Puerto Ricans in Paris surprised me when I saw it at the Gasparilla International Film Festival. This is because Rosie Perez was on hand to discuss the movie...which was great. However, she was not a major character in the film! I loved seeing this youthful actress but I would have preferred seeing Edgar Garcia, as he was my favorite actor in this cute little film.
When the movie begins, Luis (Luis Guzman) and Eddie (Edgar Garcia) are both very successful undercover cops in New York who investigate cases involving counterfeit designer products. Because of this, the pair of Puerto Rican cops are asked by folks to come to France to help them investigate a case where some designer bags have been stolen before they are released to the public. In other words, unless the company pays ransom, the market will soon be flooded by knockoff purses. While it's not exactly believable that the French folks would ask these two to investigate instead of just having French police or private security films look into the matter, it doesn't really matter...this is just a nice fish out of water buddy picture.
Once in Paris, Luis is completely out of place. He's brash, a bit obnoxious and fancies himself a ladies' man. Unfortunately, he's a complete failure in the city of lights...and soon he's a bit jealous of Eddie. After all, although Eddie is happily married, there is a gorgeous model who adores him....so why can't Luis the bachelor get any of the ladies to look at him?! Perhaps it is because Eddie is just an incredibly sweet guy...the sort of character who loves his wife, loves his kids and is rarely seen in films. He's strong and likable...and his character certainly was a huge plus for the film. However, it's not all Garcia...the writing and directing are also rather nice. Plus, over time Guzman's character grows...and grows on you.
Will this film change your life? Certainly not. But while it's slight, it's also a film that is hard not to enjoy. A nice date film or a movie worth seeing if you want to see something a bit different. Plus, I can't help but admire a picture this enjoyable considering that it was shot in only 17 days...something that just seems impossible!
