In the span of two weeks, Hollywood has given us two U.S.-Mexico border tomes. Each provides much to consider nationwide, especially in the states possessing the most volatile of spots in America. The first arrived last week, the Liam Neeson starring thriller/heart warmer The Marksmen (centered around the Arizona border with Mexico), and this week brings the Frank Grillo starring and his border ranch family’s supreme efforts to uphold and enforce the law that makes up No Man’s Land.
Whereas Neeson’s Jim lived on the border of Mexico and The Grand Canyon State, Grillo and his clan reside in the wilds of the Lone Star State, aka Texas.
Although Grillo, the veteran actor, headlines this film, the spotlight firmly belongs on the thespian that portrays his son, Jackson (Jake Allyn). In what appears to be a daily and nightly activity, Grillo’s Bill Greer, and his oldest son Lucas Greer (Lucas Mac Nicicoll) patrol their land, armed with rifles to defend themselves to what seems to be a never-ending flow of illegal immigrants crossing their land in search of a better life.
On one fateful evening, Jackson (a baseball phenom with a tryout with the New York Yankees any day now) joins his family in defending their home. He accidentally kills a young Mexican boy and that sets in a series of events that are not only timely but delves deeper than that. No Man’s Land is a film about choices and living with their outcomes for the remainder of your days.
The film is a modern Western, inspired by the real-life “no man’s land” areas that are found along the Texas-Mexico border. After the Mexican immigrant boy is declared dead, Jackson’s father tries to take the blame and Jackson flees south on horseback. He, ironically, has become a gringo “illegal alien” in Mexico. Chased by both Texas Rangers and Mexican Federales, Jackson’s journey across Mexico to seek forgiveness from the dead boy’s father has some fascinating side effects, such as falling in love with the land he was taught to have more disdain than adoration.
No Man’s Land has an interesting premise and brings the border war, that the U.S. has been engaged in for centuries, to the forefront of the American moviegoing psyche.
It is a compelling tale from a subject matter perspective. Sadly, that’s not the only spoke in the movie wheel that gets analyzed and helps a film like 2016’s Hell or High Water reach legendary status. That Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges starrer had heart and characters that provided an emotional tether to the audience. There is none of that in No Man’s Land. This film has the potential to capture this particular swath of American history in a way that is dominating headlines across the country.
Director Conor Allyn (2019’s I’m No Longer Here) took the script from star Jake Allyn, and David Barraza… and brought it to life. This is clearly a passion project for both and as brothers, a priceless opportunity to simultaneously produce something thought-provoking, timely, and hopefully—thrilling. As Meat Loaf used to sing, at least “two out of three ain’t bad.”
There should be an unspoken shorthand between Jake (as star and co-screenwriter) and Conor. Throughout their movie it never materializes. There is a lot of meandering. Once we get past the familial introductions in the film’s first moments, the action happens almost immediately.
On one hand, the taking of a human life by someone who is not only not trained that in that arena, but is an individual starring the American dream in the eyes due to his ability to throw a baseball, is shocking—and carried out well by all involved. It’s just that there is little more going for it. Ironically, Jake’s co-written script fails the actor. There is a lot of promise with Allyn the actor. His career, up until this point, was mostly filled with guest player spots on some television programs, including The Middle. Often actors and actresses are told if they are not getting the auditions or opportunities that befit their talent and interest, to write their own project and bring it to life and let that serve as your intro to the larger Hollywood casting network as a whole.
No Man’s Land is the most fascinating and troubling of films to write about as a reviewer. As the lead actor portraying the lead character where everything is happening to him, it seems like the stakes would be raised to the point where brother directing brother would elevate the material to places that can be described as nothing less than stunning. Unfortunately, that is not what happens. Jackson Greer does do a lot of soul searching after that tragic evening, but as the script was written, it fails him completely.
The very people he and his family have been “battling” with as they traipse through their property could easily have a face or faces attached to it to bring home the human aspect of the American immigration issue. Instead, audiences are given a somewhat boring exposition about a man trying to run away from a murder that could have been easily explained as self-defense. Jackson’s time in Mexico is portrayed as going from one welcoming family or situation to another—all while Mexican Federales and U.S. government officials seek him for questioning for a murder.
While in the south of the border country, Jackson finds something surprising—a full-of-heart people who could not be more worthy for a collective hug if they tried. Nothing like a first-hand account of a people you were told to despise, to enlighten one’s impression and opinion on an entire people. Instead, audiences are treated to movie montage after movie montage. Now, there is nothing with the montage as an easy source of telling a lot of exposition and story details without taking a lot of time. Here, it doesn’t work because we require that emotional connection between Jackson and his “hosts” that never materializes.
This film should be the spark that ignites a national discussion about the treatment of those so-called “illegals” and their plight—as well as those unsung heroes who own land on the border who are dealing with this crisis day in and day out. Instead, it never broadens its appeal beyond Jackson and his family—including his father Bill Greer (Grillo). While in Mexico, Jackson seems to wander from situation to situation without much fanfare, emotive pull or anything resembling a connection between the audience and what is occurring onscreen.
It’s hard to discern where the fault lies. Jake Allyn, the actor, does all he can with the script he was given—by himself! Yet during those introspective moments throughout the middle of act one through the middle of act three, do nothing to enhance or develop our link to the story as a whole. Now, one could argue that Allyn, the screenwriter, failed himself by not going into deeper emotional territory that would allow for some sort of wide-eyed response to the border crisis in Mexico and America. It feels flat and never takes flight when the opportunities to do so lies around every corner. Jake and his co-writer Barraza (who is from Mexico, specifically Chihuahua) has delivered the most basic of tales that has virtually no dressing it up from any angle.
Grillo is the biggest name in the cast, but his Bill Greer, is not given much to do—either as a father of a child on the run in Mexico—or as a rancher doing everything, he can ensure the safety of his family and his property. Grillo is a major talent, as evidenced by his work in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Grey with Liam Neeson, and The Purge: Anarchy. Not even his talents can pull No Man’s Land from a landscape of mediocracy and yes… boredom.
Also, it would be remiss not to mention the turn by “normally” comic actor Geroge Lopez. After a stellar turn in The Tax Collector, perhaps the comedian has a future in drama work. He was excellent in the Shia LaBeouf and Bobby Soto flick and his work in No Man’s Land is deeply layered and surprisingly resonant. He is playing a Texas Ranger (yes they still exist!… someone in the film asks) and he is equally bumbling and piercingly focus on right versus wrong in an arena where there is a lot of greys. The George Lopez Show veteran doesn’t get a lot of screen time but does extraordinary work with what he is given. His sympathy alone for Jackson is a testament to his talents.
MacDowell does her part as well as she can, given the blandness she inherited from a flat screenplay. Whereas in 2019’s Ready or Not, she was equally fierce and performed with a finesse that was pitch-perfect for the horror flick, the multiple Golden Globe nominee isn’t given much to work with here and comes off as a not-so-thought out wife of the main character (Brillo)
Now, it is shot extremely well shot by cinematographer Juan Pablo Ramírez (from Colombia) who is gifted the time to deliver establishing shots by his helmer that are some of the best aspects of the storytelling! But it looks like a modern western and packing the punch of those films who live in that milieu are something completely different. It’s always all about the story. Without captivating moments that connect audiences’ collective hearts to those acting out our story onscreen, results in a fruitless exercise.
Grade: C-
No Man’s Land is available to stream on various outlets.