Ladrón que roba a ladrón (2007) Reviews

• Character driven caper film exceeds expectation

  sep10512008-02-08

  I don't believe that I need to recap the plot of this movie since other commentators have done so quite clearly. However I would like to expand on three aspects of the film: the casting, comparable movies, and the technical credits. I'm an Anglo and came across the movie by accident on Amazon.com. As such I was totally unfamiliar with the cast of this movie, most of whom appear to have extensive credits in Hispanic television series. When an actor delivers a good performance you can credit the actor. When all the actors fit their roles you have to credit the casting. Saul Lisazo, as the putative villain Moctesuma Valdez, was impressive. Both of the gang leaders, Miquel Varoni as Emilio Lopez and Fernando Colunga as Alejandro Toledo, were in character. While the latter was billed first, I assume he's better known for his television work, I would say the former was more of a standout in this film. Ruben Garfias was expressive as car jockey Rafa and Ivonne Montero was very dynamic as his motor-head daughter Rafaela. Gabriel Soto brought some charm to the usually thankless role of caper muscle man. Julie Gonzalo was attractive in the role of the nanny Gloria but Sonya Smith had little to do as Mrs. Valdez (apparently she was more actively involved in a sub-plot which was cut from the movies to reduce run time). Oscar Torres as Miguelito, a would be actor, and Jon Molerio as a security guard provide standout comedy relief. Only the computer "nerd" role of Julio Miranda was surprisingly under written given that it was played by JoJo Henrickson, the author of the screen play. It is relatively seldom that all major roles in a film are well cast. It is a high compliment when I say it makes me want to go out and look at the other work of these performers. Commentators have compared this film to Ocean's Eleven (1960/2001) or the The Sting (1973) in terms of where it was derived from and the style of the caper. I don't know who made the first caper film, with people coming together to stage a heist, but I know it definitively precedes Ocean's Eleven (1960). Without even pausing I can think of Jules Dassin's Rafifi (1955), Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956) or John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle (1950). In terms of style I think we must remember that this film was apparently made on a budget of US$900,000 over twenty days. Its simply not going to have the high-technology caper of a big budget Ocean's Eleven (2001). The complexity of the caper is more like that of 1960's television series Mission Impossible or Man From U.N.C.L.E. However the director and writer of this film wisely choose to concentrate on character and social commentary rather than complexity of the caper. This fits better within both the budget and the concept of invisible immigrants staging a caper. Part of the emotional satisfaction with the ending is the social commentary embedded within it. Technical credits are normally taken for granted but deserve comment in this case. The camera work is particularly impressive, with use of continuous takes as the camera moves amongst the participants in the scene. This style binds the characters together and creates both realism and a sense of activity. I was also impressed with some of the framing of the shots, with the main characters bookending the background events. I don't think I've ever commented on subtitles in a movie. Inevitably one senses that the subtitles you are reading are a poor reflection of what's said in the original language. In this case the English subtitles, I presume by the screen writer JoJo Henrickson, are fluid and fully convey the emotions on the screen. The catchy soundtrack also adds to the professionalism of the credits.

• More "The Sting" than Ocean's 11-13 -- and that's a good thing!

  rgk_282007-09-04

  I loved this movie! The focus of this heist movie was on the characters' resourcefulness and cleverness, not on special effects. The clever dialogue, plot twists and the wonderful humor reminded me of the great classic "The Sting." I much preferred this film to the big-budget Ocean 11-13 series, which is too self-important, and I found the characters far more charming and easy to root for. While I am not Latina, I am very familiar with the works of the three stars, Varoni, Colunga and Lisazo, and they were the reason I went to see this film. They did not disappoint me. The entire ensemble is great and very believable, although Oscar Torre and Miguel Varoni steal a few scenes. Fernando Colunga always stands out b/c he's so darn HOT! He's also very good here. On the other hand, my friend's heart palpitated every time S. Lisazo and G. Toro came on screen. Ivonne Montero is very funny in a role very different than many of her telenovela ones. All around, definitely worth seeing!

• Ladron Que Roba a Ladron—An International Hispanic Movie:

  KissEnglishPasto2016-07-31

  ...........................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA...and ORLANDO, FL LADRON was released in August 2007, just before the U.S. economy hit a gigantic speed bump in 2008… If you're over 18, I'm sure you remember what the next couple years were like, right? Well, I remember watching promos for the film some years back and how people involved with the film said, "It was produced in Miami…The Capital of Latin America!" Strange…Since the big recession, really haven't heard that phrase tossed about anymore! To counter that, however, as an L.A. ex-pat, it sure looks as though a lot of the filming was done in the Hollywood Hills…But IMDb said there was no INFO on filming locations, so I can't really be sure! If you look at the actors and the people involved in making LADRON, it is a sort of an International Hispanic "Who's Who!" In the Director's chair, we have Joe Menendez, born in NYC, Cuban-American; His life-partner, Roni Eguia Menendez is credited as #1 Producer, there is no background on his specific ethnicity, but the surname Eguia seems to be of Basque origin; The principal leads are: Fernando Colunga, born in Mexico City; Miguel Varoni, although born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was raised in Colombia and most people consider him as such; Saul Lisazo is from Argentina, but has lived in Spain and now in Mexico City; Gabriel Soto, from Mexico City; Julie Gonzalo was born in Buenos Aires, but has lived in Miami since she was 8; Sonya Smith, of Telenovela Fame, born in Philly, she is Venezuelan-American. Most of the rest of the cast seem to be of Hispanic origin, but born in the USA! LADRON is done in a style that is quite tongue in cheek. I'd say almost a little too much so at times, making for a rather Cavalier experience for cast and crew, who seem to be having a lot of fun making the film! Does this insider merriment translate into viewer enjoyment? In general, yes, but not always. In any case, I think the vast majority of people will find it breezy, fun and enjoyable! Just under $7 Million Gross for most movies released in the U.S. would be considered dismal…Yet, LADRON is the highest grossing film produced and released in Spanish EVER in the U.S.! Well, at least until 2008…I can't be sure about after that. Yes, the film is in Spanish…Well, at least about 98% of the dialog is in Spanish. Would a non-Spanish speaker enjoy the movie as much? The answer to that has to be "NO", of course, but that doesn't mean that it isn't worth seeing just because you don't speak Spanish. In fact, if you are interested in the dynamics of cultural differences, you might find the interaction of Hispanics from many different countries within the U.S. to be rather interesting and amusing. How well done are the subtitles in English? Since I never pay much attention to them, I'm not really sure…But I did notice there did not SEEM to be much in the way of gaps where there were no on screen subtitles! Sorry, but that's about the only help I can provide in that area! 7*.....ENJOY!/DISFRUTELA! Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!.....

• Fantastic...! Fantastico..!! Subtitled but Gringo Friendly--!

  jhill-412007-09-03

  WOW! MUST SEE!! Ladrón que roba a ladrón This Gringo felt that this movie is one of the best this year.. Funny, Clever, Excellent direction, Very well acted. Four Stars!! This is my first review but I felt compelled to write it. Ladrón que roba a ladrón was Fantastico! Muy Bien!! The plot was well developed with a little extra surprise which pulled it together well. The language was Spanish but easy to follow with the acting and the subtitles, which were very clear, and I honestly at the end felt I was watching it in English. The plot develops well from the beginning and the characters grow on you. The acting was first rate and Dirctor Joe Menendez and Writer JoJo Hendickson put it all together in a tight package without the unnecessary fluff that often take a good story and makes it difficult to follow. Ladrón que roba a ladrón is a Must See!!

• Por fin! Finally we see Fernando Colunga on the big screen

  Venus-252007-09-02

  Not a deep film, no moral lesson learned (except that Karma is a female dog with PMS), but entertaining and amusing. Fernando Colunga and Miguel Varoni are likable and clever as the two master thieves who conspire to steal an ill-gotten fortune. There is almost a Rat-Pack feel to them; they certainly have the attitude. I think sometimes that Miguel Varoni wants to be the Hispanic John Cleese; this must help to explain the contrast between his slightly sleazy look (awkward ponytail and stubble) vs Colunga's perfect grooming and tooth-paste-commercial smile. He has that perfect, ideal masculine face that belongs on a big screen; my one disappointment is that we didn't get to see more of his equally perfect body. The other actors, especially Gabriel Soto as the muscle-man and the great Saul Lisazo as the greedy villain, are amusing and look like they're having a good time in this film. The Mission-Impossible style heist is not as smooth as in that classic TV program, but clever, amusing, and with more than a few jokes about what it is to be a Latino immigrant in the US. The early scenes of immigrants falling for the phony products and the TV studio scenes poke fun at the infomercials for sexually-related pills and phony weight-loss products one sees on Telemundo. Every time I see those commercials I always wonder how the actors can get through them with straight faces. There are a few things you're in the dark about on the way to the end (which I won't reveal) but suffice to say that the ending of this picture is very satisfying.