El Placer De Dar Placer

First-time director Zaza Marquez paints a visual feast that is best described as a love letter to El Salvador. His efforts are entirely cinematic, taking the viewer to a nightclub, the beach, a lush estate and the ominous den of a villainous Kingpin (chillingly played by Bernardo Verdugo). It will be exciting to see what he pulls out of his directorial bag of tricks next. René Mena also scores, creating a memorable, nuanced protagonist in Giovanni. Solid performances from Mike Manning, Vanesa Tomasino, Dennis Mencia, Orel De La Mota and newcomer Tyler Wing round out the fine ensemble acting. An excellent example of first-rate indie filmmaking.