Matando Cabos

Institute History

  • 2005 Sundance Film Festival

Description

A madcap comedy of mistakes motivated by greed, love, and revenge, this high-octane pulp fiction is a whirlwind journey of old friendships, budding engagements, and kidnappings, kidnappings, kidnappings!

Oscar Cabos, a multimillionaire tycoon, is being held for ransom—only his captors have nabbed the wrong man. Now, to get their money, they must find the real Cabos—which could get tricky since he's been counterkidnapped by his future son-in-law and impersonated by his childhood friend (now his janitor), Nacho. To make matters worse, the two desperate friends who started this mess must rely on the less-than-delicate street savvy of former wrestler Mascarita and the pint-sized Tony "The Cannibal" to sort it all out.

Stylish cinematography, musical tangles, epic car crashes, and a Santo parody are just some of the elements in this energetic ride. Even the title is playful; literally it means "Killing Cabos," but removing one letter creates the more apropos "Tying Loose Ends." First-time filmmaker Alejandro Lozano and his equally fresh production team have crafted an homage to the American ciné-poets Scorsese, Tarantino, and Jarmusch, while spinning it with a distinctly Mexican accent. It's no accident that kidnapping is at the heart of this comedy, which takes a taboo Mexico City reality and laughs at it, openly, with an insider chilango wit.

— Joseph Beyer

Screening Details

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