Days of Grace

Everardo Gout's sociopolitical drama employs a jigsaw structure to explore police corruption in Mexico—zigzagging between three kidnappings that took place in 2002, 2006, and 2010 (Gout uses different aspect ratios to set them apart). Significantly, the abductions occurred during the World Cup soccer tournament, when cops let down their guard. In 2002, police officer Lupe (Tenoch Huerta) teaches a kid named Doroteo a lesson; four years later, Lupe has started to break a few rules himself—he won't get ahead if he doesn't. That same year, kidnappers hold Victim X (Carlos Bardem) for ransom. In 2010, Susana Lozano (Dolores Heredia), wife of a kidnapping victim, does what she can to free her husband. Maxi (Eileen Yañez), the Lozanos' maid, lives with her brother—Doroteo (Kristyan Ferrer), now a boxer with a criminal record. Slowly, but surely, these disparate pieces will come together. Huerta, who won the Ariel (Mexico's equivalent of the Oscar) is riveting as Lupe, who falls down a well of corruption that appears to have no bottom. An artful (if also nihilistic) film, this is recommended. (K. Fennessy)