Days of Cinema

La Santa Muerte (2007)
Country: Mexico
Director: Paco del Toro

I can't believe we're making films so empty and pretentious. In my last review I highlighted the 'fresh' factor of Begne's "Dos Abrazos" (Two Love Stories), a film that did not follow the tradition implied by Guillermo Arriaga of interconnecting stories. Well guess what? Paco Del Toro seems to have noticed that too. In La Santa Muerte, his third and worst film yet, he tells three stories in which the characters' faith is placed on a particular Mexican saint, the saint death. Del Toro really knows how to manipulate not only its actors, but also its distributors. I understand why Niñas Mal and Kilometro 31 get hundreds of copies into theatres, but how can this film possibly get almost 300 theatres? It is an ugly film; it tries to be depressing and gives sermon after sermon, something very typical with this director. I would love to be given the opportunity of making this idea into a fiction film; I think it is such an interesting character. As I was looking around me, I noticed that the theatre was almost full (ugh), and I was shocked to see that some people were even shocked and emotional. I seriously don't get this director, and it is not because of his religious beliefs (my parents are both Christian), is just that he is the kind of storyteller that starts digging and digging until he gets to the areas of discrimination and stupidity. 

Dos Abrazos (2007)
Country: Mexico
Director: Enrique Begne

A tender and sweet effort by breakthrough director Enrique Begne. Graduated from CCC (Mexico's best film school), he is a very promising helmer. Even though the film is not innovative at all and we get the feeling we've been there already, it is refreshing to see an ensemble piece is so carefully crafted that it never falls into mediocre interlocking stories, something so typical by Mexican filmmakers nowadays. The film consists of 2 pieces, and they are not related at all physically, only spiritually. Techs are fine, the music is probably the highlight of the film, performances wise goes from good (Maya Zapata, Giovanni Florido) to great (Ximena Sarinana) to exemplary (Jorge Zarate). The film won best first feature at the Tribeca Film Festival this year.

Resident Evil:Extinction (2007)
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Country: United States

Just a few days ago I was criticizing the film 300 for its video game visuals and content. Now it is time to review an actual video game converted into a successful movie franchise. While I was not a big fan of the first two films, there's always something about a woman kicking ass. Furthermore, how dare anyone ignore a film about a tremendously hot chick killing zombies. The result is an empty emotional script but a very stylish film that is as bloody as 300, and a lot more entertaining. Sound mixing and visual effects are taken to such an extreme that I would consider them breathtaking; production design by Eugenio Caballero is raw and marvellous.

Best Films of the year so far
It's hard to watch films in Mexico, distributors are determined to make us wait as many years as possible.
Four Mexican films in my top 10? WTF! that's got to be
a first. 

Country: Mexico
Director: Julian Hernandez

An affecting minimalist film, almost silent. I wasn't impressed with his debut film as everyone seemed to be, I found it pretentious and manipulative. My expectations for this film were very low, but I decided to give it a chance since it was playing at the Morelia film festival. Immediately Hernandez introduces his audience to his own personal world. One that is full of provocative thoughts, and most importantly Hernandez reflects that awful reality of loneliness. There is that deep fight between the three characters and the music is perfectly presented to us. At moments Broken Sky seems to be a very long ballad. As great as the film was, it was too long. I would've cut at least 20 minutes of the film. Techs are near perfect, except for the rude editing. The cinematography and music are the standouts of the film, performances are fine. 

First, excuse me for the language, but how do fuck did this film got nominated for so many Goyas (Spain's oscars), Azuloscurocasinegro was a very fine film that has a lot more heart and fun in it. I like Viggo Mortensen, I really loved his darkish performance in Cronenberg's A History of Violence, and yes, his spanish is great since he was raised in Argentina. He is fine in Alatriste, but his accent is way too tick, that's also fine, what bothered me is that he tried way to hard to hide it, to the point that he had to whisper words, making it harder to understand for latinos. Production design is good, and the costumes are great as well. The screenplay was... does Alatriste have a screenplay? or was it so bad that my brain just decided to ignore it? Alatriste is a huge failure, it never really accomplishes its goals. At moments it tried too hard to be historic and present an era of Spain. Dissapointing as this is probably the most expensive spanish-language film ever made? And what´s up with it having every single spanish actor there is.

Guillermo Arriaga, an okay novel writer that sensacionalizes everything he can touch. His idea of making films is not very far from what he does as a writer. The raves of his earlier work in both books and film, have contributed to his mega ego. He showed some talent in Amores Perros and 21 Grams, but still, his screenplays weren't necessarily good. Later, he ruined The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, and was the weakest element to hideous Babel. Now, he gives a new director the chance of directing one of his most acclaimed novels. The result becomes an ugly-looking mess, where the only thing worthy is the beauty of Liz Guillardo, and the beautiful score by The Mars Volta,which in my opinion is one of the scores in recent mexican movies. Performances are irregular, but they did what they could, the screenplay and directing didn't do much to help them.

