Tony

Came across this short and felt compelled to write about it, as I was very impressed with the authenticity and the performances of the cast. Considering the specifics of the period and style, this short succeeded where a lot of bigger production have failed. Incredible! A heart breaking story of violence being perpetuated. Hugo Diego Garcia is one to watch! Not only as a very talented performer but also as a filmmaker, being the writer/director of this painfully personal story. Can't wait to see more of him.

Tony is a near perfect utilization of the many talents of writer, director, and lead actor, Hugo Diego Garcia.

The genre film feels both nostalgic and fresh. Garcia's portrayal, based on his own father's grapple between school and the streets, is tough and heartfelt, tender and ferocious-and specific and conflicted all at once. The cinematography is thoughtful and profound. In fact, each detail, down to the costumes and blocking, work harmoniously in true mise-en-scène of a great auteur.

Hugo Diego Garcia showcases multiple talents, but he stands out most as an actor, commanding the screen with a smoldering face and athletic build. His willingness to open his heart and allow his soul to shine through however, is what makes him special, and an actor to watch.

It still boggles my mind how someone could direct a film they also star in, but Garcia does it here with confidence.

Tony is a sure handed outing - dripping with style and tone. Very much look forward to what comes next from this team!

"Senseless violence is a prerogative of youth, which has much energy but little talent for the constructive." - Anthony Burgess

Burgess' quote seems fittingly applied by filmmaker Hugo Diego Garcia in his film "Tony," which follows a young Spaniard immigrant who joins a gang of thuggish racially persecuted immigrants in 1980's France.

There are times where the narrative of this period gangster film meanders, yet the acting, specifically Hugo Diego Garcia, who also plays the lead character Tony, makes up for any story flaws. Garcia's understated performance lingers, seeping through your veins like a slow intravenous drip. Through the smallest, most subtle reactions, Garcia plays a likable, empathetic rogue, delivering a complex character, struggling with layers of internal conflict, whose emotional frailty manifests in a paralytic moral split.

As a director, Hugo Diego Garcia has a visually arresting sensibility. Stylistically, "Tony" reminded me of Scorsese's "Mean Streets" and Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange." Garcia's directorial debut is far from perfect, but there is no doubt that he delivers a vivid, indelible, emotive performance.

Impressive !!!

You can feel all the conflict and violence in the mise en scene of Hugo Diego Garcia. Tony is a powerful, modern film that lays the foundations for a cinematic universe at the crossroads of many influences.