How much do you know about the Colombian film industry? Probably more than I do. 'El Paramo' is a heck of an introduction; opinion seems to be rather divided here and I won't pretend that everything is perfect with this movie but I found it very watchable. Yes, it follows a well-trodden path but is none the worse for it. I thought it a shade heavy on the melodrama and it lacked a little refinement here and there, hence only 8/10 but artistic direction and photography were tight and sensitively handled throughout. I enjoyed the device of concentrating totally on the actors to the exclusion of just about everything else -there IS a lot of darkness and mist around, so may be best avoided if expensive sets and grand scenery are more to your liking. Or if somewhat grisly scenes turn you off! The basics of the story (which all unfolds quite nicely) are no more than have been revealed by other reviewers, so I've nothing to add except praise for the well-designed music soundtrack and a warm recommendation overall.
Review of The Squad
