Foster Child

It's almost a static, frozen-framed family drama by Mendoza, that takes a slow path building a mother-and-son relationship -- that looks real and touching, but it's professional -- and then is elevated by the director's most dramatic finale of his career, when this foster mom suddenly realizes she's losing another temporary baby to American "customers". It's a calm, quiet camera for a story that demands a calm, quiet observation.

"Like Cristian Mungiu did in 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Brillante Mendoza attempts to take the camera from the opening shot of Touch of Evil to quotidian life in the slums." - David Phelps