A cheeky and occasionally rude romantic comedy from the Dominican Republic, La Maldicion del Padre Cardona is a well-made effort from first time director Felix Germain. Though hardly groundbreaking stuff, the film is well written by Germain, and features a game cast headlined by Anthony Alvarez as the title character and Zoe Saldana (seen most recently in a little indie pic entitled Avatar) as the woman he falls for. In addition to an amusing exorcism sub-plot--a curse has apparently been placed on the town, and it's up to Padre Cardona to root out the evil--there's enough here to pique the interest of rom-com fans and admirers of the female form alike.

This is an amusing little film, in a fun weird kind of way. I don't get the super negative reviews on this site. The movie is not high drama, and I don't think the director or actors intended it to be. It comes across as intentionally weird and tongue-in-cheek. If you don't like that kind of movie, don't bother watching it -- but if you do like movies that are a bit twisted, go for it.Side comment: I was fascinated that the Spanish accent of rural República Dominicana is exactly the same as in Puerto Rico. I have not been out in that island's rural areas, but the accent in the capital Santo Domingo does not seem as close to Puerto Rico's. However, the RD accent in this movie was exactly the same as in PR. Seems the rural areas kept more of the accent of immigrants to these islands 400 years ago. Interesting cultural tidbit in the movie.

Felix Herman knows how to tell a story. The actors tell a witty story of lust, ignorance and romance with an ample dose of traditional Latin American magical realism. Zoe Saldaña has been given the chance to carry the movie and she does so with a fearless energy that marks her as an actress who is comfortable in her skin and skillful in her craft. Freddy Beras Goico has the kind of genuine sharp humor that can't be faked; Veronica Lopez is wonderful embodying the kind of dramatic small mind everybody loves to hate. The Story takes you to a place where time stopped; you could easily be in the 1940s as you could be in the 21st century. The characters and the humor are timeless. It will be interesting to see this little known genre of film-making grow so in tune with the literature that comes out of Latin America.

I just saw this movie while in the Dominican Republic (last week)and I was very pleased. Dominican movies are gaining quality! I hope they bring it to the US soon. I will definitely see it again. The movie is very funny, and Zoe is absolutely great, not to mention beautiful in the movie. I am so used to see Zoe in English movies and to hear her speak perfect (Dominican) Spanish was a great surprise. The movie also shows a lot of the very own culture of the Dominican countryside. The actors portray their characters very well, and the whole setting is perfect. It really brings out the essence of a Dominican small town and the beliefs of the people. They did a great job! Anyone who wants to laugh should go see this movie.