The City Of No Limits (En La Ciudao Sin Limites)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: D Film: B-
Is it a
drama or a thriller? The City Of No Limits (2002) offers a tale about a sick old man
(Fernando Fernan-Gomez) who is not taking his medication, and is subject to all
kinds of tests. His son Victor (Leonardo
Sharaglia) finds out, then when he confronts his father, is told about a plot
involving confederates in the hospital who have ugly plans for him, to keep
calling a dead phone number, and a clothing button seems to be at the center of
it all.
Complicating
matters further is Victor’s mother (Geraldine Chaplin in good form) who has
something to hide and is acting distant, which seems to be chronic. His sisters are little help, especially with
their own problems and his girlfriend is his only support, but this is a
situation he prefers to take on himself.
To be sure, he follows up on all of his father’s initially odd ideas.
Director
Antonio Hernandez co-wrote the screenplay with Enrique Braso, who does try to
make something different. At least they
do not try to turn this into some bad Science Fiction film. It is a Goya Award winner, and though I was
not surprised or shocked by any of it, at least the film tried to take its
material into another direction and such ambition is in short supplies these
days. The City Of No Limits has story limits, but is worth seeing.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is a little soft, but has depth and is
color consistent. Cinematographer Unax
Mendia offers a big screen use of the scope frame that keeps the film involving
in a way we do not see enough of from any country. The Dolby Digital is offered in 2.0 English
Stereo with Pro Logic surrounds and Spanish 5.1, which is a little better and
more natural, being the original soundtrack.
Victor Reyes score is not bad either.
Too bad this has no extras, but it is an interesting film that crosses
suspense with another tale of the dysfunctional family.
- Nicholas Sheffo
