Missing from the sliver screen for the better part of the last decade, Love Ranch welcomes the long awaited return of one of the great American actors of his generation ... Joe Pesci. The Oscar winning actor who is best known for his work in Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas," "Casino" and of course Richard Donner's "Lethal Weapon" movies makes a triumphant return in this film in a role that seems to fit him like a glove playing Charlie Bontempo, the owner of the first legal brothel and a want-to-be boxing promoter. Equally perfect for her role in a completely unexpected way is Oscar winning English actress Dame Helen Mirren ("The Queen," "Excalibur"), who brings class, smarts and heart to the role of Charlie's wife Grace, who suddenly finds herself lost in Charlie's world and in love for the first time with another man. Mirren's real-life husband, Taylor Hackford ("Ray," White Knights"), brilliantly directs the film and demonstrates more excitement and fun in his directing style than has previously been seen before.

The film combines the sexual shock value of a movie like "Boogie Nights" with the explosive, volatile nature of "Casino" but in the end is a character piece about a love-triangle between three broken souls. We are first introduced to Charlie and Grace Bontempo, a loving couple that together have built the United States first legal brothel in Reno in the '1970s. Charlie is a short man with a big appetite and even bigger ambitions. He wears a cowboy hat and while he loves his wife, can often be found with one of the other girls at the brothel. His wife, Grace, is aware of his actions but chooses to ignore them insisting that he truly loves her and that the business is more important than his fidelity. However things begin to change when Charlie decides to get into the fight promoting business and invites Armando Bruza (wonderfully played by newcomer Sergio Peris-Mencheta), a washed up South American prize-fighter, to live at the ranch and train for his fight.

Because of Charlie's former criminal record he cannot legally manage Bruza so against her better judgment, Grace agrees to manage in name alone. But as time goes by and Charlie is distracted by his own ambitions of someday returning to Las Vegas as a respectable and legitimate business man, Grace and Bruza begin to grow close. Just as friends at first, but eventually Bruza confesses his love for her and Grace is now challenged by her growing feelings for Bruza and her loyalty to Charlie and their empire. Charlie's plan is to promote a fight between Bruza and the heavy weight champion of the world, Muhammad Ali, but in order to do that Bruza has to win his first American fight. But Bruza is also keeping a secret about his past from Charlie and Grace and when that secret is finally revealed it could mean the end for Charlie's big plans. Complicating things even further are Grace and Bruza's growing relationship, which is eventually consummated. Now Grace must make a life altering decision, leave now with Bruza and experience the passion and love that has been missing from her life all these years or stay with Charlie and protect everything that they have built together? As Grace makes her decision, Charlie finally becomes aware of his wife's infidelity and begins to take matters into his own hands. What follows is an explosion of passion, rage and bloodshed that will change all of their lives forever.

It is absolutely fantastic to see Pesci back on the big screen especially in a part that was so tailor made for him. He gets to be the Pesci we all know and love, the angry yet loveable, foul-mouthed, funny, and at times violent character that he is best known for playing. At the same time the actor gets to show off a wisdom and growth that could only come from age and like a fine wine, Pesci has never tasted so good. While this role is similar to some of his characters from the past, Charlie is a much more innocent character, certainly than the role he played "Casino." Pesci brings a comical element to the character that defuses him a bit for the audience, which makes his final moments in the film that more shocking. While Dame Helen Mirren is probably not the first name that comes to mind when you are casting a legal brothel Madame from Reno, but as one of the finest actresses on the planet you just knew that she would hit this role right out of the park and she certainly does that in this film. Her portrayal is never as the victim yet you can't help but sympathize with the vulnerability of her character. You really feel Grace's dilemma, her undeniable feelings for Bruza and her blind loyalty to Charlie. Mirren gives one of her most believable and compelling performances yet and while you never quite forget that you are watching "The Queen," partly in thanks to a hilarious add-lib that Pesci utters at one point in the movie, Mirren is able to use that regal elegance, that is so often associated with her, to her advantage in creating this role.

I imagine one of the hardest roles in the film to cast was that of heavy weight boxer Armando Bruza. Director Taylor Hackford had to not only find an actor who was physically big enough in size to be believable in the role, and who could of course also pass for South American, but he also needed an actor who had the emotional depth required for the part and who could hold his own in a scene opposite acting heavy weights like Mirren and Pesci. Hackford's discovery of Sergio Peris-Mencheta is nothing short of brilliant as the actor makes quite a splash in this film. He not only has the appropriate physical requirements for the role but he brings an emotional core to the character that absolutely makes Bruza come alive in a very exciting way. I have a feeling that we will be hearing a lot more from Sergio Peris-Mencheta in the future. What Hackford has been able to do with this film is quite impressive. He's taken a story, characters and even actors that we have seen in this type of film before and while still keeping that original spirit of the past, has reinvented the genre to create a completely new and original film. It's fast-paced, funny, moving, heartwarming and very exciting. In short: I loved Love Ranch and think you will too.