Review of Heli

Heli directed by Amat Escalante-a Mexican director,is gripping from the start.The first few minutes show a young albeit bulky boy being mercilessly hanged from a bridge.It is only in the later half that the same bridge makes it re-entry and events are explained.Heli avoids many clichés with which viewers have accustomed themselves.This film does not give any idle space to a serious viewer as whatever that is happening on the screen has direct bearing on film's protagonists' to progress in life.One should also note that two probable reasons explain why 'Heli' was an immense hit during 66th Cannes International Film Festival 2013.Its success owes a lot to its choice of location as well as its shock effects.One gets to see remote parts of Mexico where not much choice is offered to anybody who wishes to make sense of everything around.Although it does not talk explicitly,role of sex and violence in Mexican society is also discussed in this film.For example: pornographic violence featured in the film is not easy to watch but one cannot also have other methods of dealing with violence in contemporary Mexico.Lastly,it is the episodic nature of different events in the life of a young man which makes an attempt to make screenplay as coherent as possible.However,it is just a mystery why these episodes are unable to make a coherent whole of this film ? It is this weakness which would irk many viewers.