Highway Patrolman

British director Alex Cox made this brilliant film after he was blacklisted from Hollywood for working during the 1988 writer's strike.

Prior to that he was an up-and-coming talent who had made two movies, punk rock bio "Sid and Nancy" and cult hit "Repo Man" and he was on the verge of hitting it big. After the strike, he was placed on the "do not hire" list by all film studios and he ended up having to go to Mexico and make a film in Spanish.

The awesome part is that the film he made is brilliant. It's an episodic look at the life of a young Highway Patrolman named Pedro, played by Roberto Sosa. It begins as he graduates the police academy and quickly learns that lying, cheating, and graft are often necessary components to a uniformed cop's life.

The film follows Pedro through various assignments, a failed relationship with one woman who is borderline homicidal and another who is a prostitute. He has kids and he often has to work other jobs just to survive, and through it all is the spectre of his absent father who never really thought much of him or his chances in life.

It sounds really downbeat but it isnt! Cox makes it all remarkably enjoyable and entertaining and the camerawork is INCREDIBLE. Many of the scenes are a single unbroken shot that ends up being very complex. It's great!

Check out this movie if you get a chance.