Conference bookie::movies

997.0. "The Perez Family" by EVMS::HALLYB (Fish have no concept of fire) Tue Jan 02 1996 14:03

Opening: Cuba, circa 1960. Plantation owner Juan Perez (Alfred Molina, the
bad guy at the poker game in _Maverick_) sends his wife Carmela (Anjelica
Huston) and 3-year-old daughter to America, then burns down his sugar cane 
fields so Castro can't confiscate them. Perez is thrown in prison.

The rest of the movie is set in 1980, the time of the Mariel boat lift.
Perez is freed from prison and sent to the U.S.A., where Carmela has been
waiting patiently. So, you think, we've got the makings of a formula story
of two separated lovers re-uniting. Think again. Carmela sends her brother
Angel to the docks to look for Juan, but Angel doesn't spot Juan who has
after all aged 20 years. Juan doesn't spot Carmela since she's not there.
Besides, Juan, just out of prison and now in a new country, is somewhat dazed
and not fully aware. As he walks off the boat he gives his name to the
immigration official who assumes the lady next to him (and who is also
named Perez) is his wife. So as far as the U.S. is concerned, they are married.

Marisa Tomei put on a few pounds and lots of suntan lotion to play Dorita 
"Dottie" Perez, a Cuban whore (allegedly) who cuts sugar cane. She wants to 
come to America to have sex with John Wayne.

The Perez family, along with several thousand others, are housed in the 
Orange Bowl football stadium while awaiting resettlement. Dottie discovers
that priority is given to families, largest first, and convinces Juan to
play along as her husband. She then accumulates another Perez family
member, "grandpa", who spends his time climbing trees naked hoping to
catch a glimpse of Cuba. Then Dottie recruits another Perez, a young
urchin on the threshold of hoodlumhood. The four-member family is placed
with sponsors, a religous group, and finds work.

Meanwhile the boatlift is over and Juan's wife Carmela gives up hope of
ever seeing him again and becomes attracted to officer Pirelli 
(Chazz Palminteri, thug/playwright "Cheech" in _Bullets Over Broadway_).

Will Juan ever meet Carmela? Of course, but then what?

The plot is interesting and the acting of high quality. Highest accolades
go to Tomei who gives a terrific performance as a lusty Latin lady full
of drive and confidence. High marks also to the director for a number of
clever surprises. Sadly, the film editing leaves much to be desired.
A lot of irrelevant scenes were included making the film longer than it
had to be. And the extra characters needed to make up the "family",
while necessary for the premise of the movie, get camera and story time
that detracts from the main characters. But Tomei's performance makes the
whole movie worthwhile.

While the movie is rated R it's not a "hot" R. We see some groping and
Dottie in her underwear, but no overt sex or nudity -- grandpa excepted.

A 1995 movie now on video. Did it even -have- a theatrical release?

  John

>A 1995 movie now on video. Did it even -have- a theatrical release?
>
>  John

Yeah, I recall it did, and the reviews I read at the time looked a lot
like yours.  The old "critically acclaimed, box office bomb" scenario?"

- tom]

    I rented this movie this weekend and really enjoyed it.  
    "Dorita & Juan" were wonderful.  I would recommend this
    movie to anyone.
    
    Mo