Showing posts with label Spanish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spanish. Show all posts

Maria Full of Grace (2004 Film)

Friday, February 24, 2012 | Posted by The Entertainment Geek

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this one, but as I’d not seen a Columbian production, I picked it up. And I was surprised beyond my expectations.



“María Álvarez: How many times have you done this?
Lucy Díaz: Two.
María Álvarez: How did it go?
Lucy Díaz: Still here.

The Rundown
Behind the name: Original Title—María llena eres de gracia. Title is a triple entendre- Reference to Mary, mother of Jesus, “grace” refers to slang for heroin, and may also be the name of the character’s unborn child.
Country: Columbia, USA, 2004
 Genre: Drama
Distributed by: Fine Line Features
Director: Joshua Marston
                  Cast: Catalina Sandino Moreno (as María Álvarez), Virginia Ariza (as Juana), Yenny Paola Vega (as Blanca), Guilied Lopez (as Lucy Díaz), Patricia Rae (as Carla), Rodrigo Sánchez Borhorquez (as the supervisor), Charles Albert Patiño (as Felipe), Wilson Guerrero (as Juan), John Álex Toro (as Franklin).
                  Compare to: Traffic (2000), Sweet Sixteen (2002), Sangre de Mi Sangre (2007)
Hate it or Love it?  Love it.

Synopsis in a Sentence: A 17 year-old girl gets pregnant and is under pressure from her family and work: she meets a guy who links her up with the drug trade, and she tries her luck by attempting to traffic illegal drugs to the US by swallowing pellets of drugs—how far will her luck go?
           
Winner of numerous well-deserved awards, Maria Full of Grace tells the story of an underage girl who gets involved in the drug-trade to support her family and deal with her pregnancy. The story was so well told, and received, that it grossed over four times its budget in the box office!

On Writing: The Plot
A really, really good plot. Very vivid, very interesting and insightful. The story progresses and gets better with every minute. You feel the characters, progress with the plot, and appreciate the narrative. It’s a really good story very well told. *Can’t go on for risk of gushing out on the whole story. Don’t be lazy. Watch it*
(4.5/5)

On Acting: The Cast 
A great cast. Simple, authentic and genuine.
Moreno
Vega 
Lopez
 Catalina Sandino Moreno plays María Álvarez as close to perfect as possible, and earned herself — one of only 3 Hispanic actresses to achieve one — a well-deserved Oscar® nomination in the process. 
Supporting actresses Yenny Paola Vega (Blanca) and Guilied Lopez (Lucy) also present notable performances. A great cast of characters skillfully played out.

 (4/5)





On Production: The Creativity
A good production: simple and stark. Its shots that relay the state of the movie and its characters quite well.  
(3.5/5)                                             

On Resolution: The Conclusion
The resolution. It is one to remember. It’s a good conclusion, wrapped with intelligence, realism, and meaning. A very good conclusion.
(4.5/5)


The Verdict: A gut-wrenching ride. A great movie. Do see!

Overall Score = 16.5/20 

 






Posted In , , , , , , , , , , , , | 0 comments |

Review: Hello Hemingway (2006 Film)

Sunday, August 28, 2011 | Posted by The Entertainment Geek

Hello Hemingway seemed like an entertaining historical reference to 1950s Cuba, and it was.


“A look into Cuba in the ‘50s.”

The Rundown
Behind the name: Reference to the plot
Country: Cuba, 2006
 Genre: Drama
Director: Fernando Perez
Cast: Laura de la Uz (as Larita), José Antonio Rodriguez (as Tomás), Raúl Paz, Herminia Sánchez, Caridad Hernandez
Compare to: Hemingway’s writing?
Hate it or Love it?  Appreciate it  

Synopsis in a Sentence: A Cuban high school student struggles to study abroad, and while whole her family scoffs at her lofty goals, she finds solace in Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.
           
