Reviewed by Carol Sullivan
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rating: PG-13
Director: Alex Rivera
Starring: Luis Fernando Pena, Leonor Varela, Jacob Vargas
On DVD: September 8, 2009
Studio: Maya Entertainment
From AMAZON.com
Standard Edition
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I was sniffing around my favorite Blockbuster store this week and stumbled upon the Spanish sci-fi flick, Sleep Dealer. The fact that it had won a gaggle of prestigious awards peaked my interest, but once I read the synopsis, I was sold... Now that I have watched this little Latin gem, I recommend that you run out and get it today!
The storyline is perfect in its simplicity and takes place some time in the not-so-distant future. Water is rationed and sold like gasoline by big corporations getting all the profits. We are taken to a dusty Mexican village where a young man named Memo (Lois F. Pena) dreams of escaping the tiny town and getting a real job in the big city.
The easiest job to get is in the "node" business; tiny computer ports are placed on your body and you can work remotely from any of the hundreds of factories. These factories hook you up to the main-frame where you can pilot military aircraft, operate machinery and do thousands of other jobs. With these hook-ups one can also have drug, alcohol and even sexual experiences in night-clubs and other seedy locations. The way that writer/director Alex Rivera makes this whole scenario seem perfectly average is pure genius!
But Memo's new job has many dangers, the largest being the risk of blindness or death from prolonged 'node' hook-ups. How far will he go to help his family and what other nasty secrets wait for him in the big city?
Reading this back, I see that I have stuffed this fantastic movie into a nut-shell. Unfortunate, but there is just not enough space for me to say everything I feel about this movie. Despite the film's futuristic setting, the human dilemma hasn't changed in this troubling future; it is work, love, and family that still drives us.
The simple farm-boy meets the big-bad-world theme may sound dull, but it's the believable character development that makes it so entertaining and beautiful. A stellar cast makes us truly care about these characters and their problems. With its underlying social and cultural commentary, it feels a little like a realistic Blade Runner and it is not hard to believe that this is what our future will really look like.
Make sure you watch this film in the original Spanish to get all of the actors inflections and emotions; it's much better than the English dubbed version.
All in all, Sleep Dealer is a must see in my book.It is a well-crafted and ambitious sci-fi film that will get you thinking... And wanting to watch it again.
Highly recommended as a rental and/or purchase.
Overall Rating: 5
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 December 2009 08:36 )
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