a pity that with the resources used both material and human it could've become a good film to watch as long as it had resolved the above mentioned issues, but it's just another very dark, violent and eye shocking action film.