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Crónicas (2004)

Crónicas (2004)
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A man with a secret forms an uneasy alliance with an opportunistic reporter in this drama from Mexico. Manolo Bonilla (John Leguizamo) is a broadcast journalist for a Latin-American tabloid television series who has been sent to Ecuador to cover the funeral services of three children who fell victim to a mass murderer known as "the Monster of Babahoyo." Shortly after Bonilla finishes interviewing a young mourner, the child is struck by a car driven by Vinicio Cepeda (Damián Alcázar), a traveling salesman who pedals bibles. The crowd assembled to pay their respects flies into a rage, pulling Cepeda from his car and nearly killing him. Bonilla's intervention ends up saving Cepeda's life, but the reporter is ashamed to admit that he and his cameraman didn't break through the crowd to save the driver, but in hopes of getting a better shot of those beating him. Cepeda is jailed for manslaughter, and when Bonilla visits him behind bars, he shares some unexpected news with the reporter -- he claims to know the identity of "the Monster of Babahoyo," and also knows where the killer has buried other victims. Cepeda is willing to share this information if Bonilla can help get him out of jail, but instead of handing the information to the police, Bonilla decides to investigate himself, certain that another scoop on the case will boost his ratings and his career. Crónicas was screened as part of the "Un Certain Regard" series at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
John Leguizamo, Leonor Watling, (more)
Director(s):
Sebastian Cordero
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Crónicas

A man with a secret forms an uneasy alliance with an opportunistic reporter in this drama from Mexico. Manolo Bonilla (John Leguizamo) is a broadcast journalist for a Latin-American tabloid television series who has been sent to Ecuador to cover the funeral services of three children who fell victim to a mass murderer known as "the Monster of Babahoyo." Shortly after Bonilla finishes interviewing a young mourner, the child is struck by a car driven by Vinicio Cepeda (Damián Alcázar), a traveling salesman who pedals bibles. The crowd assembled to pay their respects flies into a rage, pulling Cepeda from his car and nearly killing him. Bonilla's intervention ends up saving Cepeda's life, but the reporter is ashamed to admit that he and his cameraman didn't break through the crowd to save the driver, but in hopes of getting a better shot of those beating him. Cepeda is jailed for manslaughter, and when Bonilla visits him behind bars, he shares some unexpected news with the reporter -- he claims to know the identity of "the Monster of Babahoyo," and also knows where the killer has buried other victims. Cepeda is willing to share this information if Bonilla can help get him out of jail, but instead of handing the information to the police, Bonilla decides to investigate himself, certain that another scoop on the case will boost his ratings and his career. Crónicas was screened as part of the "Un Certain Regard" series at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
108 mins

Complete Cast of Crónicas


Director(s):
Sebastian Cordero
Writer(s):
Sebastian Cordero
Producer(s):
Guillermo del Toro, Jorge Vergara, Alfonso Cuarón
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Violence, Profanity, Sexual Situations)
Categories:
Mystery & Suspense
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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    Jose L.

    This movie could have been a great movie had it hashed out its ending better. In any event, this movie gives an excellent, real-life portrayal of a serial killer. Unlike Hannibal the Cannibal, who is portrayed as some super human, the suspect here is shown as a person who can be any person. Yet he fits the profile perfectly of a person who could do what he is being suspected of doing. His (Vinicio) charimsa makes you doubt what is obvious. Very good acting. But as I mentioned, the ending is contrived, even though it is not your typical Hollywood ending. The problem is that there is an easy solution: drop the dime anonymously. Manolo could have easily done this, but instead the movie focuses on the moralistic message of how the media is sometimes just as bad as the monsters they portray. Thumbs up, especially if you are into forensic psychology because this movie is the best dramatization I have seen dealing with the topic matter.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Mariselle G.

    This movie moved me. It was so deep and interesting that anyone who would pass by the living room had to sit down and watch it. Most see movie!!!

    Yes   |   No

     
    Frank C.

    On the cover of this DVD two renowned reviewers state "A Shocking Thriller!" and "Two Thumbs Up!" It's not shocking. There is not a sliver of doubt as to who the villain is from the very beginning of the film. How can anyone give two thumbs up to a movie with an assembly-line plot like this one? I was waiting for a twist, and there were plenty of openings for one, but the word here is OBVIOUS. The ending was absolutely HO-HUM (yawn) and anti-climactic. The plot is a string of missed opportunities---this flick could have been something good, or even great. And the Language is listed as English, Spanish. That is misleading. There were about six short English spoken sentences in the entire movie. If you do not speak Spanish, you will spend the entire 90 minutes reading the English subtitles.

    Yes   |   No

     
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