AllMovie

In 1992, Robert Rodriguez pulled off a legendary feat in independent cinema, cobbling together a hip shoot-'em-up (El Mariachi) for the cost of the loose coins in his sofa (7,000 dollars). Robbing Peter is a much more typical example of what a low-budget Mexican crime thriller from a first-time director should look like. It's not fair to pick on Mario F. de la Vega for his choice of novice actors, who are almost certainly working for free, or his inability to finance music to enliven the film's slow crawl toward the credits. But the one thing that doesn't cost a cent is a screenplay, if you're the one writing it. De la Vega's script is a succession of heavy-handed clunkers in which each character gives voice to philosophical musings over his or her status as a "criminal." This might not be a problem in the erudite hands of someone like David Mamet, if it were limited to one or two characters, but when taciturn small-timers without any acting chops try to pull it off, it comes across as foolishly ambitious. The would-be intertwining plot takes eons for a sense of connectedness, let alone a payoff, and when it comes, it's the most boring Mexican standoff ever. One has to consider Robbing Peter's four Independent Spirit nominations more like a condescending pat on the head than a recognition of any real accomplishment.