Ernesto Gómez Cruz Movies

A priest discovers the path of virtue can be steep, and temptation can demand a heavy price, in this controversial drama from Mexico. Father Amaro (Gael Garcia Bernal) is a young Catholic priest whose mentor, the Bishop (Ernesto Gomez Cruz), expects great things from him. However, like all priests, Amaro must first be assigned where he is needed most, which leads him to the small rural community of Los Reyes, where Amaro is to assist Father Benito (Sancho Gracia). To his shock, Amaro discovers Benito is hardly following Holy Law -- he's having an affair with Sanjuanera (Angelica Aragon), a woman who runs a local restaurant, and he's been helping a drug dealer launder his profits in exchange for large donations to the church, which Benito feels is justified as the funds are being used to build a hospital and orphanage for the poor. Amaro is disgusted with Benito's actions, but he soon discovers his own weaknesses when he falls in love with Amelia (Ana Claudia Talancon), Sanjuanera's teenage daughter. As Amelia finds herself falling for Amaro, she breaks off her relationship with Ruben (Andres Montiel), a reporter. Ruben responds by publishing a story which reveals the details of Benito's dealings with the drug dealers; Benito in turn tries to lay the blame at the feet of noble Father Natalio (Damian Alcazar), whose work with local peasants has been wrongly interpreted as supporting armed revolutionary factions. As Amaro tries desperately to distance himself from the growing scandal, he receives shocking news from Amelia when he learns she's pregnant with his child. The Crime of Father Amaro's portrayal of corruption within the Catholic Church led to an outcry from Catholic organizations, both in Mexico and the United States, where they attempted to organize a boycott of the film. However, the tactic failed in Mexico, where the controversy helped to boost ticket sales, making it the highest-grossing Mexican film ever in its native country. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Luis Estrada directs this groundbreaking and extremely controversial satire about Mexico's long-ruling political party, the PRI. Set in the late 1940s in the remote, thoroughly backwards village of San Pedro de los Saguaros, the film focuses on Vargas (Damian Alcazar), a petty politician who had the dubious honor of being appointed town mayor after his predecessor was decapitated for corruption by an angry mob. At first, he tries to balance the books and to bring the 20th century to the backwaters. When he is visited by slick PRI politico Lopez (Pedro Armendariz), however, he learns the officially sanctioned way of running the town: at gunpoint while pilfering the bank vaults. Soon Vargas becomes a power-mad despot, more than willing to steal or kill to further his goals. Though his PRI bosses try to reign him in, the lynch mob soon appears to be the inevitable end of Vargas' political career. The first film to criticize the PRI by name, Estrada's bitter farce savages the ruling party, the church and U.S. intervention. Cult director Alex Cox plays a small role as a seedy gringo. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

This Mexican drama, set in 1941 just before the U.S. entered WW II, examines the lives of Communists who worked and spread propaganda in Mexico. Jose is an aspiring novelist and Communist living in Mexico. Raquel, a prostitute and waitress, lives with him. She loves him deeply. He carries a torch for Aurora whom he recently met while on an assignment. Trouble ensues when Raquel's ex-lover Nereidas breaks out of prison. The insanely jealous man believes she turned him into the authorities. Jose also has trouble as he has just been assigned to kill Aurora for betraying the Communist cause. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

An exotic dancer working in a rundown nightclub attempts to salvage her dignity before selling her soul in this Spanish-language drama starring Antonio Badu. Life in El Gato isn't easy for the downtrodden, and Leticia earns her keep by baring it all at the seediest gentleman's club around - the Tropical. As Leticia begins to take stock of her life and values, she soon determines to in order to maintain her sense of self worth she must turn her back on The Tropical and take to the streets in search of salvation. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Also known as Baroque, this Spanish-Cuban-Mexican film stars Francisco Rabal and Angela Molina. An exercise in allegory and symbolism, the film traces the history of Spain, from the days of the conquistadors onward. Somehow, all this logically concludes in a modern disco. Adapted from a novel by Alejo Carpenter Barroco is told in prismatic form without dialogue, a neat trick if you can pull it off -- which filmmaker Paul Leduc does, and with assurance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The mere fact of a marijuana plantation in the Mexican state of Chihuahua might not be enough to upset many, and many factors contribute to escalating lawlessness of the gangsters who cultivate and sell the drug. The plantation in question was much too large for the Mexican authorities to ignore even if they wanted to, and in 1984 it was raided. What they discovered there was much more chilling than fields of the illegal herb and a bunch of gangsters: nearly five thousand poor persons worked there as slave laborers, after having been lured to the plantation with promises of high wages for picking apples. This is one of two docudramas which were made about the incident. The story concerns a man whose efforts to support his family through working illegally in the U.S. were thwarted by thieves who stole his mail. When he discovers this after being deported, he responds to the promise of high wages for apple-picking and winds up being a slave laborer. In addition to the dramatic reenactment of events, this docudrama also includes footage of the actual raid on the plantation and interviews with survivors, which the actors then comment on. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Dull-witted Mexican peasant Ernesto Gomez Cruz comes into possession of a rooster severely injured in a cockfight. He restores the bird's health and wins several bouts, then runs afoul of gambler Alejandro Parodi, who has the rooster's ribs cracked so it can never win again. Taking Cruz under his wing, the gambler teaches the peasant how to be tops in the speculating field. In the company of Parodi's girlfriend Blanca Guerra, who functions as a human good-luck charm, Cruz becomes successful, but Guerra tires of living in Cruz's shadow and kills herself. More than a little influenced by Luis Bunuel, the Mexican Realm of Fortune (El Imperio De La Fortuna) won several awards in its country of origin, though it has only fitfully seen the light of day in the US. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In yet another slick, formulaic Charles Bronson vengeance film (they would continue until the actor was in his mid-70s, still playing the morally insulted friend/husband/lover), Bronson is Holland, an assassin for hire who has just come out of retirement to finish off a Guatemalan thug by the name of Moloch (Joseph Maher). Moloch tortures and terrorizes the good guys and is protected by a misguided American government agency -- though nothing can stop Holland once he starts killing his way to the chief villain. No one except the wife of one of Moloch's victims -- and perhaps a few viewers now and again -- raises any questions about Holland's trail of corpses. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

El Norte is a realistic picture of both the Guatemalan government's oppression of the Quiche Indians and the hard life of illegal immigrants in the United States. After the Guatemalan army destroys their village of San Pedro, two teenage Quiche Mayan Indian siblings journey north (hence El Norte) through Mexico to the United States to start a new life. The film opens with the destruction of the village and the peasants' pointless appeals to the authorities for justice. Realizing that the government is seizing their land, Enrique and Rosa make the difficult decision to leave their people behind. As they journey through Mexico, the siblings encounter a number of helpful individuals who direct them towards the U.S./Mexican border. There they find a "coyote" (a professional human smuggler) and make the frightening run across border. Once across, Enrique and Rosa are introduced to the impossible realities of life as an illegal immigrant in Los Angeles. Living in constant fear of deportation, they struggle to survive as they are exploited by a series of employers. Eventually, their luck takes a turn for the better when the manager of their motel offers Enrique a job. ~ Brian Whitener, All Movie Guide