Jesse Borrego Movies

An outwardly ordinary criminal proves himself to be a truly exceptional convict when, after being handed a fifty year prison sentence and finding himself unable to afford a lawyer, he studied law from his cell and filed his own appeal pro se. The year was 1960, and Fred Cruz was a Mexican-American from racially segregated San Antonio. Arrested for a robbery he denied committing, convicted of the crime, and sent to a state prison farm to pick cotton, the inmate with only an eighth grade education read every law book he could get his hands on in order to file his own appeal. The resulting legal battle would secure the constitutional rights of Texas inmates for decades to come, but his journey was a grueling one. After filing lawsuits against the prison system due to the relentless field labor, harsh corporal punishments, and arbitrary disciplinary hearings experienced by himself and his fellow prisoners, Cruz was branded an agitator and transferred to the maximum security Ellis Unit, also known as the "Alcatraz of Texas." The punishment he endured there was nearly unbearable: not only was Cruz subjected to extended periods in solitary confinement, but he was forced to get by on a threadbare diet of bread and water. Incredibly, despite the isolation and confiscation of his legal papers, Cruz was still able to assist his fellow prisoners with their own lawsuits - the situation coming to blows when, in 1968, a Muslim inmate claiming civil rights violations was caught with legal papers prepared by Cruz. In this documentary, the wardens, convicts, and former prisoners who were closes to Cruz during this period offer their impressions of the man who took his fate into his own hands while standing up for the rights of prisoners everywhere. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

While Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and Ramon (Joaquim de Almeida) go after Nina (Sarah Clarke), Claudia (Vanessa Ferlito) helps Chase (James Badge Dale) escape. Chase manages to get away, and arranges for a Delta team to pick him up, but Claudia is shot as they drive off. When Amador (Greg Ellis) goes to get the virus for Nina, Jack makes his move, dispatching a couple of her men. But then he gets distracted, and Nina gets the jump on him. Jack desperately offers her a lot of money in hopes of convincing her not to kill him, but she can't believe he's betrayed his country. Back at CTU, Chappelle (Paul Schulze) catches Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) hiding an infant under her desk. He wants to send her home, but he can't because they're in the middle of a crisis. Alan (Albert Hall) uses his political influence to punish Palmer (Dennis Haysbert). After his offer to resign is refused, Wayne (D.B. Woodside) meets with Julia (Gina Torres) to try to convince her to help, but Palmer decides to fight back. "We have to lower ourselves to his level," he says. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) is battling heroin addiction after going undercover to bust Ramon Salazar (Joaquim de Almeida). Chase (James Badge Dale) is the only one who knows that Jack is going through withdrawal as CTU addresses the biological terror threat. Wayne (D.B. Woodside) tells Tony (Carlos Bernard) that the president will not give in to the terrorist demand to free Ramon, but promises that CTU will have all the resources they need. Wayne tells David (Dennis Haysbert) that he might be able to get a copy of their opponent's playbook for that night's debate. David rejects the offer, but Wayne does it anyway, and later tells David that the opposition intends to use some new information about Anne (Wendy Crewson) against him. Kim (Elisha Cuthbert), going against Chase's wishes, decides to tell Jack about their relationship. Jack later expresses his displeasure to Chase. Jack explains that the job has ruined every relationship he's ever had. Later, Jack sends the resentful Chase back to CTU to conduct a routine interrogation, in order to keep him out of harm's way. CTU discovers that the virus might be in powder form, which leads them to pursue Kyle Singer (Riley Smith), who has just returned to Los Angeles from Mexico with what he thinks is a bag of heroin. And, in a surprise twist, Hector Salazar (Vincent Laresca), running the operation from Mexico, and his brother have an inside link to CTU. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Efrain Gutierrez's Lowrider Weekend concerns a young man named Sonny who attempts to organize a lowrider show that features impressive cars and sexy women. As more and more people arrive, Sonny's life grows more and more complicated. The film takes place in San Quilmas. