Movie and Television Reviews

A heist movie with a heart of gold, Ladron que roba a ladron (Thief Who Steals From a Thief [you don't capitalize every word in a Spanish title]) doesn't disappoint as either entertainment or as social commentary.

In LQRL, a group of thieves attempt to rob a crooked infomercial/ snake oil-salesman called Moctesuma 'Mocte' Valdez (Saúl Lisazo) who lines his safe with the hopes of the primarily immigrant poor.

In every heist or spy film, the intricacy of the job, it's precision execution, and the “close calls” form the foundation of the plot and LQRL does a good job laying it down. The scam is just complicated enough to tweak our intellect yet not overly convoluted (reference points include Oceans 11 and Sneakers). The heist is to take place during a party in honor of Valdez having received a “empresario del ano” (businessman of the year) award. Naturally, getting on the estate is the primary consideration as is preparing the battlefield with tunnels and distractions (a fight and and Rafaela's dress). Two code cards must be retrieved as well.

Follow up:

Of the individual stones in the foundation, the scenes involving digging a hole under the ground are good as are the ones with a nanny. The service worker infiltration is pretty standard, but the union uprising is generally weak, with its purpose hazy until redeemed by its conclusion. The overt intrusion of Valdez' mansion by former partner-in-crime and thief leader Emilio Lopez (Migues Varoni) is effective in that it develops the characters of Lopez and Valdez, justifies the motivation for the theft, and gives the movie some needed tension. The audience-fooling surprise is well-done.

Though solid and well-paced with only brief moments of attention drift, some of the plot details don't quite pass the reality test. Valdez is supposed to keep his money in a safe because of an Argentinian bank collapse. He's never heard of the F.D.I.C.? Stocks? The union strike involves too few workers and the corporation hires the replacements too quickly and gives them, unbelievably, access to a huge corporate building the same hour they're hired. I'd think a corporation would be a little more careful than that if they didn't already subcontract. But, for the most part, these details won't intrude on a good time unless you let them and may even lead to a better time if you point them out to an easily impressed date.

The second most important element in an ensemble/gang/motley crew film are, of course, the characters. Assembled from real, "civilian" immigrants instead of professional theives, we have a wealth of personality in LQRL starting with the target of the theft himself, Valdez. He's a heel and honor-less thief extraordinaire who changes his Italian-Argentinian name to fool the mostly immigrant Mexican community into thinking he's "one of them." He plays a good one-dimensional heavy and the audience doesn't feel any sympathy for him at all.

The leaders of the heist, Toledo and Lopez, are cool in a George Clooney kind of way. Tomboyish Rafaela (Ivonne Montero) almost overacts, but ends up with some funny scenes. Hunk Anival Cano (Gabriel Soto) is underdeveloped (as a character, I mean. He seems to spend a lot of time working out). Cuban actor Miguelito, Oscar Torres, presents us with an interesting on-off actor who's either overly loquacious or paralyzed by stage fright. The requisite computer nerd's distinguishing feature is his stutter.

Everything unfolds well and I found the ending especially touching and even uplifting.

For those involved in Hispanic culture in some way, LQRL will treat you to some very funny inside jokes and observations. Rafaela uses many low-class Mexican phrases like “buey” and telenovela (Mexican Soap Operas) star Miguel Varoni, through his character, Lopez, deprecates his whole career by stating, dismissively, “yo no miro telenovelas.” The way in which Hispanics always ask each other where they're from is shown in a conversation between Miguelito and a booth guard. LQRL hints at the rift between Argentinians and non-white Latinos. The central reflection, however, is pointing out the seemingly unregulated scams that one can see on Spanish TV. Of course, Hispanics will be thrilled by seeing their favorite Mexican stars in a quality big-screen setting, and some non-Latinos will be surprised by the existence of blond Hispanics.

Message-Politics:

The movie promotes itself as a commentary on the present illegal-alien crisis. Although this ploy has indeed caused a mass-swooning amongst liberal film critics (any newspaper will do), LQRL is no such thing. The story is much larger than one situation in one community. LQRL is about honesty, justice, and wanting to help those in need; and the movie's noble Robin Hood-like thieves pound this point home in the emotional ending. It's also about people not being able to conform themselves to fate; and the line between hope and constructive action on one side and wasted energy sparked by desperation on the other. Can't those standards be applied to all people? Even rich people?

