Review by josedlaura

Dominican Republic is a wonderful country full of contrasts. In one hand, we have a little piece of Paradise called Samaná, a place where you feel like in Heaven with the most beautiful beaches in the world. In the other, our people live in poverty and, sometimes, they have to do anything to survive. Samaná is the natural scenery of "Sand Dollars", fourth film of the real-life couple, Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas, based freely on the homonymous novel by Jean-Noél Pancrazi. In this tropical Shangri La, young people sell their bodies to foreigners who buy with dollars the illusion of love in the permanent orgy of tobacco, rum and sex disguise of tenderness and with a soundtrack of authentic 'bachatas'. In the Neo-realism cinema tradition, the directors recruit talents without any experience in movies, like Yanet Mojica and Ricardo Ariel Toribio. Together, is Geraldine Chaplin, a heavyweight name, who gives one of the most brave and fearless role in years. "Sand Dollars", easily is the best Dominican movie of 2014. A must see.