Illegal immigration is a very serious issue. Every year, numerous foreigners arrive to the United States and violate immigration laws and policies. It is a problem that has and continues to plaque the United States and now this crucial issue is addressed somewhat humorously in the subpar romantic comedy Immigration Tango now out on DVD.
Colombian sex-machine Carlos (Carlos Leon) and Russian beauty Elena (Elika Portnoy) are two romantically involved immigrants living in Miami whose visas are soon about to expire. They are each trying to advance in their respective careers however if they don’t act fast, they will both get deported to their native countries. They then come up with the ridiculous idea to marry their American best friends, couple Mike (McCaleb Burnett) and Betty (Ashley Wolfe). Together these four idealists engage in a truly absurd farce that will either offend or amuse you. Count on the former.
As these two pairs of attractive individuals advance deeper into their ruse, emotions transfer and bland comedy transpires. To make matters worse, a large no-nonsense INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) agent by the name of Ms. Ravencourt (Avery Sommers) is hip to the foursome’s sham. With this group of fools running around and Ms. Ravencourt hot on their tails, expect very silly and unfortunately, very lame results.
Though this film suffers from a terrible script and some rather weak performances, there is a silver lining. That glimmer of hope comes in the form of star Carlos Leon who is actually rather charming and funny as the sensual joker Carlos. He keeps things bright and sexy as the self-proclaimed “Latin Lover” who works as chef in a restaurant kitchen and resides in a floating apartment, a boat.
The other players in the film however aren’t as, how should I put this, talented. Elika Portnoy is beautiful but dense as Elena, a corporate finance student who often swims and walks round the house in the nude. McCaleb Burnett plays the straight-laced Mike, a student getting ready to get his PhD in sonnets. Burnett is okay as Mike but he only displays one personality characteristic: flat monotone sarcasm, a somewhat unappealing trait and the primary reason why audiences may not sympathize with him. Ashley Wolfe is also kind of vapid as Betty, a very dull and uptight law student. Avery Sommers attempts to add her own brand of humor to the picture as the tough by-the-book Ms. Ravencourt but falls flat and leaves the audience with nothing unique or interesting to chew on.
The topic of illegal immigration is quite significant being that it affects so many people. The United States is a place where people from all over the world desire to go to so that they can have a better way of life. In the film, Carlos and Elena aren’t bad people. They just want to live in a place where they have the freedom to chase after their dreams. Life in their homelands was probably undesirable and they were never able to reach their full potential. Now, that they are in the United States, they are free to make their dreams a reality. The only problem of course is that they have to find a way to stay in the country legally.
Immigration Tango had the potential to be a pretty funny film. The plot is relevant and the setting is captivating. It really is a shame that the amateurish cast and uninspired script were brought together to make this snooze fest. Although, Carlos Leon pretty much steals the show, the dialogue is stale and the other characters are rather unlikable. Immigration Tango is a truly mediocre film and it should be deported as soon as possible.
DVD Bonus Features
The bonus features for Immigration Tango are slim but serviceable. There is a feature-length audio commentary with producer and star Elika Portnoy, associate producer Jorge Kreimer and film editor Misha Tenenbaum. There is also a theatrical trailer for the film and a collection of other Lionsgate trailers.
"Immigration Tango" is on sale June 28, 2011 and is rated R. Romantic-Comedy. Directed by David Burton Morris. Written by Martin Kelley, Robert Lee, David Burton Morris, Todd Norwood. Starring Ashley Wolfe, Avery Sommers, Carlos Leon, Elika Portnoy, Mccaleb Burnett.
