After the controversial flop "Walker," Alex Cox's career in Hollywood was finished. Four years passed before the British writer/director landed another feature, and he had to truck down to Mexico to shoot it -- with a slim budget and a cast whose biggest box-office draw was (drumroll, please) Pedro Armendáriz
Jr. No wonder the resulting film was barely distributed.Given its handicaps, "Highway Patrolman" is surprisingly first-rate. Cox's usual pop-culture satire is absent (he didn't write the screenplay), but it's not missed in this raw, realistic look at a young border officer negotiating a seedy world of drugs, swapped favors and double standards. The plot is largely episodic, and the story's lack of dramatic shape will be frustrating if you expect another action-packed "cop film."The story opens with proud Pedro Rojas (Roberto Sosa, oddly petite and cast against type) graduating from the academy, saluting his superiors with an unusual fist-to-chest gesture. But even as he's leaving, the system flashes its corruption: The new officers are drilled to stop a car first, and find a reason later. And from Pedro's initial traffic stop (where a woman cries to avoid a ticket), his principles begin to slip. Soon he's downing tequila, taking bribes, pocketing evidence and regularly visiting a prostitute, all while in uniform. He flags a truck that is illegally transporting workers, and ends up marrying the driver.When officer-related violence hits him on a personal level, he cleans up his priorities and launches a crusade for justice. But even there, he defies protocol."Highway Patrolman"'s imagery is exquisite -- Cox's passion for spaghetti Westerns is unmistakeable amidst the yellow dust, desert brush, lonely roads, intriguing rock formations and decrepit villages. There's also a remarkable footbridge to enjoy. The landscapes do a nice job of compensating for the low production values, though there is one pitiful car mishap where you can practically see the explosive charges go off.Inspired catchphrase: "Buy our iguanas!"
March 17, 2008
