2013 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 2: Amat Escalante’s Heli

By the fest’s end in about nine days from now, we might pointing to the first film that showed during the ’13 edition as the “L’enfant terrible” selection of the fest. Amat Escalante’s Heli set the competition aflame for the film’s disturbing violent elements (a much talked about torture scene) which simply confirm that not unlike his peers, this Mexican helmer’s shock-filled social commentary on the cycle of violence (in all shapes and forms) is also a discourse on Mexico’s trickle down corruption. Following his equally jarring Sangre and Los bastardos (both premiered on the Croisette) Escalante’s simple modus operandi equation is to employ mostly non-actors, impale his audience with the more grotesque aspects found in human nature and favor hopelessness and miserablism over hope. The film was received with a below average type grade. Click on the chart below for the latest grades.