Synopsis
Two young women, each with their own problems. Marilu is a con artist, currently involvedwith selling fake Mayan art. She has to deal with the Mexican police, and one officer inparticular, who has carnal designs on her. Aurelia is coming to the end of her maternity leave,and is facing going back to work at a sweatshop. Said sweathshop is in an area where some 250women have already been killed by a serial killer. Aurelia steals her drug-dealer boyfriend’s stashand money, and…goes on the run. Aurelia gives the tailing cops the slip. The two women meet,and the road trip is on, with various unsavoury characters not too far behind.
The tone of the film is as far from hyperbolic as one can imagine. Very wry, low-key humourpops up immediately in the way the locations are named. So many place names appear on thescreen in the first few minutes that we no longer take them seriously. At the same time, the senseof threat faced by the two women is very real. A worthy entry to the road movie genre.
Audio
The surround effects in the 2.0 soundtrack are used sparingly. The low-key desertenvironmental effects are appropriately atmospheric. Ditto the wind. The placement of the effectsis well handled too (car engines moving from rear to front with the appearance of the vehicle, forinstance). The music is decently handled, though there isn’t that much of it. The dialogue is clearand undistorted.
Video
The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is blessed by very rich, warm colours. TheMexican desert looks simultaneously scorching and gorgeous. There is no grain or visible edgeenhancement haloes. The blacks are deep, and the image is very sharp. The print is in excellentcondition. A tip-top transfer.
Special Features
The same meagre offerings as with the other films in the series: the trailer for Lucia,Lucia and the ad for the series. The menu is basic.
Closing Thoughts
Curious how the film manages to keep humour bubbling just beneath the surface, even as themenace gathers. One beautiful-looking transfer, too.
Special Features List
- Trailer
