Desierto (2015)
Genre: Thriller / Drama
Duration: 94 minuten
Alternative title: Forsaken
Country:
Mexico / France
Directed by: Jonás Cuarón
Stars: Gael García Bernal, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Diego Cataño
IMDb score:
6,1 (11.347)
Releasedate: 12 April 2015
Desierto plot
"A chase where only the strongest survive."
Moises (Gael García Bernal) travels with a group of immigrants through an unguarded, hellish part of the Sonoran Desert to try to reach the United States. Suddenly, they are spotted by Sam (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a deranged vigilante who takes the law into his own hands, who shoots the immigrants one by one. What follows is a sinister cat-and-mouse game. Moises will have to find a way to outsmart the fighter so as not to become yet another victim.
Actors and actresses
Moises
Mechas
Lobo
Adela
Ramiro
Ulysse
Border Patrol
Un animateur radio
Reviews & comments
Filmkriebel
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- 10013 messages
- 4679 votes
Welcome to the land of the free...
Steely thriller. And a good one too. At first I thought it would be a drama about the long and dangerous journey to American civilization, but then it turned out to be an exciting thriller. A group of migrants cross the US border and become the target of a murderous fascist and his equally dangerous dog. This leads to a nerve-wracking game of cat and mouse... and that's really all the film is, you have been warned 
Motives do not even have to be given: everyone knows that there are bastards in the US who want to make a personal contribution to stopping migrants and cherish the selfish dream that America is their country and no one else's (think Trump 
). The film regularly had me on the edge of the seat and both the cinematography and the sound design in favor of the suspense are well played. The scorching natural environment also plays a major role throughout the film.
Always nice to catch a film that far exceeds expectations. The film that comes closest to this is Beyond The Reach with Michael Douglas. Desierto is very good but looks at the migrant problem with a very narrow, unsubtle and superficial view. Oh well, maybe the intention was just to deliver an entertaining thriller and on that front it was mission accomplished.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
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- 11421 messages
- 6719 votes
Not special.
A film that pushed the boundaries for the period in which it was made, but the final effect is anything but controversial. This relatively safely directed film will probably get most of its shock from its implications and the idea behind it. It itself has simply become a fairly regular cat-and-mouse film.
Probably the most strength the film can utilize is its location. The dry desert is used quite well and the film feels nice and authentic. It doesn't get exciting anywhere, but the crazy role of a well-acting Morgan compensates for that weak point perfectly. At least for the first half, after that it really starts to gnaw at the viewer.
The film is never bloody, coarse or harsh, unless you think that shooting illegal immigrants with a little bit of bloodshed can be considered incredibly brutal. I didn't think so. The explicit detail is avoided and the main focus is more on Morgan's survival and running away. It's entertaining, but it's never threatening or exciting.
I especially missed some intriguing images and good acting in between, because I thought Cuarón's direction was a bit too ordinary. It makes good use of what it has, but that's pretty much where it ends. After a while, as the film builds towards its climax, the viewer is most likely disengaged from the story, and that's a shame.
Decent film with a beautiful location, some nice scenes and enough events not to become completely boring. The production should probably write a word of thanks to Morgan, who, despite his limited role, single-handedly lifts the film to a higher level with his charms. Desierto is not the worst film of its kind, but it has to cross seas to be among the better works.
Translated from Dutch · View original
BBarbie
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- 12893 messages
- 7675 votes
The images of the Sonoran Desert (Baja California) are the best part of this disappointing action thriller about an idiot who feels called to shoot refugees in the border area between Mexico and the United States, because “this is my home”. God forbid such people actually exist.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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