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Four blue collar Latino San Antonio restaurant workers become involved in a hunt for a mythical buried chest of silver coins with a startlingly tragic outcome. Jesse (Jesse Borrego), a dishwasher, is self-taught, intelligent, and very bitter; he's spent years putting together the pieces of the puzzle that lead to the hidden treasure of Jesus Gonzales, the Judas-like traitor who was paid to turn in Gregorio Cortez, a turn-of-the-century Mexican folk hero. Hard working cook Miguel (Jacob Vargas) is Jesse's happy-go-lucky cousin who is working on a graphic novel about Cortez, whom Miguel insists is an ancestor. Nena (Maria Candelaria) is a waitress on her way to graduate school when she discovers the plan to recover the silver, and she involves Carlos (Rick Delgado), a waiter who has had a falling out with Jesse. Somehow they have to get to the spot of the buried silver, which happens to be in the middle of a U.S. military base, and Jesse decides the best cover is during the annual Come and Take It Day celebration that commemorates the Cortez events. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi

Jesse Borrego and members of the Latin Hip-Hop crew DarkRoom Familia star in this hard-edged story of life in the barrio. Crooked, Sir Dyno and Drew are three friends from a Hispanic ghetto where crime runs rampant and life is cheap. Someone is murdering many of their friends from the neighborhood; they realize they can't fight the killers all by themselves, so they recruit a local "veterano" for help. Directors Jose Quiroz and Ed Quiroz also helmed DarkRoom Familia's previous direct-to-video release Penitentiary Chances. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Former war hero Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is sentenced to eight years in prison when he accidentally kills a man in a barroom brawl while defending his pregnant wife. When his release comes through, he's eager to see the daughter he's never met. However, Poe's original flight is delayed, so he's put aboard a flight transporting ten of the most dangerous men in the American penal system to a new high-security facility. One of the criminals, Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich), is a serial killer and insane genius who has hatched a diabolical plot: with the help of several other hoods, including Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames), Johnny 23 (Daniel Trejo), and Garland Greene (Steve Buscemi), Cyrus and his men will hijack the plane and fly to a neutral nation where they can live as free men. Poe finds himself stuck in the middle; he has to find a way to get home, keep himself alive, look after his cellmate Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson), who will die without proper medicine, and try to help the cops on the ground, including agent Vince Larkin (John Cusack). Producer Jerry Bruckheimer's first film after the death of his partner Don Simpson, Con Air shows he learned well how to assemble the formula all by himself, with plenty of action, stunts, and special effects and not a lot of story to get in the way. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This first episode of ER's fourth season originally aired live on September 25, 1997, with two separate telecasts for the East and West Coasts. A TV documentary crew follows Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) during a "typical" shift in the emergency room of Chicago's County General Hospital. Still not completely recovered from a brutal beating, Greene is none too happy about being a "TV star," sentiments shared by the ER's attending physician Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes), who regards the camera crew as an invasion of everyone's privacy. As it turns out, the documentary makers get more than they bargained for as they record for posterity a gang fight, an out-of-control patient, and a heart attack. In the midst of all this confusion, Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) arrives from England to witness American surgical procedures. The syndicated version of "Ambush" combines scenes from both the East and West Coast broadcasts, expunging a number of conspicuous continuity errors and an embarrassing moment in which a crucial prop is misplaced. