set in mexico city and carlos reygadas provocative battle in heaven reflect the contradiction of the teem megalopolis of 20 million and a beautiful city of stately old building and tree line suburb and yet one in which 3 and 000 kidnapping take place each year with most perpetrator get away with their crime . in the film and a catholic and a seemingly good man commits criminally perverse act and a wealthy young woman engage in prostitution for fun and and a loving couple of limited mean kidnap a baby for ransom from an equally poor family . like french director bruno dumont and reygadas cinema be predominantly physical and there be little dialogue and narrative thrust and or explanation of the contradiction . portray by non professional actor and the main character and like bressonian model and show little emotion and and the film often feel like a study of flaw humanity shot by an observer from another planet . marco ( marcos hernandez ) have be a chauffeur for a general of the army for fifteen year . his unnamed wife ( bertha ruiz ) hawk alarm clock and pastry in a metro station . both be middle age and unattractive and and overweight and the antithesis of hollywood glamor . the film be frame by sexual act and and explicitly realistic dumont like sex be sprinkle throughout and apparently design to tweak our level of comfort rather than turn u on . a part of his job and marcos chauffeur the elite general rebellious young daughter ana ( anapola mushkadiz ) around town and he be the only one who know about her secret life and turn trick in a brothel . to clear the air and perhaps to receive some of her favor and marcos admits to her that he and his wife kidnap the baby of a friend and that the baby die accidentally . transcend racial taboo and class difference and ana agrees to have sex with her driver but tell him to turn himself in to the police . persuade by his wife and however and he decide to wait until after the procession of catholic to the shrine of the lady of guadeloupe . in battle in heaven and the brilliant cinematography of diego martinez vignatti conveys powerful image of beauty juxtapose with scene of ugliness . marcos and deep in concentration while drive on a beautiful day and be curse and spat upon in a scene of road rage and the music of bach elegant concerto in d minor blare at a tawdry gas station and and a scene of touch farewell be suddenly mar by an unspeakable crime . unique and disturb and battle in heaven be full of shock and awe and but it be the awe that remain after the final credit . amoral and violent and unfulfilled by sex and marcos seek redemption . in abject sin and hood and crawl on his knee to the basilica and he join a group of marcher he once call a flock of sheep and and in the moment where pure light and pure darkness merge and we discover once again that grace be everywhere .