I Like It Like That

Chino (Seda), a monstrous husband, is outraged to discover that his wife Lisette (Vélez) wants to work in order to pay for a new stereo. When their Puerto Rican neighbourhood in the South Bronx is hit by a blackout, he goes looting to procure the hi-fi himself, but is caught and jailed - leaving Lisette to raise their three children alone. Helped by her transsexual brother Alexis (who lends her his false breasts), she heads uptown to try to make it as a model. A series of chance encounters gets her a job in a record company working for Stephen Price (Dunne), who falls in lust with her, and drives her home in his red Lamborghini, much to the displeasure of Chino's mother (Moreno). An impressive fast-paced first feature. Director Darnell Martin emerges as an unusually perceptive chronicler of fragile sexual relationships and complex family ties, and draws strong performances from an inspired cast. A singular, hard-edged romantic comedy.