600 Miles

Mexican film producer Gabriel Ripstein's first work as a director is a taut and imaginative thriller starring Tim Roth as an ATF agent whose efforts to stop the illegal flow of weapons across the border goes badly awry, resulting in his being kidnapped by a young Mexican smuggler (Kristyan Ferrer). The mileage in the title refers to the journey that the two take as the smuggler shepherds his bound captive deep into Mexico's cartel country for delivery to his crime bosses. During the trip, the two men slowly begin to find some degree of camaraderie, although the lengthy trek becomes increasingly tense as there appears to be little evidence that the agent will be able to escape or that his captor will have a significant change of heart. 600 Miles presents a harsh emotional odyssey that is fueled both by Ripstein's imaginative direction—the bulk of the action is set inside an SUV—and extraordinary performances by Roth as a man uncertain of his fate and Ferrer as a would-be thug who may not be the right person for his dirty job. Mexico's Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language film, this powerful and timely drama is highly recommended. (P. Hall)