Name: Ilegal
Genre: Thriller
Released: 2003-01-31
Duration: 1 h 47 min
Rating: 4.9
Cast: Chisco Amado, Lucía Jiménez, Chete Lera

Thriller-denounce about the illegal immigration in Spain , being set  in  Morrocco and Galicia

This is a moving portrait of illegal immigration from Africa, Tanger , to Europa through the investigation of two journalists named Luis (Chisco Amado) and Duran (Chete Lera) and about the possession some important video tapes . As the events go awry when the tapes are wished by Police officers , a private eye (Lucia Jimenez) , other reporters and a drug lady . It leads to killings , pursuits and a twisted intrigue .

Thriller/drama with emotion , twists , thrills , chases , suspense , a love story and racist elements ; including enjoyable performances , though roles were not very well developed . The picture concerns about Mafias that abuse on African people , taking place issues about human traffic , xenophobia and racism in which white roles predominate and African characters provide background . It deals with deceived emigrants who arrive in Spain aboard ¨Pateras¨ and rotten ships or as stowaways ; they are without the proper papers and without a penny to their name . African immigrants sometimes find bad-paid , part-time work ; it is the kind of work that only illegal immigrants can get . This can be the story of many faceless and nameless immigrants in any country that live in ¨Pisos Patera¨ and face uphill challenges all the way through their illegal immigration .

This brooding as well as thrilling flick can be defined as a thought-provoking thriller , an exciting fresco with action , emotion , racism and a social fable ; however , I found him to be just too predictable and not driven . Because the story needs a vibration more real than the one offered in this sometimes predictable flick , though also contains enjoyable and interesting moments . As the picture is more a thriller than a denounce-film . Anyway, its is compensated with the great performances from Chete Lera , Lucia Jimenez and Vicenta N'Dongo , interpreters who provided a considerable boost to the result . Other films concerning illegal immigration result to be quite better , such as Bwana (1996) by Imanol Uribe with Andres Pajares , Maria Barranco and ¨Cartas a Alou¨ (1990) by Montxo Armendariz with Mulie Jarju and Eulàlia Ramon . The flick displays an atmospheric as well as thrilling score by early deceased Manuel Balboa, in his last one , who composed several films for Jose Luis Garci , such as ¨El Abuelo¨ , ¨Canción Cuna¨ and ¨Herida Luminosa¨ . Colorful cinematography by Federico Ribes who photographs gorgeous exteriors from Santiago de Compostela and its splendorous cathedral . Ribes is a veteran professional working for twenty five years and photographing a lot of movies such as ¨Don Mendo Rock¨, ¨Fuera Juego¨, ¨Tanger¨, ¨Guerra de Locos¨, ¨Delirium¨ and many others . The motion picture was professional directed by Galician director Ignacio Vilar , an usual Shorts director , but failed at the Spanish box office . Rating : 6 , passable and acceptable .

Spanish-language cinema across Spain and Latin America is united by its engagement with history, cultural identity, and social transformation. In Spain, films often balance artistic experimentation with popular genres while reflecting on memory, politics, and family. In Latin America, cinema has been deeply tied to questions of colonial legacy, resistance, and community resilience, ranging from intimate dramas to bold political allegories.

Ana Torrent in The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)

The thriller genre features suspense, tension, and excitement. These stories are known for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats and delivering intense emotional experiences by revolving around high-stakes situations, dangerous conflicts, and the constant anticipation of unexpected events.

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