On Writing: The Plot
The heroine, Larita lives just next door to Earnest Hemingway in San Francisco de Paula, Cuba. Only, he lives in a mansion, and she lives in a run-down house.  She discovers an opportunity to study abroad and jumps at it, but she struggles to juggle financial woes, an excellent grade, looming political change, and a love interest. As she reads Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, she finds curious parallels to her life.
(3.5/5)

On Acting: The Cast
Great actors.
Laura de la Uz is Larita, the lead character, and she plays the role as authentically and  true as she’d play herself. She comes off as completely genuine. José Antonio Rodriguez, who plays as Tomás, her love interest is almost as good, maybe so.
Other actors  Raúl Paz, Herminia Sánchez, Caridad Hernandez also bring true talent to the screen. A great cast overall.
(4/5)

On Production:
Good production. Great actually, considering the time. Great transitions, good flow.
 (3.5/5)                                             

On Resolution: The Conclusion
This one, you’d have to decide for yourself. I recommend reading The Old Man and the Sea before placing your verdict.
(3/5)

The Verdict: A good production, and insightful.

Overall Score = 14/20 




Posted In , , , , , , , | 0 comments |

Review: Volver (2006 Film)

Thursday, May 19, 2011 | Posted by The Entertainment Geek

I’d heard a lot about Volver but didn’t hope for much—most hyped flms turn out to be disappointments, but not this one…

“A ride through past times.”

The Rundown
Behind the name: Translation- “To Come Back”
Country: Spain, 2006
Genre: Drama
Distributed by: Miramax Films
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Cast: Penélope Cruz (as Raimunda) Carmen Maura (as Irene) Lola Dueñas (as Soledad) Blanca Portillo (as Agustina) Yohana Cobo (as Paula) Chus Lampreave (as Tía Paula) Antonio de la Torre (as Paco) Carlos Blanco (as Emilio)
Compare to: Itself
Hate it or Love it?  Love it!

Synopsis in a Sentence: Current events draw Raimuda and Sole to the mysteries of their past, and they discover (or re-discover) what it means “to come back.”
           

On Writing: The Plot
A good one—A great one! Volver brings a unique and mysterious plot to the screen. It’s a story about death, family relationships, and the mysteries of the past like you’ve never experienced before.
   (4.5/5)

On Acting: The Cast
A great cast. They’ll draw you in. The predominantly female network of screen actors works well: 
 Penelope Cruz steals the show in this one. Her portrayal of Raimunda is authentic, raw, and dynamic.


Carmen Maura brings the detached emotions of the dead to life on screen, and leading actresses Lola Dueñas (Soledad) Blanca Portillo (Agustina) and Yohana Cobo (Paula) all resonate excellently on screen. That’s great a cast. (4/5)




On Production: The Creativity
Very well done. Very well done. Excellent symbolism, great shots, and artistic transitions: the production is so flawlessly delivered; it almost competes with the plot. It’s the perfect match for a great plot. Together, they do this film wonders.
(4.5/5)                                              

On Resolution: The Conclusion
Good, great, and everything in between. This is one film I’ll be raving about. If at first you think the story is good, wait until the end. It’s well worth it.   
(4.5/5)

The Verdict: A fantastic watch! It’ll have you coming back for more!

Overall Score = 17.5/20


 


Posted In , , , , , , , | 0 comments |

Feliz Christmas, Merry Navidad (1999 Film)

Friday, December 24, 2010 | Posted by The Entertainment Geek
Something to put you in the spirit of the season?

“Feliz Navidad.”   


The Rundown

Behind the name: Mash-up of Spanish & English
Country: Mexico & USA, 1999
 Genre: Holiday film
Distributed by: Pigeon Productions
Director: Loius Palomo
Cast: Tere López-Tarín (as Elena), Carlos Soriano (as Rafael), Angelina Cruz (as Magda), Christopher Palomo, (as Miguelito), Antonio Váldez (as Pablito), Tania Raso            (as Ixchel)
Compare to: Feliz Ano, Amor Mio
Hate it or Love it? Don’t like it

Synopsis in a Sentence: A Mother who lives with her son in Florida go to spend Christmas in Mexico and they discover (and re-discover) the true meaning of Christmas.           

