Mon 19 Jan 8.15 Tues 20 Jan 8.30 Wed 21 Jan 6.00 & 8.15
Dir: Rodrigo Pla (2008) Mexico/Spain 1hr 35mins
Cast: Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Carlos Bardem
Surrounded by slums in Mexico City, La Zona is an exclusive gated community whose residents think their wealth sets them apart from everyone else. So they are shocked by a bungled violent crime committed by three young men within their enclave. They decide not to report the event to the police, but to track down the sole remaining thief themselves. From this simple concept director Pla builds a taut thriller, which also acts as a metaphor for contemporary Mexico. Unlike a spate of recent films that could be seen to revel in favela chic this is an intriguing, dystopian drama, often seeming a little like it is set in an immediate future. It is coolly unsentimental – and a shrewd study in group psychology.
A smart movie, dramatically lean and mean, exciting and often shocking.” Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
