2009 offered a few interesting science fiction films like DISTRICT 9, MOON, THE ROAD, AVATAR, and STAR TREK, but one film really went unnoticed. SLEEP DEALER premiered at Sundance in 2008, but in January 2009, Alex Rivera offered a limited worldwide release of his science fiction drama.
Set in a futuresque, police state Mexico, a young man named Memo, played expertly by young actor Luis Fernando Pena, dreams of life outside of his small town. He builds an antenna to pick up voices from the US. Memo finds trouble when he picks up a top-secret military channel leading the military to takes action on the small town killing Memo’s father. Memo is emotionally destroyed and runs to Tijuana, to find a job and assume the family's patriarchal position, where he meets freelance writer Luz, played by the beautiful Leonor Varela. Together they help Memo get nodes, implants that allow the wearer to work as labor abroad controlling robotics remotely. In SLEEP DEALER's world, immigration is outlawed and corporations use foreign-controlled robots for cheap labot. What develops is a love story set a impoverish cyberpunk Mexico
SLEEP DEALER is an nuanced movie that relies heavily of current events to drive its point home. Cheap labor without immigration and globalization is a theme that runs throughout the film. Such a complex contemporary issue makes for a poignant commentary in this science fiction film. The Mexicans are able to work on American jobs without the inconvenience of having them live in the US. Thousands of workers traverse the streets of Mexico City toward warehouses where they will hook their nodes to a computer where they will control machinery in the US. The idea that Mexican immigrants are nothing more than laboring machines creates a sense of dread that informs our current situation in the US.
For cyberpunk-influenced science fiction film, Alex Rivera's style tends toward grit and realism. Every character is layered under dirt and grime and nearly choking on the dust from the streets. The jobs in the city do not pay as well as the node jobs so their environment is dilapidated and crumbling. The sparse use of CGI is largely due to budget restrictions, but the few scenes that do utilize CG are enhanced greatly. The CGI exists only to advance the story and not to wow. Rivera really knows how to direct, and the result is a gritty, intense, and realistic film that feels completely plausible and poignant. I would love to see what Rivera could do with a much bigger budget. His ability within this small film gives much promise to an amazing career.
I honestly feel that this is a solid film that any science fiction aficionado could enjoy. It is not your typical science fiction drama and feels more like the Latin American cousin of this years DISTRICT 9. Its tasteful, gritty, well plotted, and entertaining. A must-see.
http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Dealer-Luis-Fernando-Pena/dp/B002FUI4CE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1279744705&sr=1-1-spell
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