Secuestro Express

Product Description From the producer of SIN CITY and ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO! Sexy Mía Maestro (TV's ALIAS, FRIDA) stars in this gripping crime thriller where every second is life and death! In Caracas, the most dangerous city on earth, kidnapping is a profitable and thriving business where gangs target upper-class citizens whose families are able to pay ransoms quickly and quietly. But when Carla (Maestro) and her fiancé are snatched by three brutal thugs, nothing goes as planned in a deadly game where the players must make every move as if it's their last! Acclaimed by critics for its intense action and gritty realism, don't miss this riveting underworld adventure! Amazon.com Kinetic, chaotic, tense, violent, dangerous: these are words that could describe both Secuestro Express and Caracas, Venezuela, where the film takes place. The title of writer-director Jonathan Jakubowicz's 2004 film refers to the "express kidnappings" rampant in Caracas, and it depicts a particularly brutal one, involving a lovely young woman (Mia Maestro), her loathsome, metrosexual boyfriend (Jean Paul Leroux), and the three ghetto thugs who abduct them with the expectation that the couple's wealthy fathers (one of whom is portrayed by Ruben Blades) will quickly cough up substantial ransom money. Much goes awry after that, including murder, beatings, encounters with covetous cops, and various other vile and unforeseen developments, as the drug-fueled, disorganized, squabbling bad guys attempt to complete their dirty deed. Jakubowicz was apparently once kidnapped himself, and Secuestro Express certainly conveys the terror of the experience, in part through his use of digital video, quick, jarring edits, and split-screen effects. Some of this bravura technical hoo-hah seems excessive. On the other hand, there are plenty of Venezuelan moviegoers who've declared the events themselves to be frighteningly accurate, which may bring comfort to President Hugo Chavez. Chavez delights in being a thorn in the side of the United States, and it's a safe bet that after seeing this raw, discomfiting film, most Americans will give his country a very wide berth. Bonus features include deleted scenes, a "making of" documentary," and Jakubowicz's audio commentary. --Sam Graham