Perdita Durango

"Perdita Durango"(1997)made by Alex de la Iglesia is a perfect mix of sex and violence.The film is well-made and interesting-the action is fast and there is plenty of nasty violence on display.The acting is very good-Rosie Perez shines as a rough Perdita and Javier Bardem is equally memorable as her companion Romeo.There are also some moments of black humour which make the film easier to watch.All in all I enjoyed "Perdita Durango" and you should too,if you're a fan of Iglesia's works.However I still think that "Accion Mutante" and "The Day of the Beast" are better movies.My rating:7/10.

I saw six movies in three days at my first Toronto Film Festival -- this one last, after a slow-moving Japanese film, "Afterlife" (which I also enjoyed, and the pace of which set up this film wonderfully). I saw this uncut and on the big screen, and it shot right through my veins like an amphetamine from a slingshot. Javier Bardem is one of those rare actors who is so good, who disappears so far into his roles, that a lot of people still don't know him. Pity -- he's the pivot of this film, the steady-burning sun around which equally dazzling Rosie Perez throbs in her mad ecliptic orbit. The acting is, in fact -- in spite of what you're reading elsewhere here -- perfectly pitched in all quarters. I managed to get an uncut video copy online a few years back from ebay, and it IS true, the movie loses a bit in the translation from big-screen to small, but trust me, it's still a wild ride. I left the theater feeling like I'd been set on fire with gasoline and Vaseline.

I stumbled into this film while channel surfing the other night and couldn't turn it off. There's something compelling about the performances of Javier Bardem and Rosie Perez that transform this film from what could have been a mediocre exploitation film to something well worth watching. There's a lot of original thinking here and luckily the director and editor got the mix just right to pull of a real gem. There is a mix of comedy, romance, evil, pathos and irony blended in a way to keep you off balance and always wondering what's around the next corner (what's with the fetuses?). 7 out of 10.

I picked up DANCE WITH THE DEVIL at the local video store, basically because Rosie Perez was on the cover holding a double-barrel shotgun. Need I say more? Okay I will. Originally titled "Perdita Durango" after Rosie's character, this is one twisted, shocking, and absolutely fantastic film. Although a little on the low budget-side, it definitely makes up for it with a killer script and terrific performances from the entire cast. It was based on the novel by Barry Gifford who also co-wrote the screenplay. You might remember him from writing David Lynch's films WILD AT HEART and LOST HIGHWAY. Although Perdita is the main character of the film, there is little known about who she really is and what she is all about. Javier Bardem basically steals the show through his intense performance as Romeo, the devil with the rattlesnake boots. Of course we cannot forget James "Tony Soprano" Gandolfini who delivers a great role as a narcotics detective. Like some kind of twisted cross between NATURAL BORN KILLERS and DESPERADO, this film never lets up from start to finish. It's definitely a contemporary cult classic chock full of violence, sex, drugs, dark humor, voodoo, and......Hey I don't want to give it all away, just see it!!!

Following the success of El Dia De Bestia and Accion mutante, once again the director pursues the nature of dark obsession. The two main leads are dysfunctional amoral sadists who re in some ways rediscovering a part of them that they miss - love.

It's a story of trying to move on but the main characters are very amoral however there's darker circles than them, which pulls them further down the spiral. In essence this movie is an antithesis of a glamour Mafia movie and I believe represents Mafia dealings in a very dark fashion. In some ways I believe there's a nod to David Lynch with the actor playing the Mafia boss.

The film is not a sick puppy nor is it banal. For those that have followed this director they will read between the lines to discover some salient points of US government intervention out of the states and human traffic - in this case embryos used for beauty products. Like 'clean Madrid' in El Dia de Bestia there were fascist movements in the capital at the time. Iglaisia puts this on the screen as a cultural reminder.

Watching this movie at face value will seem very ultra violent and in some places extremely disturbing. Unlike other cult producers like Tarintino Iglasia uses a loot of cult cultural references to make his films extremely dark and funny (like La Communidad). If you're Latin or Spanish I feel there would be a lot more in this movie for you. Recommended viewing - but not for the faint hearted.