Reflection v. Review

        After reading the review from Variety by Ben Kenigsburg it was evident that there were some differences between our opinions and the things that we focused on in the film. Kenigsburg begins by explaining how beautifully Heineman "paints a parallel portrait of vigilantes policing two different front of the drug war." He also mentions the two leaders of the groups and explains how they depict both sides of this ongoing war. He portrays Dr. Mireles as, "a black-hat-wearing cowboy type who introduces himself to a crowd as a general coordinator of the Autodefensas." He then goes by also introducing Tim Foley, "who leads Arizona Border Recon, listed as an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center." We both recognize how the actions of the Autodefensas and the Cartels aren't so different and how the Autodefensas are "succumbing to the forces it's designed to combat," since later on in the film it is discovered that some members of the group robbed innocent people. Kenigsburg also mentions the fear for the filmmakers safety which is something I never really touched upon in my reflection. However, he fails to mention the major part that the Mexican government played throughout the film. My reflection mainly focused on the tragedies that the Cartels were committing and the injustice of the Mexican government by disbanding the Autodefensas, while the professional review focused on the cinematography of the film and the danger of actually shooting the film.