South of the Border Dystopia

I watched a Mexican film tonight, selected almost randomly, mostly for the Spanish practice. What I saw was perhaps the best science fiction film of this generation. I felt the same about it as I did when I saw TXH1138 (George Lucas' first feature film) around 1971. They are both brilliantly original dystopian visions incorporating various ominous features of contemporary life bitterly realized into cautionary tales, and with cathartic outcomes where the human spirit prevails (at least to some degree) over dark forces of inhumanity.

   

 Sleep Dealer
(Traficante De Sueños)

I felt there was not a false moment, and there were innumerable wonderful small elements, as in TXH1138, that left me filled with admiration for the film-making team and wonder at the authenticity of the story.  I know from a number of Mexico visits that the settings, situations, and characters there were in perfect fidelity for what they purported to represent.  Where there were stylized future evolutionary representations of culture, they were equally believable and appropriate.

There are very few films I can actually use the term spellbinding to describe, but for me this is one...