This Tarnished Gringo Shines

Mel Gibson may not be the most popular actor out there now, but there is no denying that he has had one of Hollywood’s more impressive careers over the last three or so decades. He puts everything he has into his work and one of his most recent films that once again impresses, yet has sadly gone unnoticed, is the 2012 crime flick Get the Gringo.

Mel Gibson plays the unnamed criminal with the heart of . . . lets change it from gold to something along the lines of tarnished bronze. After all, we first meet the lead in a car chase as he flees from pursuing police along the Mexican border. The man is wearing a clown mask – accoutrement fitting for the fast talking sarcastic criminal, while his partner is dying in the back seat of a gun shot wound. In a last ditch attempt to evade the coppers, he hits a pile of dirt and flips the car through the wall separating the two countries. When the Mexican police realize that the duo are carrying bag-loads of money, they decide not to return the bandits to the American officer (Dean Norris – Breaking Bad), keeping the cash and burying the remaining survivor (Gibson) deep in the Mexican prison system.

But it is not the type of jail that you are thinking of; or as the Gringo puts it “is this a prison, or the world’s shittiest mall?”. It is like the slummiest mini-city you’ve ever seen, with hardcore drug shops on the corner, prisoners that are allowed to carry guns, and a high end wing for the rich criminals (who basically run the joint). The American quickly settles into the bizarre world, learning how everything ebbs and flows. He sneakily robs from numerous individuals to fund his (so-called) life inside the criminal hood. It is this thieving that catches the eye of a young boy who is an expert at observing the shady goings-on within the walls of the institution. The Gringo befriends the kid (Kevin Hernandez) and soon learns that the robe wearing, Hugh Hefner-like kingpin is named Javi (Daniel Giménez Cacho) – who has placed protection over the boy as they have the same blood type and he will soon be needing a liver transplant.

There is almost as much danger on the outside for our crooked hero of sorts, as he has stolen the money from a criminal overlord named Frank (Peter Stormare) on the stateside. Frank has sent his hit squad out to find the crooked officers who kept his dough, after which their job is to kill the thief who has pissed their boss off. Things take another violent step forward when Javi’s crew intercept the money and keep it for themselves – making for one scary gang war. The Gringo’s life is further complicated by a sketchy American embassy worker (Peter Gerety) who is looking to fleece him.

Though there are no real good guys in this film, the relationship found between the Gringo and the kid is heartwarming. He takes the boy under his wing (though most parents will likely frown upon the man giving the child cigarettes – though he does buy him nicotine gum to help him quit) and truly cares for him and his mother (Dolores Heredia). The three divulge their most personal tales, demonstrating the bond that they have formed. It takes a lot for the child to admit that he is basically a ticking time bomb of an organ donor, while the American shares the story of how his best friend (and criminal partner) put him behind bars and ran away with his wife (which has resulted in the man having vivid dreams about the twosome ever since).

In order to save his own life, the Gringo convinces Javi to smuggle him out of prison so that he can kill Frank (cancelling out the issue for both of them). Concocting a clever plan which consists of an entertaining impersonation of Clint Eastwood, using a shipping magnate (Bob Gunton), as well as carrying an umbrella – to name but a few of the pieces of the puzzle, the criminal blows his enemy away. Yet, once free and clear (with a new identity), will he risk his own life, returning to the prison to save the boy and his mother, or will he take the easy way out?

Get the Gringo has a little bit of everything. You will get some quality shoot-em-up action, a nice dosage of comedy, an unusual buddy team, and a solid story from beginning to end (with the finale succeeding compared to so many other films of this ilk that fall flat). Gibson deserves much of the credit as producer, co-writer and star of the film. He brings a certain charm to a character that very well could have been off-putting. He still shows that he can do both comedy and action at a high standard, be it with his sharp-tongued voice over narration or when he is cracking heads in the most unorthodox of ways. It must also be added that Gibson’s buddy Adrian Grunberg, who worked with him on Edge of Darkness and Apocalypto, also took pen to paper as well as directed the flick. Get the Gringo is a highly engaging action flick that is well worth a watch. You may never have fathomed in your wildest dreams that Gibson would ever make another quality motion picture after all of his troubles, yet the reality is, he has.

Some subtitles.