Hollywood wannabes struggle to succeed while striving for relationships that are doomed to fail in this gloomy comedy-drama from writer-director
Alexandre Rockwell.
Rosie Perez stars as Mercedes, a transplanted New Yorker now living in East L.A. and taxi dancing at a seedy Hollywood strip joint. Mercedes has dreams of achieving stardom as an actress, but her lack of talent means that her goal will probably always elude her. Her travels take her into contact with several eccentric characters including a sage transvestite (
Steve Buscemi), a showbiz insider (Sam Fuller), a savvy bartender (
Quentin Tarantino), and her useless agent George (
Stanley Tucci). Although he won't leave his wife, Mercedes worships her boyfriend Harry Harrelson (
Harvey Keitel), once a prominent actor on a TV western whose glory days are long past. In the meantime, Ernesto (Michael DeLorenzo), a faithful customer and gravedigger, falls helplessly in love with Mercedes, but his passion is unrequited, even though he tattoos Mercedes' name across his chest. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide