Sin Nombre, a movie which has rightfully received the Sundance Film Award twice, is an emotional movie that navigates the troubles facing gang members and immigrants. Director Cary Fukunaga provides a movie that helped remove certain stereotypes that I have held including the struggle of immigrants trying to reach America. Sin Nombre is an excellent movie choice for students looking to learn more about the struggles of immigrants and the overwhelming hold that Mexican gangs play in their communities. From the violent role of Mexican gangs to the abuse of immigrants by locals, Sin Nombre is an excellent movie. Casper, the main character, is part of a local gang who are at constant war with another. Casper helps initiate a youngster nicknamed Smiley into the gang. In order to join the gang, Smiley must kill a prisoner that belongs to the other gang. Along bumps with lying and deception, Casper is sent to leave town and help hold immigrants up for money, where he saves a girl named Sayra and her family from the wrath of his gang. After seeking refuge among Sayra and her family, Casper decides to leave them in order to prevent them from being hurt by the gang, but the in-love Sayra falls him off the train and away from her family. While dodging border control and the gang who are out for his head, Casper leads Sayra to the border where he ultimately meets his maker. Sayra safely makes it across the border where she connects with her family in New Jersey. Despite the overwhelming hardships that Casper endured throughout the movie, it was still very enjoyable due to the intensity of his situation.Throughout the movie, my personal stereotypes that I had on immigrants and Mexico in general changed and opened my mind through this cinema. Sin Nombre does a very good job at portraying these difficulties, and I would highly recommend watching it.

(NAMELESS in English) SIN NOMBRE is a movie about people you know. They cook your food, bus your table, and wash your dishes every time you eat at a restaurant. When you go on vacation; they make your bed, change your sheets and clean up your mess. They probably cut your grass and tend your garden, too...and Lord knows what else! Oh, Yes, these are ALL people you know, but don't see. They were invisible, NAMELESS...until SIN NOMBRE! One of the most powerful, enlightening, depressing, and yet, strangely uplifting films I've seen this year. As NAMELSS ended, I was anxious to see who the executive producers were. I now have newfound respect and admiration for both Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal (Worked together in "Y Tu Mama Tambien" and "Rudo y Cursi"). They were the movers and shakers of SIN NOMBRE. They bank-rolled it and made it happen. And it was about time! This is a story that was crying out to be told!…...Well, two stories, actually. Mara Salvatrucha is a gang/criminal organization with 100K members throughout the U.S. and Central America (Wikipedia). Human smuggling and trafficking is one of their primary sources of income. Here, we get a chilling, first-hand look into this international gangland organization and how they corrupt, destroy and exploit children and youth.NAMELESS presents this twisted reality and lets the facts speak for themselves. You get to draw your own conclusions. Mine: Aren't we lucky we don't have to go through any of this to live here, in the USA?10*....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!!! Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

Willy 'El Casper' is a member of the Mara Salvatrucha gang in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. He helps initiate Smiley into the gang. The gang leader Lil Mago tries to rape and accidentally kills his girlfriend Martha. Lilo Mago takes Casper and Smiley to rob migrants on the train. Sayra is there with her father and uncle on their way to the New Jersey. Lilo Mago tries to rape her and Casper kills him. Smiley goes back to report to the new leader but he's accused of helping Casper. Smiley vows to kill Casper who has escaped on the train with Sayra's help. The gang goes all out to track down Casper.The performances are natural. The gangster story is scary. The migrant story is engaging. It is intense and poignant. It is director Cary Fukunaga's first full length film and he shows a real eye for the material.

This was a documentary style film looking at two characters wanting to travel away from either poverty or violence. The premise is simple and carries out throughout the movie like the train from the movie.The depicted violence wasn't that grotesque and was filmed in a way that doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, so it doesn't overpower the rest of the scenes.What makes it good is the cinematography, the likable main and side characters and the overall atmosphere. The music presented also left me thinking of the film in a relaxed atmosphere.Where the movie fails is the story, which is predictable and simple. The viewer is not left with a lot of unexpected things to happen while the movie rolls on, so the only thing to do is to study the characters and suck in the atmosphere. I expected a bit more based on the Netflix overall review score when I decided to watch this movie. What I got is worth a view, but it could have been so much better.