Presented by the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago, the Chicago Latino Film Festival opens Thursday, April 20, and continues daily through Thursday, May 4. All films screen at River East 21, 322 E. Illinois. General admission is $13, $10 for students, seniors, and members of ILCC; a festival pass, good for 12 general admissions, is $120 or $90 for ILCC members. For advance sales call 312-431-1330 or visit chicagolatinofilmfestival.org. Following are reviews of eight features screening at the festival; unless otherwise noted, all films are in Spanish with subtitles.
Dogs Method actor John Leguizamo plunges into character for this brutal Colombian drama (2016), playing a mild-mannered farmer whose crime of passion lands him in a decrepit prison full of scheming convicts and sadistic guards. Slow to adjust—and even slower to realize that his wife and son no longer want anything to do with him—the protagonist eventually learns to protect himself and settle scores on the inside. The film often recalls Jacques Audiard’s French feature A Prophet (2009) but without the poetry or mysticism; here, revenge is a dish too cold to be savored. Harold Trompetero directed. —Andrea Gronvall 83 min. Fri 4/28, 7 PM; Sun 4/30, 8:45 PM; and Wed 5/3, 8:30 PM.
4/20-5/4 River East 21 322 E. Illinois 312-431-1330 chicagolatinofilmfestival.org $13, $10 for students, seniors, and members of ILCC $120 for festival pass, $90 for ILCC members
