Bordertown
Lies. Corruption. Murder. One reporter will break the silence.
Since 1993, almost 400 women have been murdered in Juarez, Mexico, a factory town that is home to people who toil away at "maquiladoras" (border factories) making cheap consumer goods for the US market. Bordertown tells the story of Lauren Fredricks (Jennifer Lopez), an ambitious newspaper reporter, who has been sent to Juarez by her editor (Martin Sheen) to investigate what has happened to these hundreds of women and how the local police and authorities have been covering up the brutal rapes and murders. Lauren looks up her former colleague (and lover) Alfonso Diaz (Antonio Banderas), who now runs the local paper, and they soon uncover one of the hottest stories of the year when they come across the only known survivor of one of these mysterious attacks. The victim is reluctant to speak, but Lauren convinces her to break the silence; yet the real danger is not the murder, but the larger forces who don't want the story told.
Member Reviews
Good Movie With Important Message - c4th
Bordertown is a social comment movie worth seeing just for its message about the culture that NAFTA has created along the US-Mexico border. The movie focuses on a disturbing phenomena occurring in the two border cities, Juarez and Chihuahua. The growing awareness of this trend has led to the term femicide, used to describe similar occurrences in numerous impoverished centers around the world. Bordertown has much more to offer, however, than a social commentary. This movie will entertain you with moving drama, sinister suspense and acceptable helpings of dark symbolism rooted in Mexican folklore.
The story begins when a beautiful young investigative reporter is sent to Jaurez Mexico to write a story about the femicides at the same time a girl is brutally raped and left for dead. The suspense builds after the girl “crawls out of her own grave” and shows up at a small publishing place seeking help to find and expose her rapists. The reporter takes on the challenge of protecting the girl and solving the crime amidst violence, corruption, political and corporate manipulation.
Maya Zapata and Jennifer Lopez under the direction of Gregory Nava give exceptional portrayals of females from different worlds discovering a heart warming connection. A marvellous element contributing to this is the use of flashbacks observed while these two stroll in comforting embrace. It is only late in the movie when the true significance of these is subtly revealed as something surprisingly different from what we initially assume.
I do have to excuse the film for a couple of its scenes. The chase scene in the warehouse becomes almost laughable and a (sexy?) scene between Lopez and a factory owner seemed to belong in a different movie. However, these were easy to accept in an otherwise good thriller with such a strong and important message.The Truth Behind NAFTA - Stick
This is one of my favourite movies of the past year! I believe this movie went straight to dvd and I have no idea why it wasn't shown in major theaters across North America. Perhaps our governments don't want everyone to know exactly what the North American Free Trade Agreement has done to the low-income earners of Mexico and other countries. This movie opened my eyes and kudos to Jennifer Lopez, Martin Sheen, Antonio Banderas and director Gregory Nava for making such a brave and powerful film. Martin Sheen has the best line and it is one of my favourites of all time: "The days of investigative reporting are over, Lauren. The news isn't the news anymore; it's as dead as the typewriter I used to write it on. Corporate America is running the show now and their news agenda is Free Trade, Globalization and Entertainment. That's our glorious future." Also, make sure to watch the Special Features as there are a couple of documentary shorts that should not be missed.Unspeakable horrors brought to life in a memorable film - AvidOscarBee
Thanks to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), large corporations have set up 1,000 factories along the Mexican border which house thousands of women who work various shifts starting from 7:00 a.m. for 10 hours straight without sitting, making merchandise for sale in the U.S. This film focuses on Juarez, Mexico and border factories (bordertown), called "Maquiladoras" that produce a TV every 3 seconds and a computer every 7 seconds to be sold in the U.S. with no tariffs. These women make about $5 a day.
From 1993 to today, approximately 400 women have been murdered when they leave the factory taking a bus to get home. Many are beaten, raped and killed. About 700 are missing. One female victim whose strength and courage to stand up and fight back for the unspeakable atrosity done to her tries to seek justice. After her work shift ends, Eva (Maya Zapata) takes the bus home and is asked by the bus driver if he can make a stop for gas, she agrees. What happens next is unspeakable and she lives to tell it.
Enter Loren Adrian (Lopez), an American reporter working for the Chicago Sentinnel who wants a promotion to foreign correspondent. Her editor, Martin Sheen, asks her to go there, investigate and get the story. She starts to learn of the coverup by local police and the government who feel it is cheaper to let this happen, than to protect the workers.
Upon arrival, Loren looks up her former partner and boyfriend, Alfonso Diaz (Banderas), who now runs the local paper, Sol de Juarez. They discover the only survivor of one of these attacks, Eva, and decide to help her tell her story. Loren convinces her to share her story and promises to print it when she returns to Chicago. Due to politics, that changes. Loren begins taking pictures to track down the killers and Senora Casillas (Braga) helps her.
Two scenes are very dark and hard to see. One unecessary sex scene makes no sense but solid performances by all.
Member Reviews
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Good Movie With Important Message - c4th
Bordertown is a social comment movie worth seeing just for its message about the culture that NAFTA has created along the US-Mexico border. The movie focuses on a disturbing phenomena occurring in the two border cities, Juarez and Chihuahua. The growing ...The Truth Behind NAFTA - Stick
This is one of my favourite movies of the past year! I believe this movie went straight to dvd and I have no idea why it wasn't shown in major theaters across North America. Perhaps our governments don't want everyone to know exactly what the North American ...Unspeakable horrors brought to life in a memorable film - AvidOscarBee
Thanks to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), large corporations have set up 1,000 factories along the Mexican border which house thousands of women who work various shifts starting from 7:00 a.m. for 10 hours straight without sitting, making merchandise ...