Gabriela

Why would anyone commit all their resources to creating an indie film that's just a formulaic romantic comedy? Who knows, but at least this one's more tolerable than most, and doesn't feature the director as a romantic lead. Jaime P. Gomez (American Me) is the typical bachelor lacking a love life, Troy Winbush (The Replacements) his wise-cracking, womanizing best friend, and Seidy Lopez (Mi Vida Loca) the titular object of desire, who seems like the perfect woman but for the fact that she's already engaged to Zach "Please, oh please, remember me from Gremlins" Galligan. Lopez deserves the most credit here, not just for being able to act but also for her willingness to get topless in the love scenes, which is a dedication one rarely sees in films of this budget. First-time cinematographer Adrian Rudomin, meanwhile, causes much audience irritation by filming most of the action in low light and soft filters (for that pseudo-romantic look so popular in K-Tel commercials) and cutting the tops of the actors' heads out of the frame in nearly every shot. That the story maintains a decent pace and some charm is some kind of testament to writer-director Vincent Jay Miller, and if nothing else, Gabriela is still a qualitative light year beyond the likes of The Wedding Planner.