The Burning

In the wilds of Argentina, unscrupulous business interests use brutal mercenaries to clear the land of farmers. But salvation could be at hand, in this eco-warrior drama with a mythic twist. First, a jet of flame magically stretches along a flowing river, and then mysterious Gael García Bernal emerges half-naked from the forest to track down the villains who've parted a powerless peasant from his isolated patch and his daughter (Alice Braga). García Bernal plays someone who's also suffered, but there's also a suggestion he's spiritually in tune with the land (and indeed the magnificent prowling jaguar known as "El Tigre") as he vengefully pursues the interlopers. García Bernal may be slight of build, but as demonstrated in the splendid No, he can certainly manifest steely determination on screen. He makes the most of a slightly woolly conceit, while Argentinian director Pablo Fendrik conjures startling images from the local flora and fauna, and carries off the climactic Sergio Leone-inspired stand-off with some aplomb.