The Bastards

I get why a lot of people don't like this film. I get why lots think its a bad script. I think its difficult in the same way Dryer is difficult, or Bresson or Dumont. Its slow, but its not elegiac, or full of "beauty".....nor is it sociological in its depiction of crime and exploitation. Its simply a dark dark existential sort of nightmare. It contains a social critique to be sure, but thats not the focus. Escalante is a director to keep an eye on. This a disturbing and singular film. Its also a film that will haunt you.....probably even if you didn't think it as good as I thought it was. Its a film experience you wont forget. I saw it in norway, at a festival and at 11pm. People left the theatre in shocked silence.

Los Bastardos is a film about two very lonely Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles, who are forced to spend the evening with an even lonelier American woman, under extreme circumstances. Enter Jesús and Fausto, in the first shot they are seen walking for over four minutes, Fausto, the youngest is playing with a soccer ball which he leaves behind at the end of the shot, this could represent the fact that he's leaving behind his innocence for on that day they have been hired to kill someone. The plot always makes people think this is a fast paced thriller, or a "Funny Games" type ordeal, but no. The film plays like a Carlos Reygadas movie, once there is an action there is no reaction, but contemplation of the moment. This gives the spectator time to ponder and let the feelings sink in, particularly about the life-style of Mexican day-laborers which is something very depressing to watch. The story is taken at a very slow pace, and every turn leads to something unexpected, and the use of non-actors makes the situations feel very authentic and even logical, as though they could in fact happen in that order. The amount of realism is accentuated by scenery of Los Angeles, beautifully photographed. So yes, this is a deliberately slow film but it builds emotion with its pace only to destroy one's emotions at the end. The camera language speaks to the audience, this is a very well directed film. In the end, I thought this was the kind of cinema I needed at the time, and I could see it again to analyze the amazing photography and the fascinating pace. Its a very peculiar type of cinema, but its so well made and has such profound emotion that if it falls short of masterpiece its because we are not used to a film being so determined to be so casually profound.

To be honest i expected more about this movie. Poor script in Spanish and English.

It started slow, very slow. The movie gives an one side overview about the conditions of Mexican workers trying to get a job and also the behavior of American people towards them. The discrimination and abuse is marked on the first hour of the movie. The two guys tried to live the American dream in the wrong way. I conclude this review with : if you don't have better thing to do or it is a cold boring night feel free to watch it. It might be a good movie if you are familiar with the directors type of movies.

If the purpose of a film is to simply elicit an emotional response from the audience, Los Bastardos succeeds in spectacular fashion. Ultra- realistic and unflinching, it tells the story of two illegal immigrant brothers and their struggle to make enough money to support ailing family back in Mexico when they are hired to kill a single suburban mother. The long takes, no soundtrack, and use of non-actors create the feeling one might get from watching a documentary. The pace is achingly slow, with very little dialogue and minimal plot. Yet, the sense of dread and uneasiness reach a level very few films are able to achieve. Watching this film is about as enjoyable as getting dental work done, but the emotional impact one is left with after the credits roll is undeniable. It will stick with you and maybe even haunt you for a considerable amount of time after. For the patient viewer not expecting your typical Hollywood blockbuster or rom-com, Los Bastardos is a very unique, devastating, and powerful film. I highly recommend this film be watched, but with an open mind as it is unconventional.

LOS BASTARDOS (dir. Amat Escalante) The film is an unflinching attempt to apply the principles of DOGMA 95, or something quite similar, and this starkly unconventional film succeeds very well. DOGMA 95 was a Danish film movement which was conceived as a reaction to Big Budget Hollywood films, and initiated new ways to tell a story with film. Lars Van Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, authors of the guiding principles, felt that the job of the modern filmmaker was to mirror reality as closely as possible-with Absolutely NO Frills. DOGMA 95 films would only use ambient sound-No Soundtracks, employ no fancy lighting techniques, use improvisational dialogue only, non-actors would be employed exclusively, and only hand-held camera work was allowed. LOS BASTARDOS begins with an opening shot of over three silent minutes in which the two lead characters walk into focus from far off in the distance. Most films attempt to ensnare the viewer immediately, yet in this film you feel that you are, 'waiting for something to happen'. The camera is used only to observe and record, and the story is allowed to emerge with no embellishments. A hired killing is the slim conceit of this film, and the film unfolds at a slow pace, and has the feeling of a documentary because none of the action could be confused with conventional acting. This film is not for everyone, but I would highly recommend it. Winner of numerous awards.