The Perez Family

Director: Mira Nair
(1995)

Screenwriter Robin Swicord and director Mira Nair craft a delightful, surprising and sensuously exotic tale set during the1980 Mariel Cuban boatlift of refugees fleeing from Castro as Alfred Molina arrives to search for his long lost wife and daughter. Many years have passed since he’s seen his wife and complications arrive when both he and wife Anjelica Huston begin to fall for others. Marisa Tomei gives a standout performance as the sexy, free-spirited young woman who poses as Alfred Molina’s wife in the meantime in order to land an American sponsor. A fun, fresh film and its unique take on the issues may have something to do with the fact that most of the people involved (Nair, Tomei, Huston etc.) were not of Cuban descent, therefore lending a creative and multicultural spin on the plot and representing the diversity, celebration of other viewpoints and freedom that draws immigrants like the Cuban refugees here to America in the first place.