ILLEGAL TENDER (2007)

Cast: Rick Gonzalez, Zulay Henao, Dania Ramirez, Wanda De Jesus, Delilah Cotto, Tego Calderon

Written & Directed By: Franc Reyes
Cinematography By: Frank Byers
Edited By: Tony Ciccone
Production Design By: Keith Brian Burns
Costume Design By: Rahimah Yoba


The main Problem with this film is when you find out the reason behind all of the mayhem you feel cheated. I mean for this film to exist there needs to be conflict but the filmmaker could have thought it out better. The reason is some makes sense but only in the hood and/or the filmmakers mind.

Having said that this film is a improvement for franc reyes over his previous film “Empire”. This one has more style. it’s alot less in your face style of empire. which is a improvement. this film also has characters you actually care about because you like them as people not becasue the film tells you to. it’s not action packed as the trailer would have you believe. The only original part of this film is having the mother be tougher then the son. she’s actually the ruthless one. So it essentially turns into a story of the son learning finally to be a man and protect his family. though in some scenes it seems ridiculous his macho posturing when you know how weak he is.

The main thing i liked about this movie is whoever did the casting. Rick gonzalez is good. But all the female roles are filled with some truly gorgeous ladies from the big roles like the mother down to the extras. It was like a visual feast like fetish porn without the sex but plenty of attraction. Now having said that comes the bad things.

The script needed major work. The ending which i will get to. Another problem was even though i like her dania ramirez’s character needed a backbone at times she was pathertic especialy when she called the main character in puerto rico. Plus her reactions to most things. i understand shock. but she needed a ticker skin. Now i am talking abut her character not her performance.

While you watch the film you wonder what’s going to happen next because the film is so incoherent at times you hae to take a leap of faith to follow the film. even though the film is short it could have had a little more tightening.

Now The ending

(SPOILERS) he is searched thouroughly for a gun. but his Mother who the have been looking for can just walk in through the back door. this high security office has no surveilance cameras? Then she just kills him. The lame excuse none of his men know why he had a vendetta with the family but then after his death his right hand man who takes over says he died for some cocksucker bullshit. So then he must know the reasons for the vendetta plus all of this becasue your underage sister was pregnant by a man she had an affair with and even though you killed him. you must kill his wife or at least his kid. whohad nothing to do with it. Come on.

GRADE: C