The movie does mention the illegal alien situation, but it seems out of place and forced. One joke, where Miranda, the computer nerd, says, “this is America, speak Spanish” mimics a ten year old Paul Rodriguez joke (although Carlos Mencia may have used it as well) and deservedly falls flat. Other provocations include the racist statement by Lopez and Toledo that they don't rob from their race (it's OK to rob from others?) and some insensitive comments by a security guard (who cares?). The movie wouldn't have lost any of its impact had the whole subject been dropped entirely, but could have been ruined if they had added a little more immigration commentary red meat like those in the movie Crash.

One of the hidden points made by LQRL is that most people are taken advantage of and hurt by those of their own race and that we should then divide people by their level of morality and not by "nuesta gente" and "los otros."

Crash (Widescreen Edition)

Sneakers (Collector's Edition)

The Ocean's 11 Story

Directed by
Joe Menendez

Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
JoJo Henrickson

Cast (in credits order)
Fernando Colunga ... Alejandro Toledo
Miguel Varoni ... Emilio Lopez
Saúl Lisazo ... Moctesuma 'Mocte' Valdez
Ivonne Montero ... Rafaela

Oscar Torres ... Miguelito (as Oscar Torre)

Ruben Garfias ... Rafa
Gabriel Soto ... Anival Cano

Julie Gonzalo ... Gloria
JoJo Henrickson ... Julio Miranda
Sonya Smith ... Veronica Valdez

Richard Azurdia ... Primitivo
Jon Molerio ... Booth Guard
Eduardo Antonio Garcia ... Sergio, Mocte's Bodyguard

Rick Najera ... Building Guard #1

Lidia Pires ... Blanca

Roberto Medina ... Chava
Silvia Curiel ... Maria

Art Bonilla ... Coyote
Elan Garfias ... Claudito

James Charles Leary ... Building Manager

Manolo Travieso ... Dr. Antonio Panaco

Ross Gibby ... Detective
James M. McNamara ... Father O'Malley

Jossara Jinaro ... Reporter
Pedro Pano ... Testimonial #1

Minerva García ... Testimonial #2

Iglesias Estefania ... Hot Babe #1

Jonathon Downs ... Upscale Party Guest

Chase McKenna ... Hot Babe #2

Robert Arevalo ... Mayor's Bodyguard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

George Boyd ... Catarino

Tim Camarillo ... Valet
Galo Make Canote ... Protestor

C-Sharp ... Upscale Party Guest

Rico Devereaux ... Businessman
Roberto Flores ... Pelocine

J. Teddy Garces ... Building Guard #2
Nickolas Ray Hernandez ... Striking Worker

Rob Macie ... Immigrant

Joe Menendez ... Camerman

Daniel Edward Mora ... Alfonso Galan (scenes deleted)
Rosalinda Morales ... Overweight Woman
Eve Muller ... La Doña Catarino
Joe Orrego ... Vault Guard #2

Paul Renteria ... Vault Guard #1

Robyn Sheridan ... Party guest

Gary Stella ... Man in Pelocine commercial

Ray Torres ... Unkempt Man

Produced by
Roni Eguia Menendez .... producer
James M. McNamara .... producer
Ben Odell .... producer
Meta Valentic .... co-producer

Original Music by
Andrés Levin

Cinematography by
Adam Silver

Film Editing by
Joe Menendez

Casting by
Rosalinda Morales
Michelle Moran

Production Design by
Christopher Tandon

Art Direction by
Adam Mull

Set Decoration by
Lisa Fischer

Costume Design by
Elaine Montalvo

Makeup Department
Elvia Romero .... key makeup artist

Production Management
Roni Eguia Menendez .... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jenny Nolan .... second assistant director
Gary Stella .... first assistant director

Art Department
Laura Diamond .... property master
Michael Francisco .... assistant property master
Sasha Freedman .... assistant art director
Gerard Marin .... lead man