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MEN WITH GUNS Send This Review to a Friend
John Sayles has earned admiration for choosing unusual subjects and making exceptional films. He does it again with one of the best films to emerge recently, MEN WITH GUNS, a powerful drama set in an unspecified Latin American country, tells the story of a noted doctor who sets out to follow up on his dedicated former students who went into the interior of the country to work with the poor. What he finds is a shock to a man who has been preoccupied with his own world and unaware of the terror elsewhere.
I first saw the film at the Toronto Film Festival, and although it has taken a while to be released here, it was well worth the wait. Sayles tells the story with few flourishes. It is direct and strong, gathering momentum to leave us with a shattering image of people struggling for a better life in the midst of brutality and violence. Federico Luppi's portrayal of the doctor is deeply affecting, a performance that abounds in sensitivity and dignity. Sayles breathes reality into virtually every scene as do the members of his large cast.
When you think of such other Sayles films as "Lone Star," "Lianna," "Baby, It"s You," "The Brother from Another Planet," "Matewan," "Passion Fish," and "the Secret of Roan Inish," you get an idea of the impressive range of his talent and outlook. "Men With Guns" may not please viewers who thrive on visual flash or formula action. It's for those who want a thoughtful, provocative drama about what is unfortunately part of the real world. A Sony Pictures Classics Release.
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