Graphic violence and tragedy propel dramatic but unoriginal 'Sin Nombre'

    If the recent news coverage of violence and brutality in Mexico has not yet impacted Americans' perceptions of Latin America, then the tragic, intense film "Sin Nombre" certainly will.
    In his feature debut, writer/director Cary Fukunaga intertwines the story of Sayra (played by Paulina Gaitan), a Honduran teenager taking a bold step to change her future, and El Casper (Edgar Flores), a gang member looking for a way out. On the long and treacherous road to the United States, Sayra and Casper unite through loss and heart-wrenching drama to help each other survive.
    Filmed across several locations in Mexico and Honduras, "Sin Nombre" begins as Sayra and her formerly estranged father prepare to make the weeklong journey to a new life in far-away New Jersey. Meanwhile, Casper pals around the streets with 12-year-old "Smiley" (Kristian Ferrer), looking for trouble. His secret girlfriend from another town soon proves to be a liability, and Casper must abandon everything to save himself. With a target on his head, Casper meets Sayra under dire circumstances on the train and their fates become inextricably linked.
    The primary goal of "Sin Nombre" is to recreate an accurate representation of the struggles and motivations of these travelers. This is reflected through rich cinematography, which differs from other films like "City of God" (2002) and "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008), but depicts similarly poor and hopeless communities. The director's insistence upon on-location shooting and inexperienced, local casting gives the film a feeling of reality. Through weeks of research on Mexican prisons and shelters and riding the train on three occasions as unprotected as other passengers, Fukunaga experienced directly or was told about many of the moments he later chose to include in his script.
    "Sin Nombre" is notable for its raw performances. Fukunaga's efforts to convince Focus Features executives to cast local actors with limited or no acting experience proved worthwhile; his casting team produced the breakout stars Gaitan and Ferrer. Gaitan fashions a Casper that redeems himself with believable grace in spite of the danger lurking behind every corner. Ferrer, too, delivers with dark humor and frightening resilience. Cary Fukunaga underscores these actors with a suspenseful pulse that drives the film to its dramatic end and keeps the audience on its feet.
    It is hard to divert one's eyes from the graphic violence portrayed on screen, even though it is especially disturbing. The violence is so effective because it is often observed, and in some instances instigated, by the film's youngest, most vulnerable character, Smiley. Eerily, Smiley has an equal, if not greater indifference to human suffering as the rest of the gang. He is even forced to bring the one who betrayed him and the rest of the Mara gang to justice, or he himself will have a price on his head. Smiley's mission represents the film's core: the depressing, inescapable fates of many impoverished Latin Americans. Although the plot does take some unexpected turns and develops believable characters, the film's conclusion is relatively predictable. Despite its emotional merit, "Sin Nombre" consistently lacks an original vision, however realistic and visually spectacular it may be.
    After being recognized at Sundance for his dramatic short on a related subject, "Victoria Para Chino" (2004), Fukunaga was admitted to the Sundance Film Institute, which sponsored a workshop for the script of "Sin Nombre." Fukunaga's work also drew the attention of Focus Features and Canana, the production company managed by Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, which produced the film for a mere $5,000. Having won in both the directing and cinematography categories at 2009's Sundance Film Festival, "Sin Nombre" is a remarkable and incredibly ambitious first film. It's worth keeping an eye on Fukunaga and the Latin American actors whom he discovered.