Color, NR (mature themes, strong language), 81 min., DVD only $14.98
DVD: no extras
Street: Dec. 13, Prebook: Nov. 18
First Run: DVD premiere
Cast: Diane Gonzalez, Ezequiel Guerra Jr., Charlie Robinson, Ralph Tresvant
Director: Stephen Allen
MAVERICK
Story Line: After surviving a bank robbery, staffer Angel (Gonzalez) unknowingly socializes with one of the thieves, a low-end gangster named Eduardo (Guerra). She falls for the soft-hearted crook, ensuring troubles for both of them from her friends, his associates and the police.
Bottom Line: This Latin-themed crime drama is a peculiar creation: a gangster picture with a sentimental side; an action film that's mostly driven by dialog; and an exploitation movie that strongly veers away from showing sex and violence. The situations are familiar from countless other recent vintage urban crime titles, but the emphasis here is on a series of two-character scenes that delineate the characters and their dilemmas. The actors gamely try to develop their "troubled" characters, but director-co-scripter Allen's downplaying of big shootouts and the utter lack of any sexual material (characters chastely make out and then wake up next to each other) will impair the film's rental potential.