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Sin Nombre

Sin Nombre does not go about addressing the topical issue of illegal immigration. It is in essence a gritty tale of two youngsters trying to reach the Promised Land to escape their lives south of the border. Willy aka Casper is a gangster who changes the course of his life by killing his gang leader in an impromptu revenge act. The only link that Casper had towards a normal life was his girlfriend, who unwittingly wanders into his gang’s meeting place at a cemetery. Casper, smarting from betrayal, blows his fuse when the gang leader attacks another girl, Sayra, on a train frequented by illegal immigrants. He continues traveling with the immigrant group as returning to the life he once led is not an option anymore. Sayra is on a long trip of her own starting from Honduras and traveling with her father and uncle, memorizing a phone number that she needs to use once she is on the other side. She takes an instant liking to Casper and develops a loyalty towards him that surpasses any emotional connection she has with the other men in her life. Casper’s old gang is relentless in their pursuit of the traitor. They are aided by Smiley, their youngest member, who ironically was introduced to the gang by none other than Casper. The movie is a study in contrasts. The cargo trains, enveloped by bewitching landscapes, chug along carrying human misery. It is difficult not to wonder why a majority of these people are fleeing their life into the unknown. Migration is generally about survival but it seems absurd in the human context.

Ended up with…

Whilst checking out the above movies, I invariably end up fattening my instant watch queue with some new additions. These go into my “Ended up with…” list and the plan is to watch them during the week ahead. NetFlix keeps tempting me to move each one of them to the top of the queue but I resist. These are movies that I plan to check out in the days ahead.

The Other Man

I am suffering from temporary amnesia. I am unable to recollect why I added this title to my queue. Yet, there it is, moving up the order like the no-talent son-in-law with connections in a bureaucratic regime. It is possible that I added this Liam Neeson flick in a Taken hangover. The storyline of a man working with his missing wife’s supposed lover suggests that it might have been added to please my wife. Anyway, I am still trying to wrap my head around the tagline – "Is knowing the truth worth living a lie?"

Patton

Patton was suggested to me by NetFlix based on my interest in such varied movies such as 12 Angry Men and Mr.Smith Goes to Washington. I doubt if these movies have anything in common other than the era in which they hit the theaters. However, I am eager to see this movie of which I have heard so much but never found an on-demand medium to see until now. The movie fetched an Academy Award for George C. Scott, who plays the titular role.





The Thin Blue Line

The Thin Blue Line promises to be another of those many treasures stocked at NetFlix. A game-changing documentary, TTBL helped throw light on a murder investigation that initially held the wrong man responsible. It is helmed by Errol Morris, who was nominated for the Academy Award and won several other awards.

On a separate note, NetFlix has struck a deal with Epix and will start adding even more titles to its streaming library. These include modern hits such as Ironman, all time favorites such as The Indiana Jones series and classics including The Godfather. Ironman and Indiaan Jones start streaming as early as September. Busy days ahead…

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