fanaticita Having only seen Eric Roberts in two films: Pope of Greenwich Village, and King of the Gypsies, I have to say I'm hooked!!! Why Robert isn't a star in the full sense of the word, I'll never know. La Cucaracha was brilliant, taking "Warren" through a journey of self-discovery with a little help along the way. The use of "magical realism" made some moments in the film puzzling to Norteamericano audiences, I'm sure -like how he survived the shooting or the drowning. Suspend belief, folks! I loved the various genres: film noir, dark comedy, etc. And this was clearly Eric Robert's film. He was entirely believable from the opening scenes throughout to the end. Robert has one of those faces that conveys everything. If it's true that the eyes are the mirror of the soul then his performance confirms that belief.The most comical lines are juxtaposed with tragic events: "Why is everybody so nuts???!" One of my favorite lines in the film.For all Eric Robert's fans. . .this is a must!! See it!

adolph70 Eric Roberts and Joaquim de Almeida. Great actors. This movie has that cool Mexican atmosphere that was apparent, albeit in a different tone, in Desperado, the film that opened my eyes to Joaquim de Almeida.After first viewing, the film seems merely average and sort of lost in little details, but once one goes back to delve deeper into its content, we see a film that can be simply interpreted as a character study, that of Eric Roberts. In that, it is most excellent.If you take the film as that, you will enjoy it immensely. However, if you're expecting a true structure of a film with a solid, moving plot, well then perhaps you may be let down by this one. Whatever, I liked it.

BriGuY-1 All in this was a pretty good film. There were definitely several highlights worth mentioning, namely the solid direction, great filming, Eric Robert's performance, and a unique plot. However, there were two main flaws that forced me to give this movie a 6.5. *****SPOILER***** First of all, Roberts should never have survived that shooting. Did this not bother anyone else? How often do people like Mcmanus's Louis "wipe out" a witness and just assume they are dead. Realistically Roberts would have received a final third bullet just to make sure that he wasn't going anywhere. Secondly, the dialogue was very inconsistent. Although, sharp and funny at times, it became almost silly and unrealistic at others.However, despite these two things the movie was still worth seeing, although it could have been much, much, better if only a few small yet important changes were made.

brobstreperous Hoping to flee a life of all-American banality, Walter Pool (Eric Roberts)begins anew in Mexico with the aim of writing a novel. He only succeeds in becoming an alcoholic loner, as he lacks the drive and verbal polish to become a writer. His routinized escape from routine does take on a new twist when he becomes involved with shady characters who do have drive (a willingness to deceive and kill to meet their ends), and verbal polish (speaking in over-the-top purple prose to justify their crimes.)*La Cucaracha* unveils the hollowness of cultivated words and calculated appearances (e.g. the crime king in Armani suits speaks of the ennobling power of suffering, sheds copious tears and makes spectacular shows of philanthropy); however, actions ultimately reveal character. As Pool, Eric Roberts succeeds in playing a man whose verbal inarticulateness painfully reflects his moral inarticulateness. Even though he can't find his writer's voice, does he still have a voice of conscience? Does he have the will to transform his life through action, whether corrupt or heroic? Not since *Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia* have I seen the "loser in search of redemption in a tragic, corrupt world" theme played so well.Although Eric Roberts' acting is superb (especially the scene in which he finally meets and breaks down before the woman he had so idolized), *La Cucaracha* is definitely not for everyone. There is no morally unambiguous hero, and the violence is somewhat heavy, though not mindless--the consequences of violence are frequently the subject of deliberation and remorse. Some might find the dialogue a bit stilted, although it might be more fairly compared to older noir films rather than the quick, punchy dialogue in a lot of recent crime films. If you like noir, character studies of ex-pat drifters, *and* Eric Roberts (his *Coca-Cola Kid*/*Star 80* caliber performances, as opposed to the *Best of the Best Series*), then this could well be for you.