The first scene, composed of three tracking shots, and showing happy pre-Castro Cuban beach-goers is pleasant and appealing. A political prisoner (Juan Raoul Perez) flees to the US looking for his wife (Carmela)and his daughter (Teresa) he hasn't seen for 20 years. On the boat and in the fugitives' camp he gets to know a girl (Dorita Evita Perez) with whom he starts a fake family to speed up the immigration procedure. By the time he manages to meet with his wife Carmela he has already fallen in love with Dorita, and Carmela with a policeman. Happy Ending. Dorita is an exuberant, sensual and sweet character. Juan well represents the estrangement of a prisoner and immigrant ( in a way, he recalls the Castaway of "L'invenzione di Morel"). The movie is worth seeing for few good scenes (like the one where Dorita learns that John Wayne is dead and starts crying), Marisa Tomei's beauty, and some Cuban music.

Nothing else good on TV, and not feeling like going to the DVD store, we watched "Perez Family" on WE network. Molina's wife and child go to Miami by boat from Cuba, he stays behind to care for the sugar cane, lands in jail for a long time. Twenty years later he manages to leave, and on the boat meets Marisa Tomei, a sexy Cuban prostitute, who at arrival in Key West suggests they represent themselves as "Perez and Perez", a married couple. They begin a life in Miami, his real wife turns up (Angelica Huston), she has fallen for a policeman (Chaz Palminteri), meanwhile Molina and Tomei begin to appreciate each other.In the climax, Molina and Huston meet up at a dance, 20 years after they last saw each other, they smile, are cordial, but they prefer the lives that fate has dealt them, Molina and Tomei stay together, his wife and the policeman stay together. Not heavy, a cute little romantic comedy. Marisa Tomei is so good!

This excellent film came out at the same time as the similar titled "My Family." How interesting it always is when twin films come out that way. Sometimes one film is completely ignored, other times the two films split their limited audiences and neither really take off. Such as the case with these two films. Both were excellent films with similar marketing campaigns, but Marisa Tomei in "The Perez Family" is what makes this film the superior of the two. As Dottie Perez, Marisa Tomei is sizzling hot, as sexy as anything to dance across the screen in decades, and simply dissolves into her character. If Marisa Tomei won a Oscar for "My Cousin Vinny" (which she did), then her performance here, in comparison, deserves a Nobel Peace Prize! I dare any one, male or female, to watch this film and not fall instantly in love with every inch of her. Our entire family adores this film and Marisa Tomei's performance.

I can't begin to describe the truly exotic and sensual feeling behind "The Perez Family." The direction was at it's best starring top stars like Marisa Tomei, Angelica Huston, & Alfred Molina, and a great supporting cast including Chazz Palminteri, Trini Alvarado, & Celia Cruz.It's the story on a family trying to move to the land of the free, America, in the 1980's. But upon departing, the father is arrested and must let the family go. Years later when he is released, he climbs on board and heads to the U.S. hoping to find his family. On the way there he meets a sexy woman that slowly changes his life. Upon arrival in the states, Miami seems to be a much bigger place than he imagined and hopes of finding his family seems a lot harder than expected. It's romantic, sensual, and funny & if you believe in fairy tales, this movie is made for you. Go ask your local video store if they carry it and if its in there, get it! You're going to love it, trust me!