Virgingate (2008) User Reviews

A great drama-thriller about Mexico

[interlingua_usa · 9/10 · 22 April 2010]

Like another reviewer on here, I saw this movie at the Chicago Latino Film Fest and also liked it very much. The movie is set in Mexico City and Tijuana and deals with some of the frustrations in the lives of the poor and lower middle class. It starts off good and gets steadily better throughout the movie.

And as with an earlier reviewer, at my showing the director also appeared and someone asked about his nationality. The person who asked was Mexican and she didn't believe the director himself was from Mexico. So it's not just "Caucasians" or "females" that sometimes assume most Mexicans are brown.

Great film that touches on two sides of Mexico

[sandplasma · 9/10 · 21 April 2010]

I saw this movie at the Latin Film Festival in Chicago last night. I found it to be entertaining the whole way through as well as realistic. The plot was spot on with one or two scenes that seemed out of place. I especially liked how it portrayed a view of traditional religious Mexico (even the bad guy feels bad of the disappearance) mixed along with the darker side of drug trafficking.

I found the characters to be believable and engaging and the camera work inventive to a point.

It was a nice surprise to see that the director Alan was in the audience. He treated us to a Q&A session in which people asked quite a few questions. He emphasized how the police chief's actions had a double meaning, which I didn't understand until the end of the movie.

Overall I loved it and would recommend it. I found it funny that a rather young Caucasian female asked of his nationality. Not all Mexican people are brown and have mustaches you know..just like not all Americans have the same accent. Anyway, great movie.