South of the border, during church services, an earthquake strikes. North of the border, patrol agent Charlie Smith (Jack Nicholson) arrests two illegals working below minimum wages at a sweatshop. These vignettes introduce to this movie about illegal immigration by Mexicans to the USA, and the corruption that goes along with it, from the Mexican coyotes, American lawmen, and Mexican hustlers. The border patrol cops work to keep out illegals, but businesses pay to keep them. In the beginning the movie focuses on illegal immigrants, but it morphs into an action movie (with little action) until the end.
To please his extravagant wife Marcy (Valerie Perrine), Charlie transfers from his rundown trailer in Los Angeles to a desert duplex in El Paso, Texas, her hometown. To furnish her "dream house," Marcy loves to buy things (on the installment plan) that Charlie knows that the couple simply cannot afford: huge water bed, large sofa, pool in yard. She hosts expensive parties. Charlie's border patrol partner at work is Cat (Harvey Keitel), married to Savannah (Shannon Wilcox), Marcy's high school friend. They live on the other side of the duplex. Cat has offered Charlie a buy-in to his system of earning more cash. This involves allowing illegals inside the USA to do day jobs at nearby businesses and farms. The decent-minded Charlie vehemently turns down the offer at first, but his wife's constant spending changes his mind. Meanwhile Charlie becomes obsessed with helping young Mexican mom Maria (Elpidia Carrillo), who's new infant was stolen from her in a smuggling ring that sells babies for adoption. The compassionate Charlie wants to help Maria and ask for nothing in return. She winds up trapped working in the sleaziest bar you'll ever see and run by the slimiest of characters. Meanwhile Cat is not against an occasional murder. ("We take care of business.") These issues upset Charlie greatly: he decides to take a stand against corruption.
The acting holds up well. To mention a few names, Nicholson is always good. But this feature is not like "Easy Rider," "Five Easy Pieces," "Chinatown," "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest," or "The Shining." His performance this time is sufficiently subdued and brooding. Keitel is also a good actor; he plays devious characters very well. Warren Oates is effective in a small part as Border Patrol Chief "Red." Mike Gomez as Manuel plays a sufficiently dastardly, creepy snake. The Freddie Fender soundtrack helps. But the film suffers from any lack of excitement.
The funniest line in the film emanates from a drunken woman: "You look like my husband. He'd f*** a woodpile if he thought there was a snake in it."
To please his extravagant wife Marcy (Valerie Perrine), Charlie transfers from his rundown trailer in Los Angeles to a desert duplex in El Paso, Texas, her hometown. To furnish her "dream house," Marcy loves to buy things (on the installment plan) that Charlie knows that the couple simply cannot afford: huge water bed, large sofa, pool in yard. She hosts expensive parties. Charlie's border patrol partner at work is Cat (Harvey Keitel), married to Savannah (Shannon Wilcox), Marcy's high school friend. They live on the other side of the duplex. Cat has offered Charlie a buy-in to his system of earning more cash. This involves allowing illegals inside the USA to do day jobs at nearby businesses and farms. The decent-minded Charlie vehemently turns down the offer at first, but his wife's constant spending changes his mind. Meanwhile Charlie becomes obsessed with helping young Mexican mom Maria (Elpidia Carrillo), who's new infant was stolen from her in a smuggling ring that sells babies for adoption. The compassionate Charlie wants to help Maria and ask for nothing in return. She winds up trapped working in the sleaziest bar you'll ever see and run by the slimiest of characters. Meanwhile Cat is not against an occasional murder. ("We take care of business.") These issues upset Charlie greatly: he decides to take a stand against corruption.
The acting holds up well. To mention a few names, Nicholson is always good. But this feature is not like "Easy Rider," "Five Easy Pieces," "Chinatown," "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest," or "The Shining." His performance this time is sufficiently subdued and brooding. Keitel is also a good actor; he plays devious characters very well. Warren Oates is effective in a small part as Border Patrol Chief "Red." Mike Gomez as Manuel plays a sufficiently dastardly, creepy snake. The Freddie Fender soundtrack helps. But the film suffers from any lack of excitement.
The funniest line in the film emanates from a drunken woman: "You look like my husband. He'd f*** a woodpile if he thought there was a snake in it."