Gustavo Rodriguez Movies

Two boys get a glimpse of how the other half lives in this comedy-drama from the Dominican Republic. Yuniol (Shalim Ortiz) comes from a poor family and lives in the slums of Santo Domingo, but he's bright and has been taught to understand the importance of hard work and bettering yourself. One of Yuniol's classmates is Junior (Frank Perozo), who lacks Yuniol's ambition and discipline despite the fact his family is wealthy and he lives in one of the city's finest neighborhoods. Yuniol's math grades are among the best in his high school, and when Junior looks as if he might fail the subject, his mother persuades him to take some tutoring from Yuniol. Junior's first visit to Yuniol's home proves disastrous when his car is stripped by vandals, and next time Yuniol comes to Junior's place instead. Yuniol is dazzled by Junior's lifestyle and begins spending more time at his house, occasionally borrowing his car to go joyriding around the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Junior goes to visit Yuniol's family, and is given a crash course in responsibility and friendship. While Charityn Goyco plays Frank Perozo's mother in Yuniol2 (aka Junior), in real life she's the mom of his friend and rival in the movie, Shalim Ortiz. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this wacky Dominican comedy, three wives decide to cast spells on their philandering husbands in hopes of curtailing their cheating ways. The magic reverses the couples' male and female roles, and the men become househusbands while the women take on masculine characteristics, resulting in lots of mayhem and confusion. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

In this Venezuelan drama a frustrated, but ambitious writer kills and steals the writing of an up and coming author. Ricardo Azolar, can write reams, but he hates it all. He goes to a literary salon where the beautiful people congregate to discuss books and the motivations behind the authors. There Ricardo encounters and falls for a young woman who is in love with Daniel, a writer whose popularity is rising. The opportunistic Ricardo becomes friends with Daniel. He then kills him, steals his work, and assumes his persona. He even alters his appearance and steals his girlfriend. His plot works for a while but it eventually fails. Ricardo's story is part of the autobiography that he is writing while in prison. It will be his magnum opus. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This political thriller/fantasy takes place in Venezuela in 1960. In the story, an unlikely crew of leftist conspirators had decided that the only way to get the kind of government they want to see their country have is to assassinate the politically moderate President Romulo Betancourt (1908-1981), who has just returned to office after a long period during which the country was under a military dictatorship. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Just before the bottom fell out of the Bolívar (the national currency) and Venezuela slid rapidly into an unprecedented economic decline, many people made a lot of money in business or in other professions, most legally and others by cheating. This film which stays close to a soap-opera format, tells the story of Oswaldo Urbaneja (Gustavo Rodriguéz), a businessman with shady dealings who lives very well in Caracas. He has a somewhat delinquent son, and an unwed daughter about to become pregnant. Oswaldo is tired of his mistress -- she is also pregnant, and he drops her as he finds a new woman and takes off for Miami and a brief vacation. After just a few days of the "high life" in this Latino-oriented mecca, the Bolívar crashes, Oswaldo's business goes bust, his credit cards are no longer accepted anywhere, and the national newspapers in Venezuela are rightly accusing him of financial improprieties. His new mistress did not come to Miami for this, so she leaves him and goes home. Meanwhile, Oswaldo has no way to support himself, though he does try washing dishes for awhile -- until he hits upon an idea that just may get him back on his feet again in his new, adopted city. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide