The Title of this Film has a Dual Meaning. "Frontera" Translated Means "Border" and Frontier, as in the "Wild Frontier" can also be Inferred.

Ed Harris and Amy Madigan are Seniors Living the "Good Life", and are Good People, on Their Ranch. It Happens that the Land "Borders" the Mexican Line and is a Pathway for Illegals to Make Their Way to the Promised Land.

This is a Story about the Folks on Both Sides of the Border and Their Inter-Connectivity that Results from some Unintended Consequences. It Shows the Difficulty in Trusting the "Coyotes" and the also Difficult Trek that Many Make and are at the Mercy of the Desert and the Indigenous Population that Range from Quietly Indignant to Hostile.

It is a Rich Little Movie that is Underplayed and Softly Explores the Situations from a Number of Perspectives and isn't Preachy. Effective and Engaging with Strong Acting and Excellent Cinematography, the Movie May be Slight in Solutions, but is Neutral in its Politics and Therefore is Commendable.

Overall, it's Worth a Watch and is Nothing too Deep and for some that May Not be what is Needed in this Current, Divisive Political Landscape. The Movie Doesn't Take Sides and might Leaves some Viewers with a Frustrating Experience. But as a Modern Drama it is quite Good.

Man, I got lucky. And smarter.

I recently got my first Smart TV this past Christmas and while I thought I had it down, I accidently found so much more yesterday. I stumbled across a sorta free channel, with ads, or you can pay to remove said ads, and out of nowhere found this diamond in the rough...Arizona desert.

I've lived in Arizona practically my whole life and love when movies are set here. That said, I've only seen maybe two handfuls of those films. Also, I used to hate Westerns growing up, but over the past half-decade or so, I've turned a 180 and now I CANNOT...GET...ENOUGH. Further, I love modern Westerns, or "Neo-Westerns." (Probably the Neo more, but I still love both.)

Frontera is definitely a Neo-Western. A simple on the surface tale of a family trying to better themselves but an unfortunate turn resets their lives.

Hard-working and honest Miguel and his STUPID companion cross over illegally from Mexico to the U.S. and immediately come across an incredible wife of an ex-sheriff. Thanks to some a-hole punk kids and their need to shoot at Illegal Immigrants, the woman is accidentally killed and Miguel is accused of her murdering said awesome wife. While it seems pretty cut and dry for the ex-sheriff, there are layers to be pealed and stories to be told. Horrific and triumphant.

Sounds like I gave away a lot, but in reality, I probably provided 20% of the story and setup. There's so much more here, from story to emotion to genuine hope.

Maybe I was just in the right frame of mind for this story. I can't tell you how many times I teared up, rooted for the good guys and wanted to pound the bad guys. And funny, I usually yearn for the realistic ending. Not in this case. I ONLY wanted the most perfect and satisfying ending. Fantasy, if you will.

I enjoyed this simple, yet deep, wonderfully and believably acted movie. It was well shot, extremely well-paced and I never ONCE disbelieved ANY performance here. Not a single bad actor or unrealistic portrayal of these people's lives.

I loved this movie and there are several options to see it. I found it on VUDU, but it's also on Amazon and YouTube. Only, it's free with ads on VUDU, so if you can bare through occasional 3-ads for 90 seconds and it's worth it. Also worth to buy as I might, myself.

***

Final thoughts: As stated, I grew up in Arizona and I'm ashamed on how little Spanish I know. But I do believe the "Peña" in Michael Peña's name means Perfection in Español. That hunk of a man never, ever ages and I've had a crush on him for decades now. Thank god he doesn't change because he's been perfect since I first laid eyes on him.

But I digress. Also, with my Arizona background, I DO know the desert can get cold. Even for out-of-staters, it's very cold in the dead of winter. But, that said, it was so weird to see so many people in the desert in this movie bundling up. Over and over, they layered themselves in so many clothes, you'd think this was Alaska. Again, it can get cold, but it's not ten below.

Miguel Ramirez (Michael Peña) crosses the border illegally leaving behind his wife Paulina (Eva Longoria) and family. Miguel and his annoying traveling companion Jose encounter helpful rancher Olivia McNary (Amy Madigan). She dies from an accidental fall off her horse when three local teens shoot at the illegals. Her husband and former sheriff Roy (Ed Harris) arrives assuming Miguel to be her killer.

I like the premise and the start. It might work even better if the primary incident is left with a bit of mystery. I was concerned that Roy seems to ignore the gunshots at first but that can be explained away with the shock of his lost. Ultimately, the story has lots of drama but little tension. It's lacking the mystery which could supply the tension of discovery. Roy figures it out too quickly and Miguel is left without the tension of dire danger. Then there is the nameless vigilante. The movie would be better without him and the final scene is too convenient by half. I rather have more effort put into the three boys' story. This is worthwhile but in need of more tension.