Matando Cabos (2004)

Jaque (Tony Dalton) captures the unwanted attention of Cabos - a notorious mobster who is both his boss and the father of his girlfriend (Ana Claudia Talancon). Attempting to extradite himself Jaque only digs in deeper with the help of his best friend a retired wrestler and a cannibal named Tony.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: LATIN/COMEDY Rating: NR UPC: 012236210627 Manufacturer No: 21062 Product Description

If Comedy Could Have Colors Matando Cabos Would Be Midnight

Matando Cabos is a foreign film and comedy in the Spanish language where you shake your head from side to side and think "Oh my God! This movie is just plain WRONG!" Full of hyperboles, this situational irony is a great representative of a new generation of Mexican cinema and U.S. foreign film and is the ironic twist on what happens when a son who adores his father, and on his father's behalf, seeks retribution from his father's former friend turned tyrannic employer. Followed by a case of mistaken identity, a fantastic adventure ensues as a result. Watch and witness as director Alejandro Lozano brings life to many literary techniques without so much as a hint.

A very dark comedy, this foreign film is not only hysterically funny, it is almost a parody that is full of action and will have you on the edge of your seat. And the ending... an epiphany! Mexican cihema has definitely taken on a new direction with Matando Cabos, a must see for all native Spanish speakers and lovers of foreign film, mexican cinema, and anyone who appreciates dark comedy!

August 13, 2007

very black very funny Mexican comedy

This opera prima from director Alejandro Lozano is one of the bright spots of New Mexican cinema in recent years. The whole corruption theme was beginning to get old by 2004 (witness Conejo en La Luna) and Matando Cabos treads new and very interesting ground as a less melodramatic and more darkly ironic and comic film. The title is a play on words, as Atando Cabos means "tying up loose ends", while adding the M makes it "killing Mr. Cabos" (Pedro Armendariz).

The performances are all outstanding: Armendariz as the mafioso businessman, British immigrant Jaqueline Voltaire as his wife, Ana Claudia Talancon (here just two years after her breakout in El Crimen del Padre Amaro) looking as fresh as ever, and border baby Tony Dalton (Jaque) and Polish-Mexican Kristof R. (Mudo) in the lead performances are fun and believable. Raul Mendez is good but I liked him even better in 2006's Kilometro 31 (no DVD release yet). Silverio Palacios is also quite interesting as Tony "El Canibal", but the most incredible of all was certainly Joaquin Cosio as Ruben aka Mascarita. His performance is so fascinating he really takes over the film. The film says his character is from Huichapan, Hidalgo, which I think might be real as the first time I ever saw him was in a bit part in the Hidalgo-filmed La Habitacion Azul (curiously not credited on IMDB).

The really great thing about Matando Cabos is the script; the events are so far fetched yet plausible they have you saying "oh no" time and again as you see the inevitable unfolding. I also love the way they made two of the most embarrassing aspects of Mexican popular culture (banda music and lucha libre) seem fun and interesting. I can't stop singing "Reina de Polanco" each time after I view the film.

The DVD has English and Spanish subtitles and plays on region 1 players. The only problem with this disc is that they released it in full screen. If you can understand Spanish, I would therefore reccomend you get the Mexican import version (Matando Cabos (Killing Cabos) 2 Disc Special Collectors Edition [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4. Import-Latin America]also region 1, plus 4) as it comes in widescreen (sans subtitles). If not, it's still worth getting this version as it's a very funny and intelligent film. May 3, 2007

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