Dale Haufrect "The Burning Plain" is an excellent film from 2008. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Guillermo Arriaga, and the screenwriter is him as well. It is a complex film that reaches back in time with several stories simultaneously. Cause harm repeatedly to most parts of the body and they eventually grow desensitized, calloused and indifferent to the pain over time. This dispassionate, earthy and very dry aesthetic that film-maker Guillermo Arriaga applies to the world of his first major directorial outing is king; between the barren desert landscapes that permeate within the backdrops of his strangely distant and out-of-sync characters and the sparse narrative that intertwines it all together, The Burning Plain views life as a series of scars—cold and unrepresentative of the pain that brought them to the surface, but a firm reminder as such that nothing ever quite goes away, no matter how far you run. For the characters of Arriaga's story, a central catastrophe of sorts serves as the unfortunate catalyst that will bring them all together whether they like it or not. A burning trailer, housing two lovers sharing a passionate affair behind their families back, exploding in a rage of flames seemingly caused by accident. For them, the movie opens with their death thus absolving them from living with their irrevocable actions, but for those they leave behind the past stays as a constant and dictates largely how each of their futures will develop. I gave this movie 0 stars. Dale Haufrect

Tomas Maly Similar to movies like Babel or 21 Grams, this movie is based around a tragic event, and the characters surrounding it. The connectedness among the characters is something that is revealed slowly, though I will say it becomes apparent enough about 30 minutes in how Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lawrence are connected, primarily through a third (Mexican) character. You see several Mexican men (and boys), but watch for the guy with the big nose, and you'll start to piece it together. It's not until about the half way point that you start to realize how the Mexican girl plays into the whole thing. I got the impression that the movie had a certain sad and depressing ending, but I felt like the tragedy/sadness was more of the climax than the ending. You see Charlize Theron's character behaving throughout the movie with a certain sense of self-loathing and thankfully the end of the movie shows the beginnings of change in her character for the better. There is in fact two tragedies in this movie, and it's not until about 3/4 of the way through that you start to understand why the second one happened. Which is related to the first one, the burning trailer. I feel that Kim Bassinger as a cheating mother and Jennifer Lawrence as the aware and yet bitter daughter, was a dynamic that both played very well. Faced with self-shame and loneliness, a mother of four finds romance in another man and as the story goes on, you start to see her carefulness slipping, as the daughter (Jennifer Lawrence) learns of the situation. She begins to express a certain coldness and yet self- inflicted pain/mutilation that is the product of learning to hate her own mother.In the end, we are presented with the moral that we always have a choice to live with shame or live with love. The film has a certain sensation of epicness, in the sense of showing the human extremes of love, tragedy, hope, reconciliation, hatred, shock, etc, but I'm glad it ends on somewhat of a semi- positive note.The only real gripe I have is the sudden ending that leaves the viewer on a certain emotional string. We are left with a certain feeling of hope, but the scene cuts out just as Charlize Theron's character decides to make a different choice (of not running away) - rather than showing what actually happens next because of that choice. The ending would have felt less ambiguous (though somewhat hopeful) and more uplifting. It could have lasted one more scene, with hugs and smiles and what not, and still kept the depth of humanness in the whole story, without being too cheezy.

OJT There's great stuff in this film by Guillermo Arriaga, which also was behind Amores perros, 21 Grams and Babel, which is all good. This is also very interesting, but maybe Arriaga here goes a bit lost in his own storytelling? It's possible to love the excitement and dramatics of loose cannons, but there's maybe a couple to many out here.This film will be loved by many, others will be turned off by the edited storyline, the slow pace, the strange and often appalling behavior of otherwise neat people. This is also things which makes other interested. But this has been done better, without the bad behavior. It's real enough, the exaggerations makes it less believable. There's simply not that many insane people in a small place like this, doing the wrong and right things the way they are here.Good acting, but still some annoying ways of behavior. Great scenery though bleak use of nature, a lingering excitement though not fulfillment, great ideas though purely executed. Though could have been amazing, like f.e. The Dead Girl, but is just a good try. A nice try in a everyday environment, but somehow it's difficult in accepting the way people act when in different situations. It all gets a bit to desperate.It's not difficult to follow, though Arriaga has made his best in trying to confuse and lose the audience on the way. But I feel that the film is lost in a try to make this film more important, serious and real than necessary, and therefore loses some of its way. Love and life is difficult, and often messy, but the filmmaking hasn't got to enhance that. Kudos for good idea, but next time make someone see it over!

Chrysanthepop Films about interlocked fragmented stories aren't anything new to writer and director Guillermo Arriaga. As director, 'The Burning Plain' is his first feature film and its quite apparent that he has poured his heart into it. Here too the film involves three stories that are told separately but linked by the first scene.However, the non-linearity of storytelling is initially confusing but once the tragic link is made apparent, the gut-wrenching conclusion (that explains the explosion shown in the first scene) hits the viewer hard. The setting is very simplistic but rich in atmosphere especially with the dark subtle undertones. The beautiful score contributes well.Arriaga has gathered an impressive ensemble of actors who deliver wonderfully understated performances. Charlize Theron portrays Sylvia with a subtle intensity. Kim Basinger is skillfully restrained and Jennifer Lawrence shows tremendous potential. John Corbett, Robin Tunney, José María Yazpik, Rachel Ticotin, Brett Cullen, Tessa Ia and Joaquin de Almeida provide great support.Despite the initial confusion, the narrative is strong. There are a few clichés that could have been avoided, such as the confession scene in the hospital, but these are very minor and don't effect the impact of the film. In the end, 'The Burning Plain' is a solid film.