heavy hand moralism . writer use character a mouthpiece to speak for themselves . predictable and plod plot point ( say that five time fast ) . a child imitation of britney spear . this film have all the earmark of a lifetime special reject . i honestly believe that jesus nebot and julia montejo set out to create a thought provoking and emotional film on a tough subject and explore the idea that thing be not always black and white and that one who be a criminal by definition be not necessarily a bad human be and and that there can be extenuate circumstance and especially when one put the well be of a child first . however and their earnestness end up be channel into preachy dialogue and trite situation plant to move the plot along . the decent production value and interesting use of documentary style camera footage be not enough to accomplish their aim when the script and the act fall flat . logic be often compromise for the sake of create tension represent soid first try to blackmail pablo into participate in her documentary in exchange for help them escape and then in the same breath basically tell him not to trust her because she not help them out of altruism . well and duh . and for a man on the run and pablo be far too sway by a temper tantrum . cristina well be be so important to him that he flee capture and jail or deportation for her and but he willing to risk all that to appease her when she doesn not want to go to mexico . right . talk above over permissive parenting . third and when pablo employer charlie give the phone to detective bright and she be remarkably unprofessional and especially give her seniority do she really think she be persuasive . oh and yeah and i would have turn myself in . cch pounder detective wims could wipe the floor with her . to be fair and i would like to list the thing i like . um and i like the midget . and i like the fact that the midget be name sexy . there cross dressing and always a plus while juvenile cross dressing and no less . harry be infinitely cute than cristina . but my favorite moment in the film have to be when cristina kick detective not so bright . i also find it interesting that and in a heavily minority cast ( which i much appreciate and by the way ) and the black character be the racist one . too bad it just throw out there and not far explore . there a distinctive and unconventional score and but it nonetheless generally context unspecific and not enhance mood or tension in any scene and except the pathetic and anguish wail every time the main character be in anguish and a though they think his act doesn not show it enough represent just in case you weren not sure and he upset and and we have the musical cue to prove it . stilted and clichéd dialogue result in a depressing lack of subtext while everything have to be spell out in dialogue and even when the body language have be up til then convey it just fine . for example and every impassioned speech pablo make and and mrs. knight lament that her child would not be crawl into bed with them in the morning . papi and tell me about mama again what shameless and blatant exposition introduce the generic dead wife . ( she always the most beautiful woman the widower have ever see and the kindest he have ever meet . why can not we see a man cry over a woman like shakespeare she may be fat and ugly and obnoxious and but his love for her be deep a ocean . now _there _ a story which would move me . ) the police always be literally one step behind them give many scene the out of place feeling of a french farce . most boring foot chase ever bright and lightning be so out of shape and easily fool ( he certainly isn not quick a lightning and and she and well and i do not feel the need to spell thing out ) . some guy drag along a small child outrun a bicycle cop and complete with macho biker pick a fight but then be fell by a child . to quote margaret cho and that so sad . would we ever see this on cop . hackneyed and over the top deus ex machina represent a an employer and would you really waive check his green card just because he can quote the author of the inspirational saying on a poster behind your desk . plus several scene and include the above and threaten to devolve into porn represent well and i will do this favor for you and as long a you do something for me . i can almost hear the bowm chicka bowm bowm . when the parent view the footage shot of pablo remorse and the grieving mom freak out be the most real the movie feel . unfortunately and this be diminish by the fact that she look completely sway by his emotional speech right up until she go ballistic . a more ambivalent look would be more convincing here . i be in constant awe of the stupidity of the main character do thing for the sake of plot represent hold up a convenience store without a mask and visit the dead girl grave . and why doesn not the mother recognize his face from when she saw him before he drive off . you seem awfully familiar . what be the purpose of that wholly unnecessary and somewhat gratuitous scene with soid and the artificially enhanced bartender . character development . tch . too little and too late . speaking of unnecessary trait that never go anywhere and detective lightning say skeptical detective bright must be a scorpio show how little he really know about the occult . and i do not think that believe in fate quite qualifies a voodoo mumbo jumbo . at the end and when bright hold pablo a he die wait and why do she care now . her character be as inconsistent a soid . what and she have to shoot him just because she say stop and or i will shoot . ( she care _so_much_ about her integrity thus far . ) he be unarmed . there be no need for lethal force . what wrong with shoot him in the leg to immobilize him . finally and cristina childlike acceptance of her mother death give dr. knight peace over his daughter death so forced . and the contrivance of the family whose child be kill become cristina new family . it anger me that she could be a replacement for their little girl . it also unrealistic that a white couple would take in the latino daughter of the man who kill their own daughter . i be not say there aren not generous and loving people who would do that . i be just say that the character here be never develop far enough for me to believe that _they_ would do that . i find it offensive that another imdb reviewer say that of course a a woman she be move by the sappy scene . i be a woman who reserve my emotional movement for moment that do not wax sentimental in a manufactured manner . co writer and co director and co star nebot say himself he wear too many hat during this production . too many cook may spoil the broth and but one cook alone just might end up make an after school special . in conclusion and this film title have less to do with the story and more to do with the feeling of regret and helplessness and and loss accompany the revelation that you will never see your money again .