Privilege gets a thumping in Humberto Hinojosa Ozcariz‘s “Paradise Lost” (Paraiso Perdido), a sturdy, pleasingly unpleasant horror thriller in which a trio of the well-off breaks in a pricey new sailboat in the Mexican Caribbean. Whether Mateo, the boat’s owner, or his bikini-wearing wife, Sofia, or her seasick brother have secrets, the seemingly inhabited island where they drop anchor has plenty of its own secrets to go around, perhaps from the past and almost certainly from the present of narco-trafficking. Screaming’s in the offing; vividly visualized nightmares are on the way. With customarily comedic actress Ana Claudia Talancón, Iván Sánchez, Andrés Almeida, Raúl Briones. Showing as part of “Hola Mexico,” an eight-film touring program of recent Mexican work. 87m. Widescreen. (Ray Pride)
“Paradise Lost” plays Friday, October 14 and Thursday, October 20 at Siskel.
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