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Farrah Fawcett delivers a dramatic tour de force in the title role of the made-for-TV Dalva. As a teenager, Dalva had fallen in love with Native American Duane Stonehorse (Jesse Borrego). Unbeknownst to her, Duane was her half brother -- a fact that came to light when she delivered Duane's baby. The child was forcibly taken from Dalva by the adoption authorities, whereupon Duane committed suicide. Thirty years later, Dalva returns to her home state of Nebraska, hoping to find her long-lost son. Impeding her progress is her growing relationship with dissolute historian Michael (Peter Coyote), whose latest book is based on Great Plains history as set down by Dalva's great grandfather, and another romance, this one with fiercely independent Native American Sam (Powers Boothe). Adapted from a novel by Jim Harrison, Dalva first aired March 3, 1996, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A Hispanic woman unexpectedly discovers a new outlook on life after taking a new job in this heartfelt, observant comedy-drama. Young Bronx mother Lisette (Lauren Velez) has enough to deal with without taking a job, as she is struggling to raise her three young children and keep her marriage to bicycle messenger Chino (Jon Seda) afloat. When Chino is jailed after committing a robbery, however, Lisette turns to the want ads to find a new source of income. Expecting a one-time modeling gig, she stumbles into a position as assistant to Stephen Price (Griffin Dunne), a white music executive handling Latino music. Lisette proves a natural at the job, finding a new sense of purpose and self-assurance. Unfortunately, Chino isn't particularly grateful for her efforts, especially after hearing a rumor that Lisette has been cheating on him with Stephen. Director Darnell Martin populates her debut film with a mosaic of colorful supporting characters, ranging from Lisette's transsexual brother (Jesse Borrego) to Chino's meddling mother (Rita Moreno). Though the film presents a relatively old-fashioned story of self-realization, the knowing presentation of a multi-racial Bronx neighborhood enhances its vital feel. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Neighborhood pride runs deep in Echo Park, so when two lifelong friends join the local gang as a matter of course, they're handed down gang names from the previous generation of homegirls. Unfortunately, Sad Girl (Angel Aviles) and Mousie (Seidy Lopez) don't remain friends for long. When Mousie withdraws into herself to cope with the responsibilities of young motherhood after bearing the child of her one true love, Ernesto (Jacob Vargas), Sad Girl and Ernesto turn to each other for comfort. Soon, Sad Girl herself ends up pregnant, and warm sisterhood cools to an icy feud. Ernesto starts dealing drugs to support his two young families -- and to outfit the gussied-up low rider that he hides from both of his unsuspecting girlfriends. The economic and romantic entanglements of these three characters serve as the entry point into this multifaceted exploration of L.A. street life, but Mi Vida Loca rapidly expands in scope to take in other characters, most of them female. Bleach-blond Whisper (Nelida Lopez), for instance, learns the drug-dealing ropes from Ernesto and considers crossing gender lines to open her own operation. The slightly older Giggles (Marlo Marron), however, refuses to fall into old dependencies and habits after being imprisoned for four years for a crime her boyfriend committed. Sad Girl's sister, La Blue Eyes (Magali Alvarado), the only character to choose college over gang life, chances upon a poem written by a prison inmate and becomes hopelessly smitten, abandoning her books for a passionate jailhouse correspondence. The focus of Mi Vida Loca shifts freely between these and several other characters, many of whom take turns providing narration and context. The director's daughter, Tiffany Anders, has a small role in the film alongside many real-life Echo Park denizens; several musicians and film directors also make cameos, among them Spike Jonze, Kurt Voss, Kid Frost, and the members of Los Lobos. Salma Hayek got her SAG card by playing a tiny role. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

The omnibus film New York Stories is the product of three powerhouse filmmakers. The film is divided into three stories, each exploring a different aspect of life in the Big Apple. Life Lessons, directed by Martin Scorcese, is a Dostoevsky-like tale of the rarefied Art World, with Nick Nolte as a self-indulgent abstractionist who loves Rosanna Arquette, but can't bring himself to lie to her about her negligible artistic talents. Life Without Zoe, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is more than a little reminiscent of Kay Thompson's Eloise stories, with 12-year-old Zoe (Heather McComb) running amok at the Sherry-Netherland hotel while her parents are embarked upon a world-girdling vacation. The last and is Woody Allen's Oedipus Wrecks, wherein a schnooky lawyer (guess who?) inadvertently "creates" the Jewish Mother From Hell: thanks to a misguided magic trick, Allen's mama (the incomparable Mae Questel) becomes a huge spectral vision on the New York skyline, telling everyone within earshot about her son's inadequacies. The cinematographer lineup on New York Stories includes Nestor Almendros, Vittorio Storaro and Sven Nykvist. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi