Movies: Perdita Durango
I first saw "Perdita Durango" on HBO a number of years back under its American release title, "Dance With The Devil." I loved it. I loved it so much that I went out and bought the DVD.
Was I ever surprised when I watched it! The version I saw on HBO had been severely edited--edited to the point that it actually changed the meaning of some of the scenes. So, point number 1 about Perdita/Dance--make sure you find the unrated version.
"Perdita" is kind of a road movie. It's kind of a crime story. It's even a little bit of a love story, in a twisted sort of way. The title character, Perdita (Rosie Perez), is a tough girl with a horrifying past, out for herself. She meets Romeo (Javier Bardem), a very nearly demonic Santeria priest and criminal. The two fall in lust and hit the highway, leaving a wake of blood and destruction in their wake. This involves kidnapping blond American teenagers for ritual sacrifice, hijacking a truck of human fetuses for the mob-run cosmetics industry, and evading pursuit by a corrupt DEA agent (James Gandolfini) and various other unsavory characters.
But this isn't just a gratuitious ultraviolence fest. It's loaded with wit and black humor. The characters are complex and interesting. The direction is stark and energetic. And the acting is just terrific. Rosie Perez is great--I've always thought she was underrated. And, of course, there's Javier Bardem.
Sure, I've seen his soulful, Oscar-winning performances. But I have to admit it, I like him best when he's playing a badass. He just ROCKS in this movie. One minute vicious and scary, the next playful and almost childlike. Just when you think you've got his character figured out--you don't.
WARNING: Javier Bardem's haircut in this movie is very scary. Kind of a mutant mullet. Okay it's not as scary as his haircut in "No Country For Old Men," but I'm just sayin'.
If you're a fan of movies that make you laugh one minute and cringe the next, like Freeway, for instance, or Fargo, you'll dig Perdita.
And I suspect you,
frabjousdave, are gonna love it.