El Cortez

Neither really a thriller, or mystery, nor clever enough in its plot, twists, or script El Cortez is a pleasant enough diversion but lacks any real distinction.

The plot is nothing you haven't seen before, the characters are OK, but really below par. The fault may lie with Lou Diamond Philips. He is not a character actor in the mould of Edward Norton and the way he plays Manny is too off-balance for the material. The fact that he plays the ex-com hotel desk clerk like Edward Norton would have just doesn't ring true somehow.

The rest of the cast are good, especially James McDaniel as the cop, but the material is somehow flat. The real fault lies in the way it is shot: too light, and bright. I would have liked the lighting and shooting to have been less TV movie mode and more film noir: more shadows, and less claustrophobic. I felt Stephen Purvis wanted it to be a small tale, which is right, but would have liked to have built more atmosphere. A soundtrack would have helped enormously.

There is nothing spectacularly wrong with El Cortez it just is what it is: a small theatrical thriller that would work well as a stage piece and fails to translate its convictions and menace to film.

Overall, worth watching if you like the genre, but don't expect too much.

I saw this film while on vacation this summer. It was late at night and I didn't feel like sleeping, so I tuned on. To my surprise, there was Lou Diamond Phillips, an actor I always liked, playing a very uncharacteristic part of a hotel clerk who had psychological issues. There were quite a few hot scenes involving Lou and his smoking hot partner. The "love triangle" was also interesting, but Glenn Plummer's character was so loathsome that I couldn't wait for him to be whacked.

I think this was a rather enjoyable film, there was lots of suspense and acting was solid. Phillips has never given a bad performance, despite not being fully appreciated as a drama actor. Here he is very solid and proves his range as actor. There was some violence here as well, but none of it is overwhelming. The plot kinda pulls you in and makes you follow it to the end. Not a great film, but a rather good one. 7 stars.

Better than 70% of Diamond's work over the past 10 years. The story is plenty nifty, but is lost in a sea averageness. The pacing of this movie I found to be horrendous. The plot twists were slightly contrived and, while not bad, a little tedious. I could have done without that BS ending, as well. Was not satisfying.

I think Lou gave a good performance, as did the young blond. In fact, the cast, along with the seedy lighting and atmosphere of the film, were its only real saving graces. Some of the dialog was rather solid, as well. Wish the script would have been up to snuff.

But since I am a Diamond fan from back in the day, I will take it easy on the film. It is a tolerable film, and could have been worse. I hope Lou keeps striving to choose better roles.

If it's free, check it out.

This movie is one of the best I've seen in a long time. The actors all do an excellent job with their characters and the chemistry is definitely there throughout each scene. The setting in Reno is perfect for the whole show of all these character's messed up existences that intertwine so intricately. My only real complaint was that there wasn't really a clear picture of who Manny was before he got to the El Cortez, only a few well placed flashbacks, which left me with questions. I suppose that information was not particularly relevant to the situation that elicited the flashback, so it's no big deal. Through the years I have seen many good movies and read lots of great fiction. This movie is fast paced like so many of its big budget brethren, but unlike many of those big budget films that fall apart at the end, El Cortez keeps you on edge right to the end, like a good page turner novel would. You know the kind, the ones you read through the night to find out what happens at the end. Don't miss this one.

In the era of instant gratification, high action car chases, and predictable plot outcomes, it's nice to see a film that exemplifies the definition of film noir. This is what El Cortez can provide for audiences, a smart, dynamic, and unique film noir. Directed by Stephen Purvis, written by Chris Haddock, and lead by Lou Diamond Phillips in an outstanding cast, El Cortez, features all of those things that movie goers love to see. It has mystery, romance, suspense, humor and violence, it's a film that both genders will enjoy.

The film takes place in a local hotel in Reno, Nevada, and it revolves around it's autistic care taker, Manny DeSilva (Phillips), and his mysterious hotel guests. Although most of the actors, besides Lou Diamond Phillips, are unknown, they all deliver spectacular performances. The protagonist Manny, played exceedingly by Lou Diamond Phillips, is a complex middle-aged autistic man, who has a violent past, and is surrounded by people who seek to exploit him for his disability. El Cortez revolutionizes the way that autistic characters should be portrayed. Manny is strong, intelligent, complex, but also very vulnerable. As he tries to make a better future for himself, Manny's violent past catches up with him, and he's thrown into a world of deception, love, and betrayal. Lou Diamond Phillip's performance is not the typical way autistic characters have been represented in previous films, and Manny's character illustrates the complexity and dynamics of autistic people.

"Come to a place where secret's lie," is the tagline of the film, and it illustrates the mystery and complexity of this film noir. El Cortez is full of twists and suspense, however, in an age of constant plot twists (seen in most M. Night Shyamalan's films), "twists" have now become the norm. It seems that ever movie has to have an unsuspecting plot twist, including El Cortez. However, I feel that the plot twist of this film does not flow well, and will not make sense to most audiences. This is the only aspect of the film that I disliked. The rest of the film went against the typical Hollywood norms, but at the end, it succumbed to the typical Hollywood explosions, and a plot twist that's unpredictable, but out of place as well. Overall, I would recommend this film, due to it's humor, mystery, suspense, and charm, despite its typical ending. 2 ½ out of 4 stars.