Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

GamerTab That was an excellent one.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Pierre Radulescu WARNING: I HAVE MANY SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW: Benny Garcia had left Mexico as a young fellow to find his fortune in US. What happened with Benny during his stay in US nobody told us, maybe it was good, maybe it was not so good, suffice it to say that after twenty years they deported the guy back to Mexico. To be again home after so many years had its charm, there were the guitars and sombreros, and all the good stuff, plus Benny had the gringo experience, which meant he was able to ride on both worlds. Not exactly, as the gringo experience proved kind of confusing in what he found home. His younger brother had been killed and he had to find the authors and take revenge, actually killings looked very common, the brother's girlfriend, Guadelupe by name, was making ends meet as a prostitute at Café México, her son was rising up as a loose cannon, plus Benny was irresistibly attracted by Guadelupe (who was terribly hot, no question about). Was that the hell or what? A childhood friend helped him adjust. The hell was rather a paradise, provided you were in the gang of Don Reyes. El Infierno was El Paradiso, more exactly El Narco (that was the definition of paradise: being in the narcotic business). All you had to do was to execute the orders of Don Reyes (including to kill now and then), and you had plenty of money, plenty of drinks, a big car, any women you wanted, the order you had them was your choice. Wasn't that splendid? Everybody, the mayor, the police, the priest, all the others, were under the authority of Don Reyes. Well, it was also the rival gang, of Don Pancho, the two bosses were actually brothers, and the war between them had ups and downs, sometimes it was hot, with mutual killings and disfigurement of victims, some other times the war was put on hold. All this was keeping the men in that village very busy. The kids dreamed to enter one of the two gangs, as for the women and old men, it was another story, they weren't living in the paradise, rather in limbo, and sometimes they were unexpectedly shot for unknown reasons, because also the limbo had its rules.And pretty soon Benny found out that the paradise was just a stage to hell, nobody could remain in the cards for too long, for each one the bell was ringing and the turn was coming to be tortured, disfigured, then killed. Hell and paradise mocking each other, playing a common black farce, for what was life other than a black farce? The movie stirred extremely controversial reactions in Mexico, for obvious reasons. As the whole movie had not been enough, by the end Benny was shown coming to the Mexican Bicentennial celebration and killing everybody from the official tribune (Don Reyes surrounded by all authorities of the village). Thus many protested against El Infierno saying it was profoundly unjust and unfair to depict their country as a grotesque caricature. Luis Estrada (director, writer and producer) defended his movie, saying that, firstly, a caricature was just a caricature, secondly, a caricature was a very legitimate artistic approach, like all other legitimate artistic approaches, thirdly, he agreed that obviously not all Mexican society was made of drug dealers and corrupt politicians, while this Mexican society had to be aware about the serious problem of having so much criminality and corruption in their country, all these leading to the conclusion that a grotesque caricature was sometimes necessary for its cathartic effect.I'm just wondering how would I react against a movie depicting in this way my own country. Honestly I wouldn't take it easy at all, but my reaction against it would prove the power of the message. An artist has the duty to say the truth he believes in, with all risks, even with the risk of stirring ardent passions against him. Luis Estrada is politically intense and his movies cannot be but politically intense. His extreme sarcasm calls in mind the movies of Berlanga, and generally the Spanish and Hispanic-American movies are often very tough.I would add to all this that the value of a movie cannot stand only in what it speaks to its country; it should go beyond and transmit something universal. I think this is the case with El Infierno. It's the drama of returning to your home after many years and realizing that for everybody there you look like an ostrich joke, because that's what you are. It's the tragedy of having illusions till you realize that your life is just a black farce. It's a parable saying that our whole world became a hell in all respects.

whatalovelypark This makes movies like Scarface look second rate. It's well made and high quality. The subject matter is impressively dealt with, though there are no surprises for those that know the subject.The characters have real warmth, even though the events are presented in cold, brutal fashion.Most movies about the drug wars have a small Latino element. They assume the person watching has never heard of Mexico, they have clichéd characters and information overload so the movie-goer is 'educated'.The story packs in quite a lot, but in a relaxed style.It's probably one of the most believable gangster movies ever made. The characters are well developed. They never apologise for what they're doing, but they're aware of what they're doing.Worth watching before if you're about to snort cocaine. Just to see where your money goes.

carlsalf While watching El Infierno, and despite the fact that I was laughing out loud, I couldn't help to be really depressed. Here is a movie that depicts a reality that thousands of people live every day, towns that have been devastated by the drug cartels, corruption by the authorities of the highest rank and perhaps the fact most difficult to bear, that with drugs you can get rich and have sex and luxury, even if you have to sell your soul and life in the process. All the actors hit the right mark, specially Damian Alcazar (whom is Luis Estrada's muse, first appearing in the equally compelling and sarcastic "La Ley de Herodes") at the beginning as a naive assistant, and then as a ruthless assassin capable of anything but betray family. We Mexicans have the curious ability of laughing of ourselves and our misfortunes, but Estrada show us the limit. We know that this happens for real in practically all the northern states and even though, we can laugh and enjoy the sarcastic commentaries, the jokes at the expense of corrupt politics and even the depiction of a controlling wife and mother (that is a given in Mexico: matriarchy) This is not to say that I didn't like the movie, it is flawless, entertaining and very, very real. Every person in Mexico should watch this movie although it is a little violent.

sgbreton77 I just got back from watching this movie, and I feel like a just got a beating, unfortunately, it's a beating of reality, and it's not pretty.First of all, it's a raw human drama that grabs you right from the beginning and doesn't even let you breath right until the end. It pretty much portraits the dark side of the human soul: violence, corruption, greed, murder, revenge etc. everything under the sad reality of the narcos and drug trafficking in Mexico. It's interesting that you see this from the point of view of the narcos. And it even has the virtue of using some dark humor that doesn't make the viewing more comfortable. Script, production, cinematography and acting are wonderful, especially Joaquin Cosio, absolutely brilliant (no wonder why he was picked as one of Bond's villains in Quantum of solace). I found valuable the fact that it is a hard criticism to the government, the authorities, the police, the justice system, and not just the actual ones, but the ones we've had in the past 80 years, and that, in a way, it's a slap in the face to the celebration of the 200 years of independence. That said, it has to be understood that it reflects only a part of Mexico's reality, though it's a brutal one. Just like after watching City of God you can't assume that Brazil's whole reality are the favelas, the same way it'd be wrong to assume that Mexico is just narcos killing each other. Powerful and brutal, not an easy watch, but, in my opinion a must see for any movie fan.