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IMDb > El Cortez (2006)

El Cortez (2006) More at IMDbPro »

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El Cortez (2006) -- A man just released from a mental institution gets involved in a gold mine scheme while trying to avoid the cops, a wrathful drug dealer, and a sultry femme fatale.

Overview

User Rating:
5.4/10   357 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 20% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Stephen Purvis
Writer (WGA):
Chris Haddock (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for El Cortez on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 January 2007 (Hungary) more
Genre:
Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
Come to a place where secrets lie. more
Plot:
A man just released from a mental institution gets involved in a gold mine scheme while trying to avoid the cops, a wrathful drug dealer, and a sultry femme fatale. | add synopsis
User Comments:
A very average thriller more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Lou Diamond Phillips ... Manny DeSilva
Bruce Weitz ... Popcorn

Glenn Plummer ... Jack Clay
Tracy Middendorf ... Theda
James McDaniel ... Arnie
Peter Onorati ... Carlo Russo

Shelley Malil ... Prison Doctor
David Johann ... Prison Guard

Robin Adair ... Cecile

Kathleen LaGue ... Waitress

Joseph Griffin ... Frank

Deborah Cresswell ... Hotel Clerk

Edoardo Ballerini ... Roy Morrison

Josh Estrada ... Sam

Pat Crawford Brown ... Helena
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Three for the Devil (USA) (working title)
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MPAA:
Rated R for language, sexuality, some violence and drug content.
Runtime:
94 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
Arnie: Junkie fever. Just think of it like you do Theda. Can't get enough, even when you got her. Theda's in your blood. Dreamland, Manny... You know where that is? You can think things, see things that are real. But they're not real... like a waking nightmare. more

FAQ

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10 out of 14 people found the following comment useful:-
A very average thriller, 21 January 2007
4/10
Author: intelearts from the big screen

Neither really a thriller, or mystery, nor clever enough in its plot, twists, or script El Cortez is a pleasant enough diversion but lacks any real distinction.

The plot is nothing you haven't seen before, the characters are OK, but really below par. The fault may lie with Lou Diamond Philips. He is not a character actor in the mould of Edward Norton and the way he plays Manny is too off-balance for the material. The fact that he plays the ex-com hotel desk clerk like Edward Norton would have just doesn't ring true somehow.

The rest of the cast are good, especially James McDaniel as the cop, but the material is somehow flat. The real fault lies in the way it is shot: too light, and bright. I would have liked the lighting and shooting to have been less TV movie mode and more film noir: more shadows, and less claustrophobic. I felt Stephen Purvis wanted it to be a small tale, which is right, but would have liked to have built more atmosphere. A soundtrack would have helped enormously.

There is nothing spectacularly wrong with El Cortez it just is what it is: a small theatrical thriller that would work well as a stage piece and fails to translate its convictions and menace to film.

Overall, worth watching if you like the genre, but don't expect too much.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for El Cortez (2006)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Better than I expected... hannahp1
Was Manny back in the game with Popcorn at the end? vgar101
What happens with Arnie (the cop) ? delphsol
Released? Mason-12
Plot Summary: drmamm
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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
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