Cronicas
Picture: B-
Sound: B- Extras: C+ Film: B
John Leguizamo gives a breakthrough performance as the
ambitious reporter Manolo, who goes to a small town in Latin America (Ecuador)
where a man who has accidentally killed a young boy with his vehicle is assumed
to be a child serial killer in writer/director Sebastian Cordero’s 2004 feature
film Cronicas, a bold tale about media manipulation and how it can get
people killed. Manolo’s on-camera
interview with the suspect actually stops him from getting into trouble and
leaves him holding the ball exclusively on where to go next.
Instead of being the usual formula film on the subject
Hollywood would make, with all of its not-so-surprise twists and turns, this is
a raw, realistic look at how media today (camcorders, mini-recorders, mini-TVs,
instant live coverage) affect any situation and distort it without even
trying. This is not so much a murder
mystery as it is a character study of the people and the media, but instead of
the obvious, we are dealing with an area of people not under the intoxicated
delusions of mass media. Their daily
realities make them less inoculated to reality, yet the nature of media and how
it “chronicles” (the translation of the film’s title) life is in itself always
suspect.
Leguizamo is a great actor who has got his hands dirty
before in genre films and dramas before this and as a stand-up comic, has bared
his soul more deeply than most in the business today. He is able to take that talent and really apply it in this fine
film that is easily one of last year’s best foreign films. In addition, it is yet another interesting
Latino Cinema import of many that are simply not getting the attention and
credit they deserve. I could easily see
this film being remake by Hollywood, but if that happened, they would likely
ruin it big time. Catch it now, not
just in case that happens, but because this is a fine film from a smart
filmmaker.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is stylized a
bit, which affects the detail a bit, but the color and depth are pretty good in
a film shot well by cinematographer Enrique Chediak, who keeps the film looking
like film no matter how much video is being shot. That is refreshing when endlessly bad hack productions from
Hollywood feel the need to “ape” the video look in their releases. Like Sidney Lumet’s Network, it keeps
the film honest and grounded.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 is a little better than the 2.0
Dolby mix with Pro Logic surrounds and was originally issued in theaters in both
Dolby & DTS. Too bad this DVD was
not DTS, because this is a good sound mix.
Antonio Pinto’s score is a plus.
Extras include a weblink, stills, trailers for this and 5 other Palm
Titles, Soledad Jam Session, alt. lynching scene, alternate ending, deleted
scene and making of featurette that runs an always interesting 50 minutes. Cronicas is a film not to be missed
and a fine DVD like this one makes it more desirable than ever to get.
- Nicholas Sheffo
