_La Gomera_ is like my best friend in high school mom's cooking: fresh and I tried my hardest to like it, but it could've used a little more spice.

_The Whistlers_ / _La Gomera_ is a Romanian film noir set mostly on the Spanish island of Gomera, and involves crooked cops, crooked crooks, and mafia money... It gets its name from a group of people on the island who communicate solely through whistling (a similar permise addressed in last year's incredible Turkish film Sibel).

While there are many clever noir gimmicks, the most enticing aspect of the film is the obscenely beautiful Catrinel Menghia (aka Catrinel Marlon), who is as talented as she is striking (she was nominated for best actress for this role at the last Cannes festival). Next to her, however, the rest of the film falls a little flat.