I had to watch this movie last February but back then wasn't available anywhere. Then a week before Christmas I searched on all my sources and I finally found it - Thank God! And I can't see why it has a terrible score of 5,4 and only 5 reviews to date (the last written in March 2009).
Mercedes (Rosie Perez) is a taxy dancer that works in a nightclub and at the beginning is left by George (Stanley Tucci), who was trying to get her a part in a movie. Some time later Mercedes meets with Harry Harrelson (Harvey Keitel), a washed up actor that considers himself a thespian and hides to Mercedes that is married. Mercedes is also courted by Ernesto, a young man that hasn't enough money for impressing her and is forced to ask it to his uncle Emilio (Anthony Quinn) who has LOTS of connections with the mob but Emilio refuses. After experiencing a bit with Harry until the truth comes out (when his wife suddenly arrives Mercedes has to escape from the window) and Ernesto is shot soon after, it all seems to be over for her but she finds on a nearby beach lots of cash: it was the gift that Ernesto made for her and he was shot by the mobsters because of it.
The plot is a bit depressing, I agree, but the movie itself has some pluses. First of all the acting was unexpectedly good. Perez, Keitel, Quinn, Tucci, Steve Buscemi, Quentin Tarantino and Sam Rockwell were all entertaining and there were some cute moments as well (such as when Mickey talks about his pet dove in the dressing room). And the ending, might seem tragic, but instead is nice because Ernesto died for winning his love for Mercedes.
Overall, an ok drama about search for love. Nice performances, some sad moments and some nice ones as well, and a double-edged ending... worth a watch since now is available again.
