A Cop Movie (2021)
A Cop Movie
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Why watch this film?
In Mexico, as well as in many countries around the world, the police is one of the most controversial organizations. Therefore, depicting its complexities and vices in a documentary is always a difficult and thorny task. In 'Una película de policías' - awarded at the Berlin International Film Festival -, Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios ('Güeros') chooses an alternative path instead of a solution, focusing on the life of a couple of policemen, Teresa and "Montoya". In this documentary, which blends fiction and reality, we hear their real voices narrating their experiences in the police, but interpreted on screen by Mónica del Carmen and Raúl Briones (both winners of the Ariel for the feature 'Asfixia'). It must be said that, although the stories of the protagonists have value in themselves and are very entertaining, the feature is much milder when it comes to dealing with the issue of corruption within the police. At some moments even apologies are made. It is clear that the peculiar narrative tool, more similar to films like those of Jafar Panahi or Abbas Kiarostami, manages to extract the nuances in the personal life of its protagonists - and surely you will continue reflecting a lot after the end credits.
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Plot summary
Director Alonso Ruizpalacios takes us deep into the Mexican police force with the story of Teresa and Montoya, together known as 'the love patrol.' In this thoroughly original and unpredictable documentary, Ruizpalacios plays with the boundaries of nonfiction and immerses the audience into the human experience of police work within a dysfunctional system.
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From the same director
Güeros
With a great sense of humor, 'Güeros' is an authentic Mexican road movie heavily influenced by the French New Wave of the 1960s. Awarded as Best First Feature at the Berlinale, it marks the start of one of the most promising filmmakers of current Mexican cinema: Alonso Ruizpalacios. An excellent film to remember that if you enjoy the journey, the destination is what matters least.
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