Movies | VivirLatino

Archive for the ‘Movies’ Category

VL At The Cine: Our Family Wedding

6:26 pm By BiancaLaureano · Movies · 18 Comments

11 Mar 2010

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

It seems like it was only yesterday that Mala and I were tweeting that we were surprised we had not been invited to a screening of the upcoming film Our Family Wedding featuring America Ferrera, Carlos Mencia, Regina King, and Forest Whitaker. Then all of a sudden an invitation falls into my inbox! I’ll admit that when I started to see the trailers on television I just took a deep sigh as the images and storyline lead one to believe that it will focus on the racism that Latinos have towards Black people. And ya’ll know how I feel about that already.

The film follows Lucia performed by America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) who is attending Law School at Columbia University in NYC where she meets her fiancé Marcus performed by Lance Gross (House Of Payne, Meet The Browns), who is seeking a medical degree at the same University. We meet them as they are packing to head back to LA to visit family and announce they are getting married. Dating for less than one year, Marcus is excited to share his decision and love for Lucia with his single-father who raised him, Brad, performed by Forest Whitaker (Last King Of Scotland), who is one of LA’s most eligible bachelors ad a well known radio personality. Lucia however, is very concerned about telling her father Miguel performed by Carlos Mencia (The Mind of Mencia) and her mother Sonia performed by Diana-Maria Riva (Chasing Papi, What Women Want) about her wedding plans, dropping out of Law School to become a teaching to immigrant youth, and moving with Marcus to Laos for a Doctors Without Borders opportunity.

As I watched the film, I was entertained, but it became clear to me that the film was written by men because each of the multiple ways the female characters were developed (or not) and how they were portrayed as weak, sad, fearful, or chasing after men. Yet the men are angry, opinionated, and in various ways display levels of power not just within their specific communities but power over the women in their lives as well. Read more…

Another Latin American Oscar Contender Tonight : The Secret of Her Eyes

9:08 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Argentina|Entertainment|Movies · 1 Comment

7 Mar 2010

Tonight is the 82nd Academy Awards aka The Oscars. Bianca already posted about one of the Latin American films up for an award in the Best Foreign Film Category : La Teta Asustada.

The other Latin American film up for the same award comes from Argentina, El Secreto de sus Ojos.

VL At The Cine: Cop Out

4:29 pm By BiancaLaureano · Celebrities|Movies|race · 3 Comments

25 Feb 2010

The good thing about the film Cop Out is that the term “coonfest” does not completely describe this film. The bad thing is everything else. I admit when I first saw the trailers for the film I said to myself “…but I’ve seen the 48 Hours films already.” Unfortunately, Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma) did not have a lot to work with regarding the script brothers Robb and Mark Cullen (Heist) wrote and gave him.

The story is about two police officers in California who have been together for nine years. Jimmy Monroe performed by Bruce Willis (Die Hard) and Paul Hodges performed by Tracy Morgan (30 Rock, First Sunday) have formed a “unique” way of attempting to solve crimes. Yet, their crime-fighting capabilities lead them to a 30-day suspension. While Jimmy worries about how to pay for his daughter, Ava’s (Michelle Trachtenberg) wedding, Paul is preoccupied with the possibility that his wife, Debbie, performed by Rashida Jones (I Love You, Man) may be having an affair with the neighbor. Instead of agreeing to have Ava’s stepfather Roy, performed by Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl), pay for the wedding, Jimmy chooses to sell a baseball card he’s had since his childhood. Upon attempting to sell his card the store is held up, his card stolen, and he convinces Paul to search for the missing card with him. This search leads them to a drug cartel run by (who else?) a Mexican crew led by Poh Boy performed by a very tired looking Guillermo Díaz (Weeds).

This Can’t Be Good, Right? Speedy Gonzalez, the Movie.

9:36 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Celebrities|children|Marketing|Movies · 22 Comments

25 Feb 2010

Can I get an “ay caramba!”?
Warner Brothers, historically known for their accurate and nuanced portrayal of people of color communities, is fast tracking a Speedy Gonzales live-action/CG hybrid feature, with George Lopez as the voice of the Mexican mouse.

