First time they got it right in a long time.
Funny how things work. We’ve been watching The Bridge, starring Diane Kruger as a high-functioning autistic detective from El Paso trying to solve a serial killer case that originates in Juarez, Mexico. Like The Killing, the inspiration for the series is Scandinavian, which means it’s dark, slow, and indirect. Also like The Killing, the partner protagonists are mismatched. Kruger is punctilious about the law and (grossly) inept in all her social interactions. Her partner is a personable ladies man from Juarez who is a good cop but corrupt (only to a point) in both his personal and professional life.
So my wife and I were both wondering about Diane Kruger because of what can be termed “The Rain Man Effect.” You know. Dustin Hoffman wins an Oscar for Midnight Cowboy because of all the nervous tics and limps and other stylized crap that screams Academy Award. Just like his turn with Tom Cruise in Rain Man. The missus asked me, “Can Diane Kruger really act, or is she just parading eccentric mannerisms in hopes of an acting award?”
Why I watched a Netflix flick called “Inhale.” Starring Diane Kruger and Dermot Mulroney. Imagine my surprise to discover that most of the action takes place in, ta da, Juarez, Mexico.
Every bit as Scandy dark as The Bridge, but with a difference. This time it’s not dark for the sake of dark but for a deeply moral purpose and theme I haven’t seen expressed on film in, well, years.
I won’t tell you much more because I don’t want to spoil your experience. It’s about fathers and mothers and children. Throughout, it seems like a deepening downward spiral. But watch it anyway and stay with it.
If you want to comment afterwards, just be sure to label whether your comments contain spoilers or not. Everyone in the U.S. today should see this movie.
btw, Diane Kruger can act. But Dermot Mulroney does all the heavy lifting…
What a great teaser without giving anything away.
Sounds good. Probably difficult to watch, but good. I’ll check it out.
Definitely leading my list. We’re finally home, and I finished unloading the car about 10 minutes ago. Not sure if this is perfect for decompressing tonight, but I’ll talk to Mrs. Lake and make it a priority.
Thank you for the effort to stay spoiler-free. You piqued my interest for sure.
[spoilers follow]
Good movie. I’ve known for a while that slavery was still going on in the world. Did not know about the organs. The video game Max Payne 3 (yeah, my dog’s namesake — but Max Payne is a stand-up guy when he’s not falling-down drunk) brings Brazilian organ harvesting into the story. But it’s one of the weaker elements, one I assumed was just there to add some frisson and provide an extra reason to kill one of the bad guys.
I’ve heard the tales of people waking up in tubs full of ice without a kidney, and also heard that was an urban legend. But, assuming the movie’s ending statistics are true, there’s some widespread evil going on. Not that I ever assumed otherwise. Just didn’t have the imagination for all its flavors. I’ll research that tonight.
And then, four days from now, if the TSA lets me through, I’ll be in Mexico.
I’ve known several detectives, but the smartest of the bunch told me something I’ve never forgotten, that real dicks are never misanthropic loners like in the movies (and books), that you have to essentially be a politician to get info out of people, and being social is a large part of the job.
I haven’t seen either of the movies you mentioned, but my interest is piqued and I’ll add them to me Netflix queue. Something you should see if you haven’t is “The Ice Harvest” with Oliver Platt, John Cusack, and Billy Bob Thornton. Ultra dark noir, and it plays like a companion piece to Ramis’s other movie “Groundhog Day.”
I don’t think the nightmare of Juarez has ever been done true justice on celluloid yet. When I was stationed at Bliss, I used to hop across the border all the time, even though it was illegal under UCMJ. I would rather live in Baghdad than Juarez. See “El Infierno” if you haven’t. It’s a morality tale and a half, a Mexican movie so good that I didn’t even realize I was reading subtitles as I watched it.
Both “Ice Harvest” and “El Infierno” are on Netflix.
Thanks for the tip, Joe. Added both to my queue.