Rating of
2.5/4
"Highway Patrolman" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 05/10/12
Alex Cox's meandering cop story feels more like a road movie than a thriller per se. It follows a Mexican highway patrolman from his graduation from the academy through his posting on a deserted stretch of highway to his showdown with a local drug runner who killed his partner. It has a lot to commend it; the off-beat subject matter, gentle humour, good performances and well shot sun drenched landscapes. The main problem with it is it's lack of drama. The long anticipated showdown doesn't really come to anything; it may be making some clever analogy about Mexico's inability to hold accountable the foreigners who use it for their own corrupt ends, but it did not make a satisfying climax to the film entertainment-wise; this is not helped by having a rather wishy washy protagonist who is neither really good nor bad enough to intrigue. Having said that, there is still enough material of merit here to warrant a look, especially for fans of world cinema.
