DVD Review: From Mexico with Love
On the From Mexico with Love DVD box cover, E Latino Weekly describes the film as "a modern-day Rocky." The comparison is probably inevitable, as both films are about scrappy underdog boxers. Sadly, From Mexico with Love has as much in common with Sylvester Stallone's poignant masterpiece as Dear John has with From Here to Eternity; both films involve beach-related wartime romance, but that's where the similarity ends.
To be fair, the creators of From Mexico with Love probably had good intentions. The film -- released today on DVD
The film's protagonist, Hector (Kuno Becker), is an impoverished Laredo farm worker who supplements his meager income by boxing in unsanctioned and unruly low-rent prizefights. Hector's world includes the expected characters: cynical immigrant smuggler Tito (Steven Bauer), grizzled boxing trainer Billy (Bruce McGill), and the conveniently beautiful love interest, Maria (Danay Garcia). Hector is a devoted son to his ailing mother, who labors alongside him in the fields despite her persistent coughing and wheezing. When the callous farm boss (apparently, there are no noncallous farm bosses, at least in movies about migrant workers) cuts mom's pay because she can't pick the required daily amount of vegetables, Hector brawls with the boss and soon finds himself unceremoniously dumped on the Mexican side of the border.
Down for the count but not yet knocked out (sorry, but I couldn't resist that one), Hector vows to avenge his mother's mistreatment and, we assume, the mistreatment of migrant workers everywhere. He convinces Tito and Billy to arrange and train him for a high-stakes grudge match against the evil (and white) farm owner's evil (and equally white) son, who shares Hector's interest in both boxing and the luscious Maria. I could go on -- but if you've seen even one inspirational sports film, you know the rest.
Of course, all of these characters live in an alternate universe that exists only in B-grade action dramas. Most of the migrant workers speak fluent English, which is both culturally unlikely and artistically unfortunate; their awkward and obvious dialogue might sound much smarter and more lyrical in Spanish. The penniless Maria toils in the blazing sun all day and lives in a hovel with marginal plumbing, but apparently has found the secret to maintaining beautiful skin and can afford sexy red party dresses and premium hair care products. And Billy is perhaps the world’s only folk-singing boxing trainer, inspiring his fighters with songs about, well, being a boxing trainer. (At least he knows whereof he sings. If he sang "If I Had a Hammer," the film would abandon mere unreality for complete surrealism.)
Director Jimmy Nickerson helmed From Mexico with Love after a decades-long career as a stunt coordinator (yes, Rocky is one of his many film credits), and his career focus is evident in the film’s pacing. While the boxing scenes are skillfully choreographed, the quieter, dialogue-heavy scenes are uneven and often rushed, as if no one has time for plot nuances or character development. The actors do their best, given the hackneyed script. Of all the cast, Mexican actor Kuno Becker (Goal!, Goal II: Living the Dream and ... wait for it ... Goal! III) gives the most believable performance in the film as Hector. Danay Garcia (Prison Break) is appealing (albeit far too glamorous) as Maria, although the character is little more than a glorified ring girl in many scenes. Sadly, even ubiquitous character actor Bruce McGill (a veteran of more than 130 roles, including D-Day in Animal House) doesn’t rise above the material as Billy, despite his five-day stubble and mellifluous singing voice.
Extras: The DVD special features
Austin/Texas connections: From Mexico with Love was shot in Texas, primarily in San Antonio. Actor Bruce McGill is a San Antonio native and a UT Austin grad -- he'll be inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in March.