If you know me, you can probably tell I’m very proud of being Dominican. I love our culture, our music, and our stories. Living in the United States, it’s hard to find many of us sharing our stories, whether it’s books, movies, or anything in between. It’s why I was so proud when I heard La Soga 2, written and directed by Manny Perez, was premiering at TIFF. Dominican films getting such a large platform are a rarity. I was hoping for a film whose praises I could sing, a shining production that hailed from our small Triceratops-shaped island. It’s unfortunate that La Soga 2 retains none of what makes Dominican art and culture so special.
Manny Perez stars in the film as Luis, A.K.A. La Soga. He’s a former hitman who made a living on the island assassinating criminals that posed a threat to not just the Dominican government, but the United States’ interests. After the events of the first film, Luis has fled to the States. Trying to outrun his violent past seems impossible, as he’s located by a U.S. federal agent a decade later. He’s drawn back into the life he vehemently tried to escape, tasked with eliminating one last target. His cooperation will ensure the safety of his girlfriend Lia (Sarah Jorge León), and his true freedom.
A formulaic mess of an action film, La Soga 2 didn’t stir any emotion in me besides an odd drowsiness at 1 P.M. Perez doesn’t seem to understand that a film about a retired assassin doesn’t need to just retread the same violent footsteps as the previous film. Any introspection, any development of the titular character as anything more than a Caribbean Liam Neeson is nowhere to be found. What the film has in spades are lazily shot action scenes, clichéd dialogue, and the blandest setting possible for an action film: suburban Rhode Island. That last detail wouldn’t be so bad, except that it also doesn’t bother to focus much on its characters to liven up the uninteresting surroundings.
The film has some life to it when it explores Dani (Hada Vanessa). Unlike the first film, which was aggressively male and mostly disinterested in women outside of their sexuality and disposability, Dani has some dimensionality to her. She doesn’t play as simple a role as a damsel in distress or a femme fatale. She channels these traits at different points, as expected from a mediocre action film. But Vanessa’s performance brings forth something a bit more compelling. She is righteously angry and intimidating, probably more interesting than Luis himself. A better film would take the time to explore their relationship, the ways in which they diverge and why, despite similar origins.
The first film was by no means a masterpiece. It did seem to be curious, though, probing ideas about state-sanctioned violence and the abusive cycle spurred on by toxic masculinity. It even had some subtle commentary about the U.S.’s role in this violence, how it divests itself of the messiness of conflict whenever things get complicated in foreign countries. La Soga 2, in contrast, seems to have absolutely nothing to say about the violence that propels the plot. Everything happens because it’s an action sequel and, well, violent things are supposed to happen. A federal agent is a supporting character, featured much more than any of them did in the first film. Even so, his actions seem so fantastically stupid and unrealistic that I could never buy into the fact that he was supposedly representing the U.S. He just as easily could’ve been a rival gangster for all that he matters to the plot.
The film is boring to look at and barely contains a real human being within its standard story. It’s the worst of both worlds. Most of all, as a product of a Dominican filmmaker, it’s hard for me to not feel insulted. The first film was violent and unpleasant, to be sure; however, it had brief moments of levity that showcased more of our culture than just the negative. There were moments of dancing and joy, people sharing a meal together or enjoying a game of dominos. La Soga 2 can’t even manage that. The only way anyone can even know it’s a Dominican film is the fact that most of the characters speak Spanish. It’s an ugly film, in more ways than just visually. For that, it’s the ultimate disappointment.