A children’s film about Christmas, for the season


On Writing: The Plot

The plot is quite basic. The plot was geared toward children. To adults, there may be nothing inspiring here, unfortunately. To seasoned kids who know the difference between entertainment and education, the plot may seem a bit preachy. But the story does touch adequately on themes like friendship and culture and of course, Christmas. 
(2.5/5)


On Acting: The Cast

Honestly, they seemed like armatures. If not that, then they seemed to be acting for kids only… most of them anyway.
(2.5/5)


On Production: The Creativity

Basic.
 (2.5/5)                                              

On Resolution: The Conclusion

All’s well. It’s a Christmas story after all, and since it seemed to be geared especially toward children, it had a didactic lesson too. Not a bad ending, but not spectacular either.
(2.5/5)

The Verdict: Basic story line, some things over-done, a few overemphasized ideas, wrapped up into an inspiring Christmas story. Bah! Humbug!

Overall Score = 10/20


Posted In , , , , , , , | 0 comments |

Live-In Maid (2007 Film)

Tuesday, August 3, 2010 | Posted by The Entertainment Geek
An Argentinean film in Spanish portraying a pun on the relationship between pride, wealth and economic conditions.



“An authentic Latin-American  production, seemingly true to its core.”

The Rundown
Behind the name: Also Known As “Cama Adentro” (Argentina-original title), La señora Beba (Mexico), Pani Beba (Poland)
Country: Argentina, 2004
 Genre: Drama
Distributed by: Aqua Films
Directors: Jorge Gaggero
                        Cast: Norma Aleandro (as Beba Pujol), Norma Argentina (as Dora), Marcos Mundstock (as Víctor) Raúl Panguinao (as Miguel) Elsa Berenguer (as Sara), Susana (Lanteri as Memé), Claudia (Lapacó as Perla), Mónica (Gonzaga as Irma), Eduardo (Rodríguez as Luisito), Arturo Goetz (as Invitado en el Country)
Compare to: Maid In Manhattan—with a lot less comedy & romance.
Hate it or Love it?  Appreciate it.

Synopsis in a Sentence: A wealthy upper-class woman and her live-in maid must adjust to the ironies of the Argentinean economic crisis, and as the tables are turned, the 30-year relationship between the women reveal the dynamics of humanity, pride and humility.
           
With 7 wins and 6 nominations from worldwide film festivals, the Live-In Maid received positive global reception from the Sundance Film Festival, the Lleida Latin American Film Festival, as well as the Argentinean Film Critics Association Award. The thing is, the critics say one thing and normal people like us may think another. Here’s what I think:


On Writing: The Plot

It’s a good story. A very subtle manifestation of the difficulties of the Latin American economic crisis through the lives of two women of about the same age, clasped by the inequalities of economic freedom. The crisis dispels their conditions, and we get a deeper look into the relationship between these two women.
The storyline was relatable and interesting to explore. The situations can be understood in various cultural contexts. The satire was a delicate jibe on society and economic equality. With a few laughable moments and a true plot, the Live-in Maid made good, realistic entertainment.

(3.5/5)


On Acting: The Cast

Really good actors. I cannot quite imagine them in any other roles. Norma Aleandro, who played  Beba Pujol, the rich madam of the live-in maid oozed sympathetic pride throughout the film. A role artfully delivered. Norma Argentina who played Dora, also revealed kindness in the face of the difficulties of those times.

(4/5)


On Production: The Creativity

The production allowed straightforward delivery of the storyline, the events and the dialogue shared between the characters. It allowed for a deeper look into their lives and their difficulties.

 (3/5)                                             


On Resolution: The Conclusion

The resolution reeked of foreign production, which may translate into its Argentinean originality. At the end of the Live-In Maid, the cup may either be half full or half empty. The story left its audience hanging, allowing for suggestions to its conclusion, which either allows for a good conclusion or a bad one. though it did offer a good direction concerning the relationship between the two women.

(3/5)


The Verdict: Some may consider it slow, but it builds its own momentum. Appreciate the originality of a Latin-American production.

Overall Score = 13.5/20


 See the Live-In Maid 

Posted In , , , , , , | 0 comments |

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)