Black Ruby

Cheers to the soundtrack for Black Ruby it makes the movie. From researching Ave Fenix Pictures they used Europeans for their last three films, cheers again. The La Raza movement, and I'm still not sure what that is or what it means, nonetheless is doing something very right - Music combined with the images, they're on my top list of independent film companies that do what they want.

The story follows two friends, Jules Mandel a fat and now comfortable womanizer who is inheriting a furniture corporation through his fiancée's father and Louis Katz played by the talented Zachary Laoutides, always transforming on screen even when he doesn't need to be. Both men fall for a Black Latina prostitute and their friendship goes south. The untalented Jules tries to use his father's last name to be a Jazz superstar, but uses the valid talent of Louis to write his songs and further his career, even though Louis is troubled by his past and on medications. Critically in genuineness Laoutides is doing this in the film with his co-stars. Louis Katz is the only character with depth.

In an noteworthy twist Jules uses Louis to fight in backyard street fights, comically the film is narrated by a black hoodlum Quazy who knows the men too well, all being hustlers. Like I said before Laoutides saves the day with his performance and is really the only character I care about in the film, watching an actors-actor is all gratifying with good music in the background.