Secuestro Express

Watching Jonathan Jakubowicz's Venezuelan film Secuestro Express is like swimming in sewage for an hour and a half—it's a raw, violent account of a kidnapping in Caracas that makes one feel as trapped as the well-to-do victims (and, in a quite different way, their equally trapped captors, brought up in the city's horrifying slums). In the story, a young, rich, engaged couple is snatched after a night on the town by a trio of thugs, who force them to withdraw cash from an ATM and call their fathers demanding ransom. Seen from the couple's perspective, the film effectively conveys the frenzy and fear of the victims, thanks to the use of gritty, handheld video camerawork and energetic performances. But some aspects ring false, and the casual streak of homophobia throughout is as ugly as the crime itself. Ultimately, the garish, hyperkinetic, in-your-face style, while initially eye-catching, eventually grows stridently artificial, undermining the authenticity instead of accentuating it. One thing is absolutely certain: watching Secuestro Express will surely have viewers scratching Caracas off their list of possible vacation destinations. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by writer/director Jonathan Jakubowicz, a Spanish language commentary (with optional English subtitles) by Jakubowicz and costars Carlos Julio Molina, Pedro Perez, Carlos Madera and Jean Paul Leroux, a 24-minute “making-of” featurette, “The Film & The Facts” featurette on the story of the film (9 min.), two deleted scenes (2 min.), a music video by Vagos y Maleantes, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an unsavory film.] (F. Swietek)