Speedy, who comes with a history of stereotypical portrayals of Mexico and Mexicans, is supposedly redeemed by Lopez who is reclaiming the ratoncito and trying to make a hero out of him. Is such a thing even possible? Can one of the most famous Latinos in Hollywood now take a figure who has been used to malign an entire community/country be rebranded? Should this even happen? Or does doing this take away, erase the very reason a character like Speedy was created?

“We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s — the racist Speedy,” Ann Lopez [George's wife] said with a chuckle. “Speedy’s going to be a misunderstood boy who comes from a family that works in a very meticulous setting, and he’s a little too fast for what they do. He makes a mess of that. So he has to go out in the world to find what he’s good at.”

Martes Morning Movie : Change Up

10:21 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Dominican Republic|Dominicans|Movies · Comments Off

23 Feb 2010

Today’s film clip comes to us via our friends at The Latin Americanist. It’s a trailer from a documentary called The Change Up about U.S. baseball dreams in the Dominican Republic.

Woman wants to look like Jessica Alba

12:30 pm By la Macha · Movies|Women · 3 Comments

8 Feb 2010

Speaking of Jessica Alba, the AP is reporting that a woman in China is attempting plastic surgery as a way to win her lover back. The woman wants to look like Jessica Alba.

The actress said Saturday she’s been distressed by Internet reports about a Chinese woman who is having a plastic surgery makeover to look like Alba in hopes of getting her lover back.

“I think you should never have to change yourself like that,” Alba said. “If somebody loves you, they’ll love you no matter what.”

I do think that it’s amazingly cool that Alba is speaking out against the type of “flattery” the woman in China is attempting. Hollywood seems to be a cesspool of unhealthy thinking and encouraging degrading behavior in women in particular–it’s nice to see an actor that cares enough to put the brakes on the Hollywood mentality.

I also think it’s important that Alba is not mocking the woman in China (i.e. what the fuck is wrong with her???) but pointing to the misogyny and sexism (assuming that the woman’s ex is male) that often grounds the Hollywood mentality. In other words, it’s *women* who must do anything to keep her partner–including horribly drastic surgery. Never the men. By putting the emphasis on the ex’s reaction (he shouldn’t expect crap like that out of her), I think Jessica is making a nice feminist intervention into the politics of “looks.”

Anyway. It’s a little thing what Jessica did (or maybe huge, if the woman changes her mind after hearing Jessica’s words)–but after debating Jessica’s reaction to her Latinidad–I thought it would be good to give her props for something.

Women of Color Arts & Film Festival, Atlanta: Film & Art Exhibition Submission Deadline Friday, January 29th 2010

12:58 pm By Maegan La Mala · Arts|Media|Movies|Women · Comments Off

8 Jan 2010

The 6th annualWOCAF (Women of Color Arts & Film) Festival, the only festival of its kind in the Southeast that focuses on the achievements of women of color in the arts and media from across the globe, will be closing its first call for submissions for films and art work on January 29th 2010. The WOCAF Festival is currently accepting applications for film and videos as well as art work made by and/or about Women of Color. For a festival submission guidelines, including application and fee information, please visit www.wocaf.org to download application forms.

The four day festival scheduled for March 25th -28th 2010 will feature screenings of over 20 films, a music showcase and an art exhibition, all by and/or about women of color. “The immense growth of the festival confirms a need for a platform that celebrates Women of Color’s creativity” states Festival Director Mojisola Sonoiki. This year’s festival promises to be just as exciting as the previous WOCAF festivals and is a must see. Please mark your calendar and stay tuned for the schedule of events for WOCAF 2010.

About WOCAF:

Now in its sixth year, the WOCAF’s schedule of films, music and art attracts a diverse audience of women and men. Each year, films from across the globe are showcased. The music portion features International artists and the visual arts exhibition promotes local Atlanta Women of Color artists. Founded in 2005 by Mojisola Sonoiki, The WOCAF Festival is dedicated to promoting cultural, political and social issues about and/or related to women of color. WOCAF’s goal is to utilize the arts as a powerful vehicle to inform, enrich and entertain.

Via / Quirky Black Girls

Mala’s Miercoles Morning Movie : Sin Nombre

7:40 am By Maegan La Mala · Movies · 2 Comments

6 Jan 2010

I mentioned that over the holiday I spent alot of time watching movies. One film that I watched was

Sin Nombre

. There are pretty much two stories rolled into one film. We have the story of Sayra, a Honduran teenager who reconnects with her estranged father before heading to el Norte, the United States. Then we have the story of Casper, a member of the Mara Salvatrucha who also ends up heading North, but to escape his violent past, not to chase the “American dream”.

