Thursday 15th Oct – ‘Desierto’
In ‘Desierto’ we witness a group of people attempting to cross the border from Mexico into the United States, who encounter rifle-toting ‘Sam’ (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who seems to have taken it upon himself to patrol the border. This was a brilliant thrill-ride of a film, with Gael Garcia Bernal in particularly good for as the appropriately-named ‘Moises’, attempting to lead his people to the ‘promised land’. The film comes at an appropriate moment in time, when Donald Trump is making such disparaging remarks about immigration. When our leaders denigrate desperate people hoping for a better life, is it any wonder that characters like Sam come into existence?
In the Q&A after the film, the Director revealed that he had shot scenes which alluded to Sam’s military backstory but that these had been more to aid Morgan in his characterisation, rather than ever intending them to make the final cut. This, then, is the latest example of the ‘most dangerous game’, pitting hunter Sam up against the wily Moises and, boy, is it a fun ride. Excellent work from Sam’s dog, too, whom the director found so capable that he changed elements of the script to accommodate his skills.