5/5 An excellent thriller
  by Mach Challen (Scottsdale, AZ United States)
There are some genres that Hollywood manages to do very well. Big, larger-than-life blockbusters featuring comicbook superheroes, starships and aliens, or a solitary figure facing insurmountable odds as he takes on his pursuers...while foreign films are usually known for their solid storylines about life in the real world fleshed out with strong character developments. One doesn't usually associate the thriller or action genres with foreign films.
Todos Los Dias Son Tuyos is a film that falls into the thriller category, and this could easily be something that Hollywood would make. Written and directed by Jose Luis Gutierrez, and featuring fine performances by Mexican and Spanish actors, this film goes by seamlessly from scene to scene, and one can't help but get caught up in Eliseo's (played by Mario Oliver, who appeared with Javier Bardem in Before Night Falls) plight. Eliseo is a tabloid photographer in Mexico City who, aside from his weird obsession with his neighbor Maria(a Spanish national who is also Basque), seems like a decent and average fellow. There has been a series of murders in the city involving Spanish citizens and possibly Basque separatists, hence the appearance of a Spanish policewoman who is sent to investigate the homicides with the full cooperation of the higher-ups in both governments. The interplay and tension between the two officers, Graciela/La Rubia and the lead Mexican detective Carvajal are powerful undercurrents that help drive this film forward to its inevitable conclusion. The roles are beautifully played by veteran actors Spaniard Emma Suarez and Mexican Alejandro Camacho. Eliseo becomes the prime suspect when Maria is murdered. His quirky obsession with his neighbor certainly doesn't cause the police to look elsewhere for the killer. Mario Oliver gives his Eliseo character that caught-in-the-middle but determined-to-have-the-truth-revealed effect. Even if he appears way overmatched. Good performances, too, from the supporting cast.
In all, the movie's pace is steady and well-directed. It certainly doesn't feel like a film that is just a shade over 2 hours. The fact that it is subtitled doesn't take away from the storyline. The subtitles are clear and easy to read, and one becomes so immersed in the plot that the subtitles move into the background.
An excellent film. Kudos to Univision Home Entertainment for releasing this to the English-speaking market.