SAVING PRIVATE PEREZ
A Mexican crime lord sets out to locate his missing brother at the behest of their frantic mother, only to realize his mission will be far more difficult than he ever could have suspected in this adventure comedy from director Beto Gómez (El Agujero, El Sueno del Caiman). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Beto Gomez
Cast: Miguel Rodarte, Adal Ramones, Jaime Camil, Jésus Ochoa, Gerardo Taracena
Release Date: Sep 02, 2011
Rated PG-13 for Brief Strong Language and Violence
Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Art House/Foreign
Review:
Saving Private Perez is an interesting mix of Mexican grindhouse with comedy. It’s never overly serious or terribly realistic but it’s does keep a smile on your face throughout. Director Beto Gomez delivers some interesting visuals that provide enough humor to keep the film afloat. He does achieve a few inspired sequences but finds a hard time sustaining the energy through his film. There are noticeable lags through out even though his cast is fully committed. Miguel Rodarte makes for a fine lead and he handles the subtle comedy with a steady hand while bring some heart to his character. Rodarte does benefit from having the most time dedicated, via flashbacks, to fleshing out his character and motivations. The supporting characters are introduced with well rounded back stories but they are mostly ignored after that, a real shame since they could have added a lot to film had they been involved more. Sadly, it feels like the filmmakers had their heart in the right place but the execution was off by a tad.
C+