An interesting and visually striking feature by visionary Boyle, who brought us one of the best horror movies of the decade, "28 Days Later." Once again, he collaborates with Cilian Murphy, probably one of the best young actors these days. The pic is fire, but in moments falls in absurdity and credibility issues. Yes, it is a science fiction film, but the screenplay obsessively puts obstacles in its characters, it looses potential because we don't really care about the characters, even knowing that they are supposely saving our lives. Boyle is a tech director, and the cinematography and red pallete are more than outstanding here. 

Some critics for some reason compared Bobby to Babel last year. And even though I find both of them very superficial and mediocre, at least Babel had amazing performances like Rinko Kikuchi and Adriana Barraza, a career-best work from Rodrigo Prieto, and splendid sound mixing. Bobby is not only melodramatic, it had a fantastic cast and seems like Emilio Estevez did everything he could to make
them bad actors. Besides, from the dozens of actors, I would highlight Freddi Rodriguez and Sharon Stone. It really is a shame that the movie didn't work, I was drooling to see it despite knowing how it was received in the U.S. Some other highlights of the film were the costume design
and perhaps Lindsay Lohan?, yeah, I finally saw a different side of her acting, which isn't bad at all.

First, I must confess I've never liked this character, I find him so irritant and so over the top. I decided to give this film a chance since some of my friends for some reason actually thought the film was smart? And, it really isn't Mr. Bean isn't smart, but that has never really been a problem with my dislike of the series. This movie is nothing but the same typical comedy intended to get descent amount of box office. I should say though, it really has a colorful and striking cinematography. And the music is also very well put together. At the end the film is flawed in every single way, the performances become as dull as it can get. The final scene is a disaster.
Was the director trying to to make a homage to "The 8th Hour" ?

As I was organizing my list of the film I've seen so far this year, I started to choose the film I would love to write about. And no other film came to my mind, but "The Violin." A beautifully lensed pic that has been the most awarded Mexican feature since Amores Perros. At first, I was reluctant to see it, I have declared myself anti-mexican movie goer. A very arrogant action from my part, but in those moments the film industry of my country was depressing, mediocre, there was no light at all. People started talking about Babel, and I hate it, later on came Pan's Labyrinth, and I loved it, I came to the conclusion that maybe Mexico does in fact produce quality films, but where should I look for them. Later on, people starting talking about this film, about the actor, everyone raved it, but I wasn't excited about it, the plot seemed so minimal. When I walked out of the theatre I finally knew what all the fuss was about, it truly is one of the best contemporary films from Latin America. It is so gentle and sublime, I seriously doubt any other Mexican film will be able to capture so much beauty and reality than what Francisco Vargas has accomplished. Angel Tavira is brilliant, an iconic performance for the ages. The best film I've seen so far, wait, not really, Inland Empire is the best film of the year, no doubt about it, in fact, it Lynch's film is probably one of the best films in years.

Knocked Up (2007)
Country: USA
Director: Judd Apatow

I had been waiting for a this kind of comedy all year long, and even though I find it very irregular, it is the first comedy that I have liked this year. I was begining to think I was in somekind of depression, and turns out that I just had to wait for a film that was smart and touching, oh and yeah, funny. The editing of the film was horrible, but the performances and the screenplay do more than justice. This is the kind of comedy Hollywood should continue doing. The film tries too hard to embrace so many things abroad, and at the end it begins to weight a lot, that's probably the biggest problem of the film. But hey, it still is the best comedy of the year so far, I just have to say that it is very hard for a film to make me laugh, well, I laughed a lot this year watching the mexican film Cuando Las Cosas Suceden (When Things Happen), truly the worst film of the year, in a surprisingly descent year for Mexican cinema. 

A stylish, colorful, and soundy production. Unfortunately, it takes itself too seriously, nevertheless it's got enough energy and the accurate music to make it a descent film. No doubt, it was a big step and a huge surprise from Director Adam Shankman, yes, the director of The Pacifier. Nikki Flonsky is a revelation, but I hope her over-the-top charms don't continue to follow her acting career. John Travolta, I found myself questioning if casting him casting him was a joke, but I gotta say it was a descent performance. The screenplay is very unconcistant, as well as the art direction, I didn't get the feeling we were transported into the 1960s. Hairspray sparkles too much, just as Dreamgirls did last year, none of these two musicals have the heart or entertainment qualities of the best musical of the decade so far, Chicago. This is the kind of film the entertainment show bizz drools for, I wouldn't be surprise if this ends up geting some oscar nominations in the techs, and probably a golden globe nom for Best Picture Comedy/Musical.