Entre Piernas

I wasn't going to write about this awful movie but then maybe I'll be doing a favor to many when I say that this movie is one to avoid, skip as is SO bad in every sense that yes, had to fast-forward just to see what happens with the lesbian interest story. Then film borders porn on the male/female sex and fantasy scenes plus lesbian scenes are obviously done for male audiences.

With absolutely horrendous acting, terrible script and terrible directing film tells a story that looks like the Mexican version of the mix of the plots of Imagine Me and You plus The Sex Monster , more the later than the first, but script even duplicated some situations of the first. The result is truly awful.

If you like lesbian interest movies and wish to see "everything" then the only way to see movie is to fast-forward to the two women moments as otherwise is impossible to endure the movie. By the way movie is available to watch for free -available only in Spanish-, so browse the net and you easily will find it.

Awful!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Almost Summer Movie Bits

After Cannes I was left with an entertainment mood wishing to watch only irrelevant escape films that take me into fantasy land. So that’s exactly what I have been doing with a few exceptions. But I’m also in a 3D mood so for sure will go to watch not Pirates but the green movie that soon will open at a theater near you with none other than Ryan Reynolds and a story about my favorite super hero from when I was a kid.

Unknown – If you don’t expect much then this thriller will entertain you even when story is similar to many other stories –man hits head and not even wife recognizes him- but here the twist at the end is unexpected and unfortunately anticlimactic. Starring great Liam Neeson carrying the entire film well -but take note that this is NO great Taken- plus many other great actors like Bruno Ganz, Sebastian Koch, Frank Langella, Aidan Quinn, January Jones and Diane Kruger makes movie watchable and for a while you will surely forget everything about your real life. Enjoy!

Just Go with It – Expecting not much, movie really surprised me. First because I had no idea Nicole Kidman was here and much less that she was doing comedy. Second because movie is as good/entertaining as those movies with the Sandler/Barrymore duo. Third I had fun watching Jennifer Aniston, which is absolutely unusual. So if you liked movies like The Wedding Singer and/or 50 First Dates I know you will enjoy this movie. Enjoy.

Red Ridding Hood – Perhaps I really like Catherine Hardwicke filmmaking style with spectacular outdoor compositions and takes but to my huge surprise, I enjoyed this movie for the visuals and well the unusual take on the classic fairy tale. Some female critics are saying that this movie target is female teenagers, hmm… maybe but even if I’m no teen I can tell you I enjoy watching great Julie Christie in the screen –she should act more often- and the twisted story that kept me wondering who the werewolf was. No, didn’t guessed right, so was absolutely unexpected, which is also unusual for me. This is no horror movie or thriller, is more like a suspense “who dunnit” kind of movie with spectacular visuals. Enjoy!!

Ilusiones Opticas (Optical Illusions) – When I finished watching this movie by Cristián Jiménez I said “is okay”. Not much time passed when I started to really think what I saw in the screen and then, story absolutely hit me hard, very hard. Movie is about “optical illusions” about what is crudely in front of you but you don’t chose to see it for whatever reason; so you create your fantasy to cover reality, to dream a dream of change, with a happier ending that never will be. Great story in a minimalist, narrative oriented film with some humor, some sadness, and some temporary happiness. If you decide to watch it you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!!!

Pa negre (Black Bread) - This Agustí Villaronga film tells about what lies can do to people, how one lie takes to another lie, how lies come from ignorance and from fear of what others could say if you admit truth, even when everybody else knows truth but chose to keep it silent or to forget about it, until truth comes out and everyone points fingers. Yes that’s what this entertaining movie is all about but using kids plus the harsh post-war years’ in Spain Catalan countryside makes what could have been a difficult-to-watch story into a more digestible story and an entertaining movie. Enjoy!!

Barney’s Version – Not sure what I was expecting from this movie, but surely wasn’t much as I don’t particularly like Paul Giamatti performances and much less, Scott Speedman; so when movie starts and goes to the past in Italy I almost stopped watching but decided to continue and I’m very glad as in the end, I liked this movie that tells the story of Barney Panofsky with his business successes, his female conquests –until he’s conquered by one woman- and his numerous failures. To me story and movie is a satire that pictures quite well the life of many men, a story that strongly resembles the life of many real life men that I know. An entertaining movie to escape reality while watching what could be reality to many. Enjoy!!

