The Caller is one of those cool little supernatural thrillers that Hollywood used to (and still should be) churning out by the handful. Imagine the same gimmick as Dennis Quaid’s Frequency–a series of phone calls from the past–but rather than your Dad or somethin’, it’s a crazy woman from the 1970’s who starts to stalk you. Like getting prank calls from Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction.
The most interesting thing about The Caller–whose first reviews have been very positive, calling it “charming” and “downright flawless”–is how it ended up employing a whole host of Latino actors, just in there pitchin’ and doin’ the work. It stars Stephen Moyer (True Blood) and Rachelle LeFevre (Twilight) and–in a rare and well-deserved spot above the title–Luis Guzmán, still one of our favorite Latino character actors ever. And maybe because it was filmed (undoubtedly for budgetary reasons) in Puerto Rico–though it looks like rain-drenched New England–a whole host of Latino actors picked up the roles that non-Latinos would normally get. Besides Guzman in a key role, you’ll see Cordelia González (Mambo Kings, Born on the Fourth of July), Marisé Alvarez (Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, Che: Parts One and Two), Alfredo de Quesada (Strangers with Candy, Che: Part One), and a host of young Puerto Ricans working in front and behind the camera. Luis himself is of Puerto Rican descent as well.
It’s good to see the film industry spreading out, and Latinos at all levels joining in he process. They couldn’t learn from anyone better than Guzman, the working actor’s actor. Not surprisingly, 2011 is a typical year for him. Not only is he one of the stars of How to Make it In America, he has no less that five movies coming out this year alone. Two have already made it (Arthur and The Caller), three more are still to come, including Mysterious Island 2, and there are already three more in post-production scheduled for 2012 release. Which will make it a light year.
For some unknown reason, The Caller is being released in only ten theater and five states this Friday–Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Minnesota and Mississippi.
