Illegal Tender (2007)

Director:

Franc. Reyes

Writer (WGA):

Franc. Reyes (written by)

Release Date:

24 August 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Always protect the family.

Plot:

When the thugs who killed his father come looking for him, a young Latino man and his mother flee from their home.

Plot Keywords:

Thong | Mother Son Relationship | Wealth | Organized Crime | Champagne

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Michael Philip Del Rio	...	Lugo
Samuel Molina	...	Older Man
Rick Sepulveda	...	Joey
Manny Perez	...	Wilson DeLeon Sr.
D.C. Benny	...	Ceasar
Mercedes Mercado	...	Latina Killer #1
Carmen Perez	...	Latina Killer #2
Zulay Henao	...	Mora
Jessica Pimentel	...	Young Millie
Angelic Zambrana	...	Young Jessenia
Julie Carmen	...	Nilsa
Ronald Escobar	...	Javier's Man #1
Gary Perez	...	Javier Cordero
Rick Gonzalez	...	Wilson Jr.
Dania Ramirez	...	Ana

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

USA:108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Hillsdale, New Jersey, USA

Company:

New Deal Productions

Trivia:

The film was shot in just 28 days with locations in New York and Puerto Rico.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Randy is "playing" on his Xbox 360, there are no working control pads connected to it. There are no wired controllers plugged in to it, and if he is using a wireless controller, the controller light on the front of the Xbox should be on. It isn’t.

Soundtrack:

LIVING

What would the Flying Spaghetti Monster do?

I was actually surprised that this was fairly good. It wasn't "good" or "excellent", but it is OK enough to enjoy at some points. Not only that, but it has a storyline that has a nice touch near the end.

The film begins in mid 80s New York, with Wilson and several drug gangsters. He has a knocked up woman and money set aside. But then things get tricky and he winds up dead. The viewer is left wondering "why?".

Thats when it goes to 2007. The child being carried is grown up, has his own woman, but he doesn't know who his father was. Events turn the college student into a man chasing down the past. Eventually things get settled in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. There young Wilson Jr. discovers his father's secret past and why things are they way they are.

Without ruining why, the plot twist at the end explains one scene that didn't make sense at the beginning. So that was well done. However, some of the characters didn't exactly fit the bill, especially in the scenes outside New York and Connecticut. Plus, the music was all wrong for much of the film.

Some people question "Ana"(Daina Ramirez), the girlfriend of Wilson Jr. She stays with him through the film, but she is seemingly the stereotypical 'damsel'. However, there are many women like that who are soft hearted so I don't have doubts about the character.

With everything said, I think the film is moderately good. So have a look and try it out. Its nothing special, but its good enough to draw your attention. "B-"