Justin Lerner’s portrayal of Cadejo Blanco feels like a thriller. After her sister disappears, a young Guatemalan woman goes undercover with a gang to look for her. But there’s very little thrill in this movie, and it’s a slow, all-too-easy progression through the world of Guatemalan gangsters. It’s beautifully shot and offers an authentic view of street life, but the characters’ journeys aren’t fully developed and the solutions feel inadequate.
The film begins in Guatemala City, where Sarita (Karen Martinez) is taken out clubbing for a night with her free-spirited sister Bea (Pamela Martinez), who has ulterior motives for meeting her boyfriend, Andrés (Rudy Rodriguez). starting from where. . Sarita leaves the bar early, but the next morning she finds Bea has not returned to her house. Sarita suspects Andres is part of a gang, and she befriends him and she heads to the coastal town of Puerto Barrios to find Bea.
However, Sarita’s mission to find her sister seems to be quickly forgotten as the film’s focus shifts to the everyday interactions of gang members. Perhaps this is intentional. The director has cast mostly non-professional actors for the film, including real-life gang members from Puerto Barrios. Many of the cast members were involved in rewriting the scripts to better reflect their lives and everyday language. But this credibility wasn’t enough to make up for the poor storytelling. If the film had been more intentionally focused on the inner workings of its characters, rather than positioning it as a thriller, it might have been a more satisfying film.
Cadejo Blanco
Unrated. Spanish, with subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 5 minutes. at the theater.
