A film honorable in intent, but uneven in execution. One might describe it as a panoramic indictment of various forms of exploitation and prejudice along the United States-Mexico border. Panoramic is a nice way of saying this is an overcrowded film. It folds too many characters, incidents, and themes into its storyline and becomes unfocused; for example, the first act heavily focuses on an old-fashioned wrong-man scenario with a social-conscience twist (an innocent Mexican man is arrested for a crime committed by American teenage dimwits shooting at migrants for sport), but this angle abruptly loses momentum in the second half of the film. It is a frustrating experience because there is quality here, including a trio of strong performances courtesy of Ed Harris, Michael Peña, and a career-best, unglamorous Eva Longoria. Various in-the-moment depictions of the Mexican-immigrant experience, including contending with deceptive "coyotes" and the hardships of traveling in the desert, ring true. Yet the film is also rife with it's-a-small-world-after-all contrivances and predictable character arcs, including a salty retired lawman learning Mexicans have feelings, too. These overly tide screenwriting choices undermine the visual verisimilitude. It also has a spectacularly corny ending.

C+