Familiar with immigrant experiences and Latino street organizations, nothing in the film really surprised me: not the brutality of the Maras nor the brutalities of crossing multiple borders. What the brutalities lacked though were context. We never see why a young boy, nicknamed “Smiley” decides to join la Mara under Casper. We hear the usual talk of family and protection from the second in command, Lil’ Mago, pero are not given any reasons as to why why young men in El Salvador and other parts of Central America would choose the Maras. On the other side we never are shown why Sayra and her family chooses to leave Honduras for the United States. Again we are given the narrative of family unity but with no sense of economic or political reasons for migration.

Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t a bad movie. I empathized with the characters pero I think that part of that was because Sayra’s and Casper’s story wasn’t a new one or unexpected.

Mala’s Monday Morning Movie : Celia the Queen

7:23 am By Maegan La Mala · Cuba|Movies|Music · 1 Comment

4 Jan 2010

With the holiday and cold here in NYC, I’ve been watching lots of movies at home. This past weekend I caught another film featured on the PBS Voces series, Celia, the Queen, about Celia Cruz.

Celia the Queen by Joe Cardona
Celia the Queen is a loving look at the amazing life and legacy of a woman whose voice symbolized the soul of a nation and captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Erupting onto the Cuban music scene as the lead singer for La Sonora Matancera, Celia Cruz broke down barriers of racism and sexism. With the powerful weapon of her voice and the warm tolerance of her heart, Celia soon became all things to all people. The film shows the diversity of the people whose lives she touched, from stars like Quincy Jones, Andy Garcia, and Wyclef Jean to ordinary people all over the world who loved not only her music but her incredible spirit. A co-presentation with National Black Programming Consortium.

What I found most interesting was how Afro-Latino and Pan-Latino Celia was in terms of the kind of music she sang and with whom she worked with while remaining rooted in lo Afro-Cubano. The film features other musicians she workd with like Johnny Pacheco, Oscar De Leon, and Willie Colon. What I also found interesting was how apolitical the film attempted to be. Not once was Fidel Castro mentioned and in a clip of Celia, she herself refuses to call him by name, but rather just speaks of how she worked even harder outside of Cuba post-Revolution to make sure her sick mother could get what she needed.

VL At The Cine: Sherlock Holmes

12:45 pm By BiancaLaureano · Movies · 4 Comments

2 Jan 2010

My exposure to Sherlock Holmes stories growing up was limited. As a result, when I heard that Guy Ritchie (RocknRolla, Snatch) was working on a film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, I let myself stay in that space of vagueness about the origins and history of the characters. There are times when you just want to be surprised, and often Ritchie’s films have been pleasant surprises, especially in the casting choices for characters. I’ve found that Ritchie’s films have helped in normalizing the people of Color that live in parts of the UK that US audiences may not get exposure to/consider/know about. I desired to have this same element of surprise for this film.

I do enjoy a mystery and even more a psychological thriller, and I do believe Sherlock Holmes offers both of these to viewers. There were some things I knew to prepare for regarding the film, such as a 2+ hour-long experience, and some UKish accents. Our theater was sold out and as we watched the trailers, my friend and I were not impressed with the films that are coming out in the near future. I was hoping this was not trying to set us up for a poor film experience.
Read more…

Older Entries

Newer Entries

vikki: I'm so sorry for your loss. Warm wishes, vikki [...]

Scrying Nicki Minaj, Stupid Hoe, and #Afrofutures | Nuñez Daughter: [...] forest of things that seem to matter a lot–like fingers waving in presidential faces� [...]

Karen: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/09/120109fa_fact_auletta [...]

Karen: I just read this about Rubio. Let's see the GOP make him a VP nominee. LOL http://www.democraticu [...]

Martes Media Minute : Roe v. Wade Anniversary, Medicaid Mama y Midwife Victory, Cervical Cancer Awareness month, & Mala’s Mami Closeup, | VivirLatino: [...] last week’s liveblog of a conversation on cervical cancer and Latin@s, Bianca Laureano s [...]

VivirLatino