Amidst a very real migration crisis on the Mexican/US border, this Mexican/US collaboration has produced an insightful, deeply human tale of the true cost of crossing borders and hoping for a better life. With glorious cinematography and a versatile, exciting director at the helm, Sin Nombre is a revelation.
Language: Spanish
Running Time: 96 mins
Director: Cary Fukunaga
Starring: Paulina Gaitan, Edgar Flores
Genre: Adventure/Crime Drama
Rating: 4 stars
Paulina Gaitan (left) and Edgar Flores (right) star in writer/director Cary Fukunaga’s Sin Nombre (courtesy of Focus Features)
The Film
Risking violence, robbery and death on a monumental journey atop a freight train, Honduran teenager Sayra is travelling through the entirety of Mexico with her father and uncle, hoping to build a better life in the USA. Her world collides with that of Casper, a young, troubled soul who has got on the wrong side of his violent gang, the notorious MS-13. How much is Sayra prepared to risk for Casper, and for how long can he outrun the gangsters who want him dead?
The Review
Though this film pulls no punches in terms of bloody violence, it in no way over-dramatises the situation. In fact, it’s a restrained portrayal which never spills into the gratuitous, and Fukunaga is a director with a feather-light touch. He pulls you into the story with long silences atmospheric shots, contrasting the lush beauty of Mexico’s changing landscapes with the gritty ganglands and the piles of people sheltering under thin sheets of plastic on top of the train. The viewer is left to draw their own conclusions about the characters’ motives and thoughts. It’s hard not to be swept up in the story, journeying each step with Sayra and Casper.
Find out a little about Mexican migration, and this film becomes not just a gangster story of loyalty and vengeance, but a remarkably well-researched portrayal of the migrant experience in Central America. Anyone who thinks that illegal immigrants just pop across the border overnight to take advantage of the system needs to see this film.
Sin Nombre gives a voice to those without names, those desperate enough to risk everything, told through the eyes of two young people who, despite every horror they encounter, still have hope.
Wanderlust Rating: 2 stars
The whole drug cartel/murderous violence aspect might not be the most attractive, but the lush landscapes and the whole concept of adventure is pretty wanderlust-worthy.
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