“Sin Nombre,” written and directed by American Cary Joji Fukunaga in his movie-making debut, is about people making their way across the border into the United States, but it’s also about redemption. Sayra (Paulina Gaitan), a Honduran teenager, agrees to accompany the father she never knew she had and her uncle as they make the difficult and dangerous journey north through Mexico. Their destination is New Jersey, where family members await their phone call from somewhere in Texas. When they successfully board a northbound train in the southern state of Chiapas, their paths intersect with Willy (Edgar Flores), a dangerous gangster burdened with grief, guilt and desperation.
For much of the time, “Sin Nombre” (without name) is a road movie, with freight trains carrying unauthorized loads of human cargo. The images are memorable – scores of immigrants perched precariously atop the cars, enduring all kinds of weather as they lumber through Mexico. Adriano Goldman’s camera captures the beauty of the country and contrasts it with the hazardous journey Sayra and Willy are making. Director Fukunaga displays a firm hand with his actors and absolute control of his story. “Sin Nombre” makes no judgments on immigration as a political issue. Clearly, Fukunaga’s purpose is to explore the immigrant experience, which he does with intensity and style. Subtitles. 3/24/09
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