Ubiitsy (Killers) – This 1956 short film co directed by Andrei Tarkovsky when he was a student at VGIK absolutely is the best student film I have EVER seen. Is the last of Tarkovsky’s so reduced (11 titles) oeuvre that I had to see before I die or I decide to stop doing the blog. Now I can say that I have seen all his outstanding films and this short co directed with his student colleagues, with them acting, and with a scene with Tarkovsky acting is truly visual poetry even when is based on a short story by Hemingway about some killers that are in town to kill a man. If you love Tarkovsky’s work as much as I do, you have to watch this short film as well as the other 10 films he did. Truly Outstanding. BIG ENJOY!!!

El Sicario: Room 164 - A documentary that tells about the life (20 years) of a man as a highly trained Mexican narco hit man that will capture your attention not only because what he says but also for his multiple drawings while telling the most horrible stories of killings, kidnappings, torture and all the things he did while being trained, starting to work, becoming an expert and how he went into hiding, as now there is a contract on his life of US$250,000. You will not see a thing but you will hear everything, which I believe makes it more ice-cold terrific. Still, is mesmerizing until the very not-expected end that is totally anti-climatic and ruined the doc for me. Watch at your own risk. Enjoy!

El Infierno (Hell) – Actually watched this film before watching the above documentary and definitively was the reason why I decided to watch El Sicario as wanted to learn more about narco’s life as with this movie you get a satiric approach, which is very entertaining and definitively succeeds in getting you to think about this theme that you hardly think about it in your everyday life. As mentioned in other post, film is good as humor facilitates watching everything; but when you live or have lived in Mexico or any other country where chaos is real, film definitively is must be seen to realize that after all whatever is happening in Mexico -and many other similar countries- is consequence of many years, hundreds of years, where citizens indifference –and participation- have made everything possible as they did before, are doing today and unfortunately will continue to do tomorrow. According to what I read –and I agree- many films released for Mexico’s bicentennial celebration tell so many dark truths that makes many wonder if there is something to celebrate as “nothing has changed much” after 200 years. Enjoy!!!

Surely I’m forgetting some films, but this is it for today!

Cheers!

53rd Ariel Awards

A while back the Mexican Academy had their award ceremony where the narco-themed satire El Infierno (Hell) swept the awards by winning nine top film prizes, including best picture and director. I have seen the movie -that was released under Mexico’s Bicentennial celebrations- and is a dark comedy that precisely because the humor is able to tell and show many crude “realities” about what’s happening in Mexico with the narco, the government, and perhaps most of all its citizens. It’s a film that many should watch, especially if you live in a country where citizens indifference facilitates chaos.

Here are nominations with winner in (*) BLUE for some categories.

Best Film
Abel, Diego Luna
Chicogrande, Felipe Cazals
(*) El Infierno (Hell), Luis Estrada

Best First Film
Alamar, Pedro Gonzalez Rubio
(*) Año Bisiesto (Leap Year), Michael Rowe
La Mitad del Mundo, Jaime Ruiz Ibáñez

Best Director
Diego Luna for Abel
Felipe Cazals for Chicogrande
(*) Luis Estrada for El Infierno

Best Actress
Karina Gidi in Abel, Diego Luna
(*) Mónica Del Carmen in Año Bisiesto (Leap Year), Michael Rowe
Maricel Alvares in Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu
Ursula Pruneda in Las Buenas Hierbas (The Good Herbs), María Novaro

Best Actor
Javier Bardem in Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu
(*) Damián Alcázar in El Infierno (Hell), Luis Estrada
Demián Bichir in Hidalgo, la Historia Jamás Contada, Antonio Serrano
Hansel Ramírez in La Mitad del Mundo, Jaime Ruiz Ibáñez

Best Iberoamerican Film
El Hombre de al Lado (The Man Next Door), Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat, Argentina
(* Tie) José Martí: el ojo del canario, Fernando Pérez, Cuba
(* Tie)También la lluvia (Even the Rain), Iciar Bollaín, Spain

To check nominations in all categories go here and for all winners go here.

