Kodie Bird
True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
Yash Wade
Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.
Ezmae Chang
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Phillipa
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
poe426
Just yesterday as I write this, the family next door was uprooted; why, I have no idea: a drug-sniffing dog came over and gave MY yard the once-over. The Latino kid who used to mow my lawn was taken away in handcuffs. One of the characters in COYOTE asks a young Latina: "What's The Mexican Dream?" "The American Dream," she responds. Read Charles Bowden's shocking MURDER CITY (about Juarez, Mexico) and anything about the Real World consequences of NAFTA and maybe it'll start to add up. I once did a cartoon for a local paper (2008) that showed a Latino male with Mexico stitched across the front of his cap holding a sign that read : WILL WORK FOR RESPECT (see it at capefearcomics.webs or facebook). Some local yokels got a little uptight about it. The editor of said paper (bless her) followed up with a second cartoon I drew that showed Pilgrims coming ashore here in The New World. The caption read: The FIRST illegal aliens. The hand-held, heightened realism of the documentary-style approach to COYOTE makes it worth seeing. See it.
ThreeThumbsUp
When scrolling through the channels the other day, I came across this little gem. At first, I honestly wasn't all that interested, but I stuck with it...and boy am I glad I did.Although it starts a tad slow, Coyote really heats up in the final 40 minutes or so, bringing everything together in divine detail. This film needed to be carried by the storyline and plot movement because the acting honestly wasn't all that great, but competent. Outside of his drunken tirade on the beach, Brian Peterson's performance as Steve stood out as the strongest. He was actually really funny in some parts.This film certainly has an "independent" vibe to it, but that doesn't mean it's amateur. The lighting was sometimes a little off, but overall, the camera work was strong, and in some scenes, very strong. I would certainly recommend this picture to anyone who is interested in seeing something outside of the Hollywood box.I missed the opening 20 minutes or so, but basically a couple guys decide to enter the business of human smuggling. Everything starts harmless enough as the pair transports dozens of Mexicans to the United States with relative ease. But things begin to erode little by little. When J. (played by Brett Spackman) is stopped at the border and the authorities find the compartment in which he has been smuggling humans with. Needless to say, that portion of the operation in immediately shut down. Their next option is to herd and transport via foot, which only gets them into a whole new set of dire circumstances. I won't give anything away, but like I said, the film's final act really takes off.
kloeb2
Living in Arizona on the border we have always dealt with the issues of illegal aliens. Currently w/the drug cartels and the legislation passed, it has really come to the forefront. This was a truly empathetic, yet realistic movie. "Coyote" is an awful word here. They are lowlife who prey on the unfortunate. It is sad that people who only want a better life are so exploited and even killed in that quest. While this is illegal..in the movie, these men try to temper it in a way that shows care for these people and won't get them killed. They, still however, profit off their plight. One of them, however, pays the ultimate price. Don't miss it.
Angela Caldwell
Don't Miss this film. If you can get a chance to see it at a festival do so.I saw this movie at the Big Bear International Film Festival by chance. Right away I knew this movie was one of a kind. The festival jury agreed by awarding the film Best Feature Jury Award. Well deserved! You can tell when a group of filmmakers know how to tell a story and this group did a great job of telling a sensitive subject matter. They have breathed life and humanity back into the debate of illegal immigration. I hope there are a lot more festivals for this film and I would not be surprised if it ended up in theaters soon. A must see! Don't miss it.