The Gatekeeper (2002)

hyped garbage

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Few people saw this film outside of some festivals, but I was delighted to discover it on DVD at my local library. My impressions moved from mild curiosity into serious involvement within 30 minutes. The "illegal" Mexican Work Force is as vital to the American Economy Today as slavery was 200 years ago, and these hard workers are reviled politically at least as much as the slaves were during the time of the "Founding Fathers".In music we recall their story in "Deportees" by Woody Gutherie and now "Sinaloa Cowboys" by Bruce Springsteen on the closing credits of this fine film, which echoes the theme of the story we have just witnessed. The director gives us characters we care about, supplemented with the use of "Non-Actors" in the tradition of Eisenstein,"Salt of the Earth" and India's Satyajit Ray! As a filmmaker myself, I say "Bravo"! If John Carlos Frey never made another film, he would have left us with "The Gatekeeper" as an important legacy of one significant aspect of America in the early 21st Century.I will spread the word on this one to my friends, even as I investigate Frey's two newest films, not yet listed on the IMDb! Be sure to check out the "Gatekeeper Productions" web site!

While I agree with many others that this film had many unrealistic lines and images, I feel the big picture frey was going for was achieved in showing a rarely seen take on illegal immigration. I know quite a few people who are 'half and half' and many are very conflicted about what to think of and/or how to deal with the illegal immigration problem. So I forgive many of the criticisms from a film making point of view because it did present a very realistic portrait of one man's struggle.while I would not give him any directorial awards, I think he was the perfect choice to star in this. I sure would have selected an actual latina for the female role of Eva, but he financed the thing. I feel he would have had better luck by not going astroid with a pretty far out there 'work it off for a year' thing. 99% of the people coming across are let go the second money hits the coyote's palm. Same with the multiple murder. That makes for a great trailer, but how often does that happen? I guess when you do your own financing you can take a liberty or two. So I suggest it for those who have an interest in this topic. If you're in film school and desperately need ideas on how to become the next Scorcese, pick another flick.

I actually thought this movie was really good. Especially if you consider they filmed it in 18 days with only 200,000 dollars, as I was told by the J.C. Frey, the Director/writer/main actor, when they screened the film here at the U of A, in Tucson. The story is mostly accurate from what I've witnessed living in Tucson for 5 years and Phoenix for 10. So many Mexicans die crossing the border, their families are split in search of better jobs, or they are coerced into criminal labor that I think a movie like this puts the issues at the forefront. Hell, the migrant group (secondary actors with little or no speaking roles) were real Mexican workers who the film crew hired for realism. I think that's really cool.And for someone living in Arizona, where the previews at theaters are often preempted by "Methlabs and kids don't mix" anouncements, the story of Adam/Juan Carlos being forced to work in the methlab is all too real. Just because this is an independent movie and therefore limited to resources doesn't mean it's bad. The secondary theme of Adam rediscovering his Mexican roots is very powerful and also a very prevalent theme in the southwest, especially.

The story line is one that appeals to me, being a resident of the Southwest. I have heard every argument pertaining to illegal immigration and kind of stand in the middle of the two sides brought up in this film. In this film, the main character is a self-hating, half-Mexican, border patrol officer. He loathes the illegals with all of his might and makes sure everybody is aware of how he feels (even his fiance, who, why she likes him, I have no idea). The man is a lousy human being. He associates with a racist group that is trying to defame the Mexican people in every way it can. They decide that our main character will go undercover to expose how the illegals come into the country (as if nobody knew). How this will bolster their cause, I don't know. Well, he will make the trip and he will alter his view of these people that he once hated and see that their lives are much harder than anything he has had to deal with. The film is not terrible, but it is far from great. Some scenes are really good, but others are just eye-straining bad, which is understandable for a low-budget film. The plot does strain credibility towards the end, and then some. However, if you are interested in seeing a film dealing with Mexican-American relations, well, this is pretty good, well, it is not that bad.