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Gente Decente

Kensai 1 | USA | 11/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is excellent, sexy thriller. Though it's a B movie it's fun, keeps you guessing and is sometimes amusing, in that these naughty people get in more trouble the more they try to get out of trouble. I like movies that shows you not just the experience of the main character but also shows you motives, feelings, lusts, joys and problems of all the other characters. Gente Decente starts off with a very hot love scene and continues with a hot scene of a murder. A place everyone unfortunately stumbles into. I'm glad I stumble into watching this movie but I warn you there is nothing decent about it."

An Intrigue with some Nice Twists, but Entirely Predictable

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 11/18/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Edgardo Viereck is a Chilean writer/director with a lot of good ideas but with a hefty need for a partner to help him create a film that holds to those thoughts. GENTE DECENTE ('Decent People') as a title is a terrific start for telling a story about deceit and cheating and irresponsible friendships - a tasty non sequitur of a title, until he spoils it in the end.

The story opens with one of many erotic scenes: Andrés (Luciano Cruz Coke) is bedding hooker Gloria (Viviana Rodríguez), a bachelor's party gift from his friend Roberto (Francisco Melo) on the eve of his wedding to Rosario (Katyna Huberman). Problems arise when Gloria takes one of Andrés' business cards and later shows up at his law office where she tempts him into making love in the office - a deed captured on routine office security video cameras and is overheard by the firm's secretary Carolina (Francisca Reiss). Gloria needs Andrés' help (and money) in dealing with her procurer Ernesto (Alejandro Trejo) and her techniques approach stalking. Somehow the dark video gets into the hands of Rosario who is devastated that her fiancé would be adulterous before their wedding and Rosario begins to stalk Gloria. Ernesto discovers Andrés' identity, mistakes him for a man named Carlos who he sees as a threat to his possession of Gloria, and makes threats to Andrés for the money Gloria owes him and for the identity of 'Carlos'. In the apartment building where Gloria lives there is a security camera and once again videos of the various characters appear in dangerous hands. Gloria is murdered and the explosion that causes affects everyone in the film: who is the killer, who is 'Carlos', what is reality and what is staged? The facts come together quickly in the end and it is all too obvious to the audience.

The actors employed in the film (with the exception of Luciano Cruz Coke) are fairly mediocre, but even borderline acting can be corrected to an extent by excellent direction and fine editing, neither of which exists here. This seems more like a television novella than a film made for theater audiences. In Spanish with English subtitles. Grady Harp, November 06

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No decent people here...

Franco Jesse | Pittsburgh, USA | 05/18/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The title of this Latin American film means "decent people", which is meant to be ironic, I'm sure, since nobody in the story can be counted on to do the right thing. It starts with the "hero", Andres, who has just finished up his business with hooker Gloria, courtesy of his friends who paid for Andres' bachelor party. See, he's soon to be married to Rosario. When Gloria shows up at Andres' law office, an ongoing affair begins, and Rosario suspects Andres is cheating on her. When Gloria tells Andres that she has been threatened by a man named Carlos, Andres offers to help. Into the picture steps Ernesto, a violent criminal who needs $15 million dollars in a hurry. Add to the mixture Andres' buddy and law partner Roberto, some incriminating tapes, extortion and bodies piling up, and voila, everything turns into a hot mess. Who is lying, who is telling the truth and who will get killed next? This could be an interesting, if not original story, but there are a few problems: 1) it's in Spanish with subtitles, and you've got to be a fast reader; 2) none of the characters contacts the police, which is standard procedure in movies like this, but makes no sense here; 3) since everyone does something that is either stupid or wrong, it's hard to find anyone to root for, so you are really hoping that they all get killed; 4) the ending is abrupt and leaves a lot unresolved. The twists at the end are interesting, but the movie itself is too painful to sit through and doesn't provide the viewer enough satisfaction for the effort."