Sin Nombre

 Cary Fukunaga, the writer and director of 2009's Sin Nombre (which approximately means "Nameless"), pours our his heart in this hour and a half long story. The movie, with some rather decent actors, revolves around a boy whose heart has been broken, and a girl whose life is about to change. As the girl gets ready to head north of the border (from Mexico to the U.S.A.) she enlists the help of her long lost father, and her uncle. Meanwhile the boy, whose life is split between the gang he fights for and the girl he loves,  makes a mistake that puts a death sentence on his head. Deciding to make a run for it, he finds himself in the company of the girl and her father and uncle.
 The film is an impressively beautiful look into the life of a gang member, employing cinematography and mise en scene to enhance the disparities of life within and without the gang. Shots are reminiscent of 2007's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford during the train sequences. Massive, single-source lights spill over the crowded rooftops of the train in dense mists, creating a sense of awe and wonder in a gloomy and despairing vista. The train is representative of hope and the future, but its danger looms over everything. There are indeed as many shots of setting suns and distant horizons, as there are of dark places and grimy conditions.
 It may be difficult for me to judge the acting, due to the fact that they are speaking in a different language, but from what I can tell, things seem to be top notch (if not, then just a few notches below). The film is quite well-pulled-off: from beginning to end one feels immersed in the interweaving stories, as much as the intense landscapes and several chase sequences. It's a full movie: love, hope, fear, danger, action, romance all combine in one rather amazing film.