Sin Nombre is a well-researched film examining issues of gang loyalty and culture. The film is set within a regional faction of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) which is a violent street gang with a strong presence in several Central American cities and the United States. The gang is known for their intimidating tattoos, which are often large, covering an entire back or even a gang members face. The fierce loyalty demanded by this gang provides an interesting backdrop for a redemption story.
El Casper (Edgar Flores) is a member of MS-13 in Honduras. His girlfriend (Karla Cecilia Alvarado) calls him by his given name "Willy." Casper is a hardened veteran of the gang. He has the scars to prove it. Knife wounds and bullet scars are a testament to his loyalty to his gang. Casper is ordered to bring his young friend Benito (Kristian Ferrer) into the gang, it seems that he has mixed feelings. Casper reluctantly delivers Benito, where he is "jumped in" and given the name "Smiley." Casper is ordered to take Smiley into the territory of a rival gang so he can kill a rival gang member as his final initiation. Casper show the first signs of his inner struggle when he visits his girlfriend instead of following orders. It is unclear whether Casper simply wanted to see his girlfriend, who he kept secret from the gang, or whether he might be also protecting his young friend.
When it is found out that Casper disobeyed an order, he and Smiley are both punished with thirteen seconds of gang brutality. Following the discipline, Casper's girlfriend shows up at their gathering spot. Her timing could not have been worse. She learns the brutal ways of the gang the hard way. Casper struggles with his situation but seems incapable of acting on it until something decent inside him finds it's way to the surface when a teenage girl, Sayra (Paulina Gaitan), is about to be raped by the gang leader. Casper signs his own death warrant by protecting the girl. He attempts to find his way to the United States Border, where he might have a chance to survive. On the train ride North, Casper is given a chance at redemption, which he ultimately embraces.
Director Cary Fukunaga wrote this touching story of survival, love and redemption. Although Sin Nombre doesn't tug at your heartstrings, the story has engaging, developed characters lack predictability. The dialogue was enriched by using actual gang-members to review the script and offer suggestions to keep the dialogue, hand gestures and gang-related activities close to the street. The added authenticity gave the film a scary realism that felt almost documentary at times. The story itself was nothing new, but it was delivered with a fresh coat of paint that made it worthwhile.
The majority of the film centers on Casper. Flores has a charm and quiet likability that made his character engaging and interesting. I wanted him to succeed and exorcise his demons. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. It was not intended to put a nice bow on things, but instead to examine the stark reality of the lifestyle. However, Flores took the role and owned it, developing a character that matters enough to make the ending more poignant. Benito plays a key role in the film, as Casper's young friend. Questions of loyalty, friendship and love are examined, making Ferrer's performance important to the story. The young actor made the transition from sweet kid to gangster with credibility. The relationship that develops between Sayra and Casper seems to be almost spiritual in some ways. The chemistry between the two did not have a sexual quality but more of a familial one. Gaitan provided an innocent quality that made the connection between the two seem likely. I thought all three of these actors provided key performances to bring this film together nicely.
Sin Nombre has two key elements that earned an R rating from the MPAA. There is a sex scene early in the film that briefly shows female breasts. The scene is not very long nor is it explicit. The greater element is the gang violence. I am not opposed to contextual violence like you find in war films. Even though gang violence falls into a similar realm, it is not the same. This film has a fairly graphic scene of a boy who is around ten years old getting brutally "jumped in" to a gang. The violence was disturbing, but still not out of context. In fact, it actually provides some context. There were two attempted rape scenes, some intense gun battles (also involving the ten year old) and two murders. Because of the intensity of the action, how close it hits to home for some and the age of the victims, I would strongly suggest parental guidance for younger viewers. I would probably stick around the teens as a base-line for this film. Run time is one hour, 36 minutes.
The pacing in Sin Nombre was pretty good, but the beginning confused me at times. Because I was not familiar with the different players...whose paths were intended to meet later in the film, I couldn't figure out if Fukunaga was using flashbacks or what. As the movie progressed, I was able to figure it out. But the beginning was a little bit sloppy. There were also a few minor glitches in continuity that bothered me a little bit. As an example, Casper slashes another character with a machete resulting in a decent amount of blood soaking his white t-shirt. It is raining, but blood doesn't necessarily wash out in the rain completely. In later scenes, the t-shirt shows no signs of blood stains. There were other small issues like that, which only slightly distracted me from the story.
I enjoyed Sin Nombre enough to highly recommend it...warts and all. The minor issues I found with the film were not enough to greatly affect my overall opinion, which was very favorable. The story is not original, but it is unique. Placing the story within this context and getting gang-members to break down the script to make it more legit added depth and realism to the story. I was impressed with the cinematic quality. I would highly recommend Sin Nombre, especially if you like good dramas with an indie-type ending. 7.5/10.
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