Jorge Zárate Movies

Three teenagers are wary about holding up a rather disturbing family tradition in this unusual blend of horror, suspense, and family drama. Alfredo (Francisco Barreiro), Julian (Alan Chávez), and Sabina (Paulina Gaitan) live with their father (Humberto Yáñez) and mother (Carmen Beato) in a run-down section of Mexico City. When father dies unexpectedly during a visit to a shopping mall, it throws the family into chaos, but not just for the usual reasons. The family has an unusual custom in which father would capture a stranger and bring them home, after which the family would kill the stranger in an elaborate ritual and then eat their flesh. With father gone, mother insists that it's time the children stepped up and took over the rite, but Alfredo is too timid to find a proper victim, Julian is bold but too clumsy, and Sabina is thought to be poorly suited for what's always been a man's job. As the brothers try to learn to do things the way dad once did, a police detective (Jorge Zárate) is trying to get to the bottom of a long string of disappearances in the area. The first feature film from writer and director Jorge Michel Grau, Somos Lo Que Hay (aka We Are What We Are) was also one of the final films for Alan Chávez, who played Julian; he died in September 2009 at the age of 18 when an argument with friends led to gunfire. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A simple homeless man in search of a warm place to sleep is exploited by politicians eager to prove that poverty in Mexico has been eradicated in Herod's Law director Luis Estrada's caustic satire concerning the effect of globalization on Mexican citizens. A press conference has been held to proclaim that there are no more poor people in Mexico, but homeless Juan Pérez (Herod's Law star Damián Alcázar) still can't seem to find a place to rest his weary head. After wandering into the World Financial Center headquarters and ending up on an elevated window ledge, Juan awakens to find that the public and press assume he is making a political statement against the powerful institution's neo-liberal stance. As Juan is swept up by the political machine that remains unwilling to admit their claims of conquering poverty may have been made in haste, the wandering tramp is given a spotless home in the suburbs and thrust into the international spotlight. But fame is a fickle thing in the 21st century, and rising to the top only means that one has farther to fall when the next media distraction takes center stage. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A pair of e-mailing lovers discover romance is more difficult in the real world than in cyberspace, especially when a highly unexpected rivalry comes into the picture in this understated comedy drama. Norman (Noël Burton) is a middle-aged college professor from Montreal who, through an on-line dating service, has been corresponding with Gladys (Vanessa Bauche), an attractive younger woman from Mexico. Emboldened by the dating service's prediction that their relationship has a 61 percent chance of lasting, Norman flies to Mexico to ask for Gladys' hand in marriage. Gladys accepts, but only under the condition that her mother, Fernanda (Susana Salazar), can join them in Canada. Norman agrees, but it isn't long before both Norman and Gladys discover the chemistry they enjoyed through the mail doesn't work nearly as well in person. Gladys wonders aloud if Norman actually wrote his own letters, and Norman starts to suspect his new bride is more interested in a green card than in him. Matters become all the more difficult when Norman finds himself becoming infatuated with Fernanda, who is not much older than he is and quite attractive for her age. A Silent Love was the first feature film from director Federico Hidalgo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Paulina Robles, his spouse. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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, Rovi

Combining digital video technology with stylized computer-generated imagery, this film takes a decidedly unusual approach as it combines three short stories involving one Pachito Rex (Jorge Zarate), a former pop music star who became a powerful political figure before being assassinated somewhere in South America. Or was he? In the first segment, we follow Sobrino (Ernesto Gomez Cruz) as he is released from jail after being accused of killing Pachito. In the second story, Pachito's body has gone missing, and Estrada (Pedro Altamirano), a police detective, is given the assignment of finding out what has happened to the great man's remains. And finally, Abel (Damian Alcazar) is a noted architect who is hired to design a memorial to Pachito, which brings him both good fortune and bad. Combining bizarre humor and purposefully unrealistic visual design, Pachito Rex: Me Voy Pero No Del Todo was produced through the auspices of the Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica, a film education center operated by the Mexican government. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

James Caan stars in this made-for-cable Western as John Flinders, a former outlaw who by the year 1910 has settled down as the warden of Arizona's Red Rock Prison. Priding himself on his fair and humane treatment of his prisoners, Flinders finds his values -- and his loyalties -- sorely tested upon the arrival of convicted murderer Mike Sullivan, who happens to be John's old saddle pal from his wilder days. As Flinders resists Sullivan's never-ending efforts to escape, he also embarks upon a romance with the widow of executed convict Carl McVale. Executive producer Brian Dennehy appears in a small but significant role. Warden of Red Rock made its Showtime network premiere on March 18, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi