The total fear experienced by kidnap victims in South America
Added 7/13/2009
Secuestro express (2005) is a movie definitely rooted in the
today's hip hop and pop/MTV-like culture, which is remarkable
for a movie with action centering in Venezuela.
The story tells of a kidnapping by gangsters in Caracas, on a
Friday or a Saturday night, after a 28-ish couple has gone out
clubbing.
The movie is extremely articulate in detailing the dynamics of
such an event, the greed in getting money, jewelery, narcotics,
sex by those perpetrating it, the anarchy, split-second
decision making by those involved in what to do next, who
lives, who dies, how much random is required, and so on.
The gangster actors chosen, are very street-like, in terms of
how down to earth they are, in their appearance.
But the film's exceptional presence, is Mia Maestro, who
astonishingly, and naturally expresses a spectrum of emotions,
tailor-made for the visual medium, such as despair, fear, drug
induced incoherence, joy, and other sentiments. Her style is
reminescent of Nathalie Portman (Where the Heart Is), in terms
of a remarkable presence, or even, Gloria Darpino (West New
York, for example.)
The movie moralizes about the disparity in living standards,
between the rich and the professional classes vs. everyone
else, and how feelings of jealousy, frustration, and hurt in
personal pride often is the case, when the first group flaunts
their status symbols and possessions to the latter group. It
suggests this is a sufficient enough motive to carry out
kidnappings.
The story is perhaps inclined and too rushed in its alleging of
bribe taking among patrol officers, as a city cop takes 1/2 Kg
of coke in exchange for letting the gang pass a checkpoint, or
even, towards the end, a group of officers locks up the girl,
perhaps with malicious intentions.
Incredibly, actual taking out of 2 or more victims in the
actual kidnapping is shown, when paradoxically, at first the
gang requires the victim to not look at their faces, but
shortly after, forgets to emphasize that same request again,
thereafter, and allow the girl to go free.
The psychology of selecting a car-jacking victim is explained,
as the elderly is frowned up due to their more fragile system,
or the poor, who will fail to cobble up the required random.
A detailing of expectations is laid out by the gang including
forcing an ATM withdrawal, purchasing multiple Rolex watches at
the jewelry outlet, a ransom required from family members.
Weapons seem to be on hand, without difficulty, including shot
guns, Uzi, pistols, knives, etc.
The narco-trafficking and narco-consumption aspect is
underlined greatly, as ecstasy, coke, ganja is suggested as
commonplace by all social classes in the country, no matter
their wealth or status.
A fair bit of street voyeurism, is indulged by the director, to
emphasize its street credibility and hip hop style soundtrack.
Realistically, the movie suggests that, even in gangs, there
may not be unanimity in terms of bad deeds, but the less
desperate one may be out-voted by the other members, and may
have to deal with that.
Overall, the movie is successful, in showing the total fear
experienced by victims in such an order, over a short period of
time. A keeper, with subtitles as it's Spanish.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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What a great documentary!!!
Added 1/20/2008
About time! This documentary shows a very real side of Caracas in a way that is frightening but entirely accurate for anyone who has lived there.
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Electrifying Action
Added 12/27/2007
Secuestro Express came to my attention through the recommendation of friends from South America. Many North Americans are aware of the huge problem with kidnappings in Mexico City and in parts of Colombia, but few are aware that it is a big problem in Caracas as well. Secuestro Express is a harrowing film that highlights the problem there, hints at its causes, and rhetorically proposes a solution.
Caracas is a big, modern city bursting with entrepreneurial energy. But it is also a place where tightly packed barrios of the poor crowd the hillsides in a rabbit's warren of poverty and despair. One of the things some of the idle of the barrios do is to kidnap middle-class and wealthy people in hopes of getting a lot of money with little effort. Secuestro Express is the fictionalized story of one couple who was kidnapped and the hate-fueled brutality of their kidnappers.
I won't recount the film, but the kidnappers not only extort money, they use the threat of murder (actual murder as well), rape (including homosexual sodomy), and physical torture to degrade and dehumanize both the victims and those who will pay the ransom. Two of the kidnappers seem to get as big thrill out of the physical and psychological brutality as they do out of the prospect of easy money. The third kidnapper shows a few shreds of human feeling and does his best to thwart his fellows' basest urges.
I would give this five stars, but there are a few scenes which are not really believable. One is where the kidnapped fiance is sodomizing rather than being sodomized by the gay drug dealer who is a friend of the kidnappers. Another is where Carla joins the kidnappers in ridiculing her fiance, although her disgust with having seen her boyfriend buggering the drug dealer is understandable.
Otherwise, the film imparts an overall feeling of menace, dread, and loathing. The almost non-stop electrifying action will keep you on the edge of your seat especially the "release scene" toward the end, the anti-climactic "rescue" and the re-release. Though, as some reviewers suggest, the movie often becomes Tarantino-esque, there are elements of reality throughout. The seeming intractability of the city's problems, from the drug-fueled violence of the barrios to the endemic police corruption, makes the viewer wonder about the city's future.
Secuestro Express is in Spanish with English subtitles. The value of this DVD is enhanced by the inclusion of some worthwhile extras. If you enjoy a well-made action film and have a high tolerance for extreme violence and the filthiest language, then this is a film that should be on your list.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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good movie
Added 9/22/2007
Very good movie but hard to understand without the subtitles unless you are used to the venezuela slang.
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This movie kept my wife and I at the edge of our seats. It was more than I expected. Don't watch it if you plan on traveling out of the country. A real reality check. I wish Ruben did more acting in this but the overall eperience was great.
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