Just saw the Puerto Rican drama "Ladrones & Mentirosos" on DVD. I admit to being completely biased in favor of pretty much anything that is imported from this island...so sue me! Ladrones & Mentirosos wasn't shot with a particularly original style but the story was tight. It stars Steven Bauer (best known as the hottie from Scarface) who does solid work but unfortunately does not always choose great films. Fortunately this film was good. The supporting cast (while virtually unknown by US standards except for Lymari Nadal of American Gangster) held up really well. Magda Rivera's performance as the obsessed business owner was great. My favorite part of the entire movie was the authenticity. I love hearing Puerto Ricans chit chatting in that fast slangy Spanish. It's funny; the things you miss when you're far away from something that was once so familiar.

Also out on DVD this week is Bella Produced and starring the horribly deformed (LOL) Eduardo Verástegui. I saw this movie in the theater and loved it. Bella has been endorsed by many Christian organizations but it's not a religious film. I found it to be a provocative movie about LOVE, choices and second chances. Realistic? No but full of hope. I loved the portrayal of the multi-culturally mixed Latino family. I haven't often seen middle class Latinos portrayed in American cinema, so I found it refreshing. Bella is worth checking out. Even my husband, "Manly Man McClinton," took me to see this as a "date" movie and found it quite compelling.