Christopher Zalla, a graduate of the film program at Columbia University, makes an impressive debut with this suspense feature about illegal immigrants and stolen identity.
Sangre de Mi Sangre (2008)
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Reviews Counted:13
Fresh:12
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: This suspenseful Mexican drama portrays the immigrant experience with grit and poignancy.
Theatrical Release:2007
Synopsis: Winner of the 2008 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, SANGRE DE MI SANGRE is a dark, intense thriller from director Christopher Zalla. It's the story of two young Mexican men, Pedro (Jorge Adrian... Winner of the 2008 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, SANGRE DE MI SANGRE is a dark, intense thriller from director Christopher Zalla. It's the story of two young Mexican men, Pedro (Jorge Adrian Espindola) and Juan (Armando Hernandez), who meet while making an illegal crossing from Mexico to Manhattan, crammed into the back of a truck. Pedro reveals to Juan his plan to find his long lost father at an old address that was given to him by his mother. Juan, a born hustler, absorbs Pedro's story and pretends to befriend him, but at the end of their journey he knocks him out and steals his belongings. When Pedro comes to, he finds himself alone and penniless on a dark corner in Brooklyn. He wanders the streets and meets Magda (Paola Mendoza), a Spanish-speaking prostitute. Unable to speak English, Pedro enlists her help navigating the city and finding his father. But Juan has already located Pedro's father, and assumed Pedro's identity. Pedro's father Diego (Jesus Ochoa) initially dismisses Juan's story, but Juan dogs his every step, and eventually begins to charm him. The suspense builds as Pedro continues to thread his way through New York's underbelly, slowly closing in on Juan, leading to the film's explosive and surprising end. SANGRE DE MI SANGRE crafts a sharp, relentlessly grim portrait of life for an illegal immigrant, and throws a spotlight onto a people who are generally hidden from society's view. While it offers a heartbreaking look at the plight of immigrants, the story itself contains some rather frustrating plot inconsistencies, and some graphic depictions of sex and violence. However, that aside, most viewers will likely still find themselves biting their nails, caught up in the suspense of this raw and original film. [More]
Starring: Armando Hernandez, Jorge Adrian Espinolda, Paola Mendoza, Jesus Ochoa
Starring: Armando Hernandez, Jorge Adrian Espinolda, Paola Mendoza, Jesus Ochoa
Director: Christopher Zalla
Director: Christopher Zalla
Producer: Benjamin Odell, Per Melita
Composer: Brian Cullman
Studio: IFC Films
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Release:
Dec 16, 2008
Reviews for Sangre de Mi Sangre
[Director Christopher] Zalla may have provided his characters with a overly constructed tragedy, but his eye for city life and his seeming gift with actors promises astute, generous work to come.
Stumbles through a maddening screenplay but nevertheless generates true emotional energy.
[Director Christopher] Zalla keeps the tension high through a taut story rather than through manipulative, obtrusive thriller direction.
Plot flaws and all, we can be glad that the picture was made -- because of its acting.
Shot mainly in New York's meanest, murkiest streets, Sangre de Mi Sangre, is intricately and imaginatively structured, building to a powerful climax of complex irony.
A suspenseful movie with no intention of sugarcoating the daily hardships of New York's underclass.
The grimy elegance of this Sundance award winner elevates it well above the standard-issue immigrant drama.
Although it exhibits a heartfelt connection with the city's half-invisible population of illegal immigrants, its myriad inconsistencies and strained plotting are increasingly frustrating.
Sangre de Mi Sangre stacks up as an original achievement in its own chosen genre, that of the troubled immigrant in a land of advertised promise, who too often is inflicted with pain and exploitation.
The result is contrived, but compelling -- as is the movie's high-powered humanism.
In Sangre de mi Sangre, Christopher Zalla serves up an old-fashioned, sentimental weeper with a sucker punch of urban-immigrant horror.
[Jesus] Ochoa is such a masterful actor that he makes things fairly interesting despite the script, with Hernandez and Espindola well-cast as two young men operating by different moral compasses.
Latest News for Sangre de Mi Sangre
May 11, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
More...
January 28, 2007:
Sundance Awards: "Padre Nuestro," "Grace is Gone" Among Competition Winners
Results are in for this year's Sundance festival winners, including awards for John Cusack's "Grace is Gone," Christopher Zalla's "Padre Nuestro," NASA... More...
January 28, 2007:
Sundance Reviews: "Padre Nuestro," "Blame It On Fidel," and "Waitress" All Superb
Short reviews for three of the better films we saw at Sundance (the strongly acted Spanish language thriller "Padre Nuestro," French 1970s-set kid drama "Blame it... More...
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