Frontera (2014)

Directed by: Michael Berry
Country: USA

Movie Review: Michael Berry directs and co-writes with the former art department coordinator, Louis Moulinet, the drama about immigration “Frontera”, his debut feature. The story focuses on Miguel Rodriguez (Michael Peña) who illegally crosses the Mexico/US border, searching for work and better life conditions, all with his new future baby in mind. He agrees to take Jose (Michael Ray Escamilla) with him, the disrespectful son of his father-in-law’s friend. Already in American territory, and guiltless, they will be involved in the accidental death of a woman on horseback who approached them to give them water and blankets. The innocent Miguel will be arrested and considered the man to blame, triggering the wrath of the woman’s husband, Roy (Ed Harris), a former Arizona sheriff who starts an investigation by himself. Meanwhile, Miguel’s wife, Paulina (Eva Longoria) pays a man to cross the border and join her husband, but ends up hostage. I was expecting other intensity from “Frontera”, a film whose conclusions came quickly and flavorless. Instead of elaborate or effusive, this ‘western’ drama is rather melancholic, derivative and drab, never presenting highlights along the way and opting for a continuous pace that only gives the sensation of being accelerated through the score, fetched from the old TV series. The performances remained in the shadow of a plot that got me impatient and dry, just like the incredible desert landscapes along the border.