Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Loui Blair It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Kenn-15 Yes, it's an okay film, somewhat formulaic (as some reviewers have pointed out) and well-acted (as other reviewers have pointed out). The real gem here, for people in the know, is the cameo by the late, great director Sam Fuller, as a man injured in a car accident (which has virtually nothing to do with the main plot). Fuller is totally himself, as he rants his way through all of his complaints about Hollywood, in his own inimitable style. It's great having him on screen and those who may know the man's films (including THE BIG RED ONE, SHOCK CORRIDOR, THE NAKED KISS, STEEL HELMET, 40 GUNS, and many others) will enjoy seeing the man behind the camera -- one of the great Hollywood personalities.

rsoonsa Rosie Perez is the lead in this very engaging affair, cast as Mercedes, a young woman from Brooklyn who has resolved to become a film actress although not favoured by her circumstances, living in East Los Angeles and struggling with a series of fruitless auditions for any sort of part at all. Mercedes has hooked up with a married and washed-up actor, Harry Harrelson (Harvey Keitel), who at one time had performed in a television Western series during the 1970s, and seldom since, accepting him as her lover, in part from loneliness, and as well from a hope that film parts will be coming her way because of his "contacts", but these latter are of small consequence as Harry is simply self-delusional in his attempts at recovering what he perceives as past cinematic renown. In order to adequately support herself financially, Mercedes toils as a taxi dancer in a downtown Los Angeles Skid Row dance hall/bar while she continues carrying on her efforts to succeed at the motion picture business, and it is while there at the dance palace that a young immigrant from Mexico, Ernesto (Michael DeLorenzo), falls in love with her and the largest portion of the narrative depicts his efforts to please the object of his affections, even if they may mean losing her altogether. This essentially tradition rooted melodrama is given only a moderate budget, despite the presence of a goodly number of well-known players, including Steve Buscemi, Anthony Quinn, and Stanley Tucci, and was kept in the can for about a year before its rather desultory distribution and leaden marketing efforts on its behalf, more's the pity as its solid production characteristics are firmly complemented by Alexandre Rockwell's admirably controlled direction, a consistent virtue of his work, and on display in this film from its very opening scene, frames that form a montage behind the credits, featuring Perez at Skid Row's Fifth and Main Streets. Rockwell has often demonstrated that he operates very closely indeed with his cast, and this holds true in this instance as he allows his actors to create their roles while any ad libbing is neatened nicely via the editing process, resulting in an artistic success for the director, despite negative comments from some mainstream evaluators. The film's scoring is aesthetically spot on with a good deal of it contributed by Tito Larriva, who also plays as band boss for the taxi dancers. Acting honours here must go to the ever vital Perez, although nary a sub-par performance is turned in. A fair test for any film's quality is given when a viewer will watch it twice within a brief period. Sitting through this undervalued work will be considered a keen pleasure for many.

eroka I didn't really mean to watch it. I really stumbled over it, saw Keitel's name and thought "This must be interesting!". And Keitel, as usual, doesn't fail you. Surprisingly, Perez does very well on her own, and the cute ex-Kid from Fame Michael DeLorenzo is really good, in a role that demands that he doesn't know how to dance... Ironic, considering he was one of the lead dancers in that 80's series. Anyway, these 3 characters go through the he-loves-her-who-loves-another routine, through very unusual twist or events (for one - a Hollywood rich producer has a car accident right after Perez has left Keitel's house - well, he threw her out - and after making Perez think that he IS the dream she always waited for - that rich guy dies on her - is that a normal plot-driving scene or what?)and quite a few "moments", as the Biscuit from Aly Mcbeal's would say. This is one to watch, just so you really get into the very thought provoking scenes. I recommend this for every movie lover. It's not an action flick, it's not a normal washy-washy picture either. It's a harsh look at people's despair and how in the end, when all the chips are down, we are left to deal with things on our own... Tarantino and Rockwell went on to do Four Rooms, yet another psycho fun-and-deep black comedy. Take that out as long as you're in the video store.

labcoatman The three main characters are all hopeless, and yet you only feel sorry for one of them: Ernesto, hopelessly devoted to Mercedes. This was part of the frustration: screaming at Mercedes to get a clue and ditch the no-good Harry, to no avail.Then there's the satisfaction: Steve Buscemi has a great part as a transvestite, and Harvey Keitel's moving story of his indignity playing a gorilla for a cheap TV movie is incredible. When you least expect it, Quentin Tarintino is doing half a monologue, and Anthony Quinn turns Ernesto into a wealthy man.Time and again great moments appear in the story, but in the end it's hard to know what to feel about this movie. It doesn't have a happy ending, or even a complete one, but it somehow feels right.This movie is strange, but then so am I; no wonder I liked it.