I definitely wasn't sure where this was going at the beginning, especially giving some gratuitous porn at the films opening. But soon enough we get an idea that we are aboard a Mexican film noir train transposed to Barcelona, all the better to reflect on the continuing legacy of post colonialism. The film has a lot to say but does it by telling the story of the hapless hero sucked into a ruthless world of organised crime, an insidious aspect of modern Mexico and from which there is no escape. I liked the way the film stays small and personal to tell a bigger story. The acting is great and the direction is steadied and assured.
