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I also noticed that there were a few instances where faint horizontal lines would show up on the image. It’s not a very noticeable problem, but could possibly have been cause by rendering or during the process of burning the movie to DVD. Even though it’s not a major issue, it’s still something that probably aught to be addressed, either by re-rendering or by re-burning the DVD.
Use of Audio
I was very impressed with the audio in this movie; and even more so once I found out that the filmmakers only used the on-camera microphone to record their sound! I didn’t notice any major audio problems, which is very atypical for the on-board mic. They’re usually quite decent – depending on the camera – but often pose some problems as they usually don’t pick up from long distances, and their pickup patterns tend to be very uni-directional – they only pick up sound from directly in front, causing problems if the operator decides to turn the camera. However, in this case I didn’t notice any problems in this respect.
One great scene for audio was at the beginning of the film where José is playing soccer with a friend. There’s some hip-hop music that only comes out of one speaker – giving the impression that someone has a boom box sitting off to the side somewhere. Rather than cranking up the music, however, as most filmmakers might have done, it was carefully mixed with background noises from birds, people, and traffic. I think this was a really good choice because it added a good sense of atmosphere.
There are some great moments of music in the film. I really liked the scene at the end in which Lupe is teaching one of the fraternity boys to dance, and how that music matched with a scene of José involved in illegal activities. This was a really well-done montage!
Use of Budget
This was a really good film for only costing $100 (the majority of which was spent on getting tapes, props, and food.) Given this fact, I’m very impressed with such a high-quality movie for such a small price tag. However, my one complaint is still with some of the scenes that are too washed-out. It seems as though more time – and money – could have been allocated so as to get better shots on the day, rather than having to deal with fixing them in post.
Lasting Appeal
This type of story isn’t seen very often; perhaps one of the most definitive movies on the subject of illegal immigration is the 80s classic “El Norte.” There are definitely some similar elements between that film and “Valle de Lagrimas,” and I think that’s a really good thing. “El Norte” made a big impression on audiences when it came out in 1983, and especially considering today’s current immigration debate, “Valle de Lagrimas” will find a very willing audience.
Overall Comment
This was a great movie to watch. It’s visually interesting, the story is intriguing, and the film isn’t without its light moments. If these few minor elements I’ve mentioned can be fixed or adjusted, it will really be outstanding!
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Content |
8.9 |
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Visual
Look |
8.1 |
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Use
of Audio |
9.1 |
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Use
of Budget |
7.5 |
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Lasting
Appeal |
8.0 |
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Overall
Score |
8.3
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The
author of half a dozen screen plays, two novels, and a proficient
camera-woman in her own right, Monika
DeLeeuw-Taylor is Microfilmmaker's lead writing analyst and
one of our top film reviewers. When she's not writing a critique for
Microfilmmaker, she's writing screenplays for Viking Productions.
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