El Norte

It ought to be required viewing -- on both sides of the border.

[Audiences will] get plenty for their money: powerful acting, flint-clean cinematography, a riveting story that transcends geographical boundaries, and a touch of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.

There is no question El Norte is one-sided, even propagandistic and sentimental at times, but its emotional and visual power supersedes some of its predictability.

Its images are so forceful, and so beautiful, that they transcend the story's simplicity and reach into a realm that can be justly called poetic.