Many were wondering why the movie that was submitted to 2011 Oscar was not even nominated in top categories, but some of us know that Mexico politics are not always clear not only in the Country but also in cinema circles. Anyway if you wish to understand better what’s going on in Mexico, then El Infierno should be must be seen for you.

Post Mortem

Film started like a story about a deadpan face obsessive stalker-alike neighbor that wanted to “meet” Nancy, his front door neighbor. Continued with all his life little dull life nuances at home and at work, where he was an autopsy recorder of the very old fashion and traditional style. Life was monotonous and Mario found the way to meet Nancy but she literally escapes from his company. A discussion at work, only way to keep what they have is with arms… finally film touches the theme I was waiting for! Yes I knew what film was about and for more than half the film I was impatiently waiting for the film to start. Big mistake!

If you want to enjoy movie first half I strongly suggest you learn nothing about this movie otherwise you will be just like me “waiting for the movie to start”.

Pablo Larraín film will hit you hard probably as much as really hit those that live it and lived to tell. Set a few days before the other September 11th, tells Mario’s story but as you can imagine is only the excuse to tell what was happening before, during and after that fatidic date in 1973 and Larraín chooses to tell it in an unconventional, unique, and unexpected way that will hit you hard while watching but more after when you play the movie again in your head. Still on the surface is a dark non-romantic love story. But after all movie is about the death of a nation, about dead people and about a love that dies; I’m sure it will hit you more than what you imagine and could expect.

With only a few characters and starring incredible Alfredo Castro of Tony Manero’s fame film showcases very interesting visual narrative with high production values that will keep your undivided attention even when movie has slow pace that feels slower in the first half and so fast in the second half even when rhythm is the same the entire picture. But film’s provocation does not only comes from the story, also comes from an astoundingly beautiful framing and composition, especially in many takes with the space off the screen when we cannot see what goes on.

Premiered in competition at 2010Venice and followed with San Sebastian fest at Horizontes Latinos, film continued to collect honors in the fest circuit, including the one I gave it from just watching the trailer that now I absolutely confirm as this is an almost perfect cinema masterpiece. Chapeau Pablo Larraín.

Not for all audiences, you have to enjoy art cinema with strong stories that are not easy to watch and yes, to understand if you’re not familiar with true history; still I believe movie could be interesting even if only you can see is the dark love story. But again, be prepared as film will hit you hard and harder after watching.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch Trailer @MOC

Biutiful (2010)

The most recent movie of Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu portrays a modern-time Barcelona I didn’t know, though I could imagine it exists. In fact, this movie could have been filmed in most European countries, we all know what is going on but it’s just that we choose not to think about unpleasant things that happen around us.

I have read several times that the movie is about “a conflicted man involved in illegal dealing who struggles to take care of his two children”…or variations of it. It so happens that there is a lot more to this story, like sweatshops and exploited illegal immigrants whose lives we also get to know. This is a movie about people of all races struggling to make a living under desperate circumstances.  

Iñarritu even manages to tackle issues like bipolarity, cancer, homosexuality, adultery, murder and after-life, and yes, it all makes sense and adds to the movie.

As for the cast, Javier Bardem deserves his nomination to the Oscars, but with the script and direction this movie has, it would be hard not to do a good job. I was more surprised with the rest of the cast, since they all do a great job with solid performances. I’m thinking of Maricel Alvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib or Diaryatou Daff. Sometimes having a cast of unknown actors adds to it, because it keeps you focused in the story and on the people that are a part of it.

You will see many people describing this movie as boring, scattered, and inferior to “Babel”. It surely is a movie that demands your full attention. I saw this movie alone and I’m glad that I did that.  As for comparing it with the director’s previous work, I had a chance to re-watch Babel very recently and though I really like that movie, I think Biutiful is better. Well, I’m glad we are all different.

One last note to mention how I love the end of this movie. Or the way it begins?

Biutiful earned itself a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination.

Green light!