27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wild at Heart and Weird on Top, January 30, 2000
This review is from: Dance with the Devil (Unrated Version) (DVD)
Being a huge Barry Gifford fan, having enjoyed De La Iglesia's Day of the Beast, and of the opinion that Wild at Heart was one of the best novel to film adaptations in the history of cinema, needless to say, my expectations for this movie were very high. I couldnt have imagined it being so satisfying.
De La Iglesia's adaptation of Perdita Durango takes its liberties but (like Wild At Heart) finds its inspiration in the original source material without destroying the spirit.
Romeo and Perdita carve thier way through the world with violence, magic, and sex. They are sadistic, perverse, and perfect for each other. From thier first fateful meeting, it is a dark destiny, a collision of two black souls. If the movie has any message, it is that even the most wicked person has a diabolic soulmate. Love does not discriminate.
The preformances are great. Javier Bardem as Romeo was totally unrecognizable as the same guy who played the stud in Jamon, Jamon. He plays Romeo as charming, self preserving, and almost noble killer because his beliefs are in darkness, sacrifice, revenge, and amoral spirituality. My fears of Rosie Perez, an actress I am not fond of in any way, were unfounded as she embodied Perdita perfectly with sadism and sizzle. James Gandolfini, as the Wile E Coyote like DEA agent Dumas, was also very good, perpetually abused and doggedly determined.
De La Iglesia handles with the film great skill. The pacing is fast and furious. Every scene is alive with energy, and his compostion is masterful. He has vastly improved from the flawed, yet entertaining, Day of the Beast, and demonstrates that his is a talent that continues to grow. Given the proper material and time, I can see him providing a enjoyable body of manic, surreal, and outrageous work.
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't be fooled by the cheap direct to video marketing, January 22, 2000
This review is from: Dance with the Devil (Unrated Version) (DVD)
This movie rocks. It seems it is being marketed as some direct to video cheapie. But wait... Violence , sex, drugs, car accidents, human sacrifice, cannibalism, and James Gandolfini. The script is great. The direction is sharp, superhip and intelligent. Alex de la Iglesia has been called the director of generation in Spain. His other two flims (Accion Mutante and The Day of the Beast) have been hits all over the world except in the U.S. He has won many awards at film festivals worldwide. The acting in the film is top notch. Pacing is relentless and some of the action sequences are breathtaking. So once again don't be fooled by bad american marketing. This film gives any Tarantino or Rodriguez flick a run for its money. The Europeans know how to make action and horror. Don't forget to check out The Day of the Beast, de la Iglesia is definitely a filmmaker on his way up.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie, but..., May 6, 2001
This review is from: Dance with the Devil (Unrated Version) (DVD)
This is a great work by Alex de la Iglesia, but sadly this edition ("unrated") has been butchered by A-pix. Many shots have been removed or replaced by video generated titles.
Also, one of the high and emotional moments of the ending has been completely removed.
If you can't get the original version, get this one. You will enjoy it because it is still a great movie. I give this edition only one star because I can't accept loosing that key moment at the end.
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