Neither really a thriller, or mystery, nor clever enough in its plot, twists, or script El Cortez is a pleasant enough diversion but lacks any real distinction.

The plot is nothing you haven't seen before, the characters are OK, but really below par. The fault may lie with Lou Diamond Philips. He is not a character actor in the mould of Edward Norton and the way he plays Manny is too off-balance for the material. The fact that he plays the ex-com hotel desk clerk like Edward Norton would have just doesn't ring true somehow.

The rest of the cast are good, especially James McDaniel as the cop, but the material is somehow flat. The real fault lies in the way it is shot: too light, and bright. I would have liked the lighting and shooting to have been less TV movie mode and more film noir: more shadows, and less claustrophobic. I felt Stephen Purvis wanted it to be a small tale, which is right, but would have liked to have built more atmosphere. A soundtrack would have helped enormously.

There is nothing spectacularly wrong with El Cortez it just is what it is: a small theatrical thriller that would work well as a stage piece and fails to translate its convictions and menace to film.

Overall, worth watching if you like the genre, but don't expect too much.

In the era of instant gratification, high action car chases, and predictable plot outcomes, it's nice to see a film that exemplifies the definition of film noir. This is what El Cortez can provide for audiences, a smart, dynamic, and unique film noir. Directed by Stephen Purvis, written by Chris Haddock, and lead by Lou Diamond Phillips in an outstanding cast, El Cortez, features all of those things that movie goers love to see. It has mystery, romance, suspense, humor and violence, it's a film that both genders will enjoy.

The film takes place in a local hotel in Reno, Nevada, and it revolves around it's autistic care taker, Manny DeSilva (Phillips),and his mysterious hotel guests. Although most of the actors, besides Lou Diamond Phillips, are unknown, they all deliver spectacular performances. The protagonist Manny, played exceedingly by Lou Diamond Phillips, is a complex middle-aged autistic man, who has a violent past, and is surrounded by people who seek to exploit him for his disability. El Cortez revolutionizes the way that autistic characters should be portrayed. Manny is strong, intelligent, complex, but also very vulnerable. As he tries to make a better future for himself, Manny's violent past catches up with him, and he's thrown into a world of deception, love, and betrayal. Lou Diamond Phillip's performance is not the typical way autistic characters have been represented in previous films, and Manny's character illustrates the complexity and dynamics of autistic people.

"Come to a place where secret's lie," is the tagline of the film, and it illustrates the mystery and complexity of this film noir. El Cortez is full of twists and suspense, however, in an age of constant plot twists (seen in most M. Night Shyamalan's films),"twists" have now become the norm. It seems that ever movie has to have an unsuspecting plot twist, including El Cortez. However, I feel that the plot twist of this film does not flow well, and will not make sense to most audiences. This is the only aspect of the film that I disliked. The rest of the film went against the typical Hollywood norms, but at the end, it succumbed to the typical Hollywood explosions, and a plot twist that's unpredictable, but out of place as well. Overall, I would recommend this film, due to it's humor, mystery, suspense, and charm, despite its typical ending. 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

To like a film like this, you have to like two things: Lou Diamond Phillips, and noir. This interesting piece of neo noir is very satisfying for those who like to watch something unfold slowly and try to figure out who is conning who.

Manny (Lou Diamond Phillips, whom I have liked since La Bamba),is a slow, maybe Autistic, desk clerk in a sleazy hotel. He has just been released from an institution for the criminally insane for a murder he committed. He seems to be getting along well on his medication and appears to be a happy joe.

Then all kinds of people start coming into his life: Popcorn (Bruce Weitz) with his gold mine, Jack (Glenn Plummer) the junkie with a hot girlfriend (Tracy Middendorf),and a cop (James McDaniel) who is making life tough for him.

Who among this strange collection is conning whom. What is everyone's motivation? Who is aligned with whom? These are questions that get answered slowly as Manny is drawn into this nightmare.

You have to figure that Manny will manage to come out OK, he just has to. But, will he? And, who will be there with him? Ah, it was satisfying unraveling this puzzle, which kept you guessing until the end.