Mexico, along with Spain, have always led the way in the Spanish film market. Unfortunately internal conflicts, differing interests, and a bit of corruption led to the decline of Mexican cinema as a whole all the way through the 80s and into the 90s. In these early 90s, Mexico had a bit of a renaissance in its movie industry and it’s been said that Callejon De Los Milagros began the revolution that brought us Como Agua Para Chocolate, Cronos, Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien and El Crimen Del Padre Amaro among others. Callejon has a pattern that would be later duplicated with great success by Amores Perros, it weaves a bit of a dark story through three main characters, but without overtly lugubrious visuals. It tells of the hopes that exist in the most destitute of lives and the way those hopes never seem to materialize as hard as it’s tried. It also stars a very young, nubile Salma Hayek in probably her first movie role, after having done much TV before that and one can most definitely see the cute, unrefined looks that would later be polished into the total babe she is today. Even though Callejon as a whole is also a bit unrefined, it’s still worth a look, but if time is to be better spent, then give the other films a try, they are the jewels of Mexican cinema today.
Posts tagged films
La Cara Oculta & La Piel Que Habito
I’ve been delving back into more and more foreign films, seeing as how that’s the only place original stories come from. I was recently asked how I find out about these films, where do I find them or read about them, what sites I visit, etc. The fact is they just seem to invade my mind from various places. Typically, one film begets another for me, I just see trailers in what I’m watching and that’s how the cycle keeps its rhythm. If i see a commercial on TV that catches my eye, I usually file it away and then I try to keep an eye out for that given film in theaters or Netflix. That pretty much tells how I got a hold of these two movies. One is a Colombian/Spanish production, La Cara Oculta, the other is from Pedro Almodovar, no need for me to explain where that one is from. Both these movies deal with some very dark subjects, dark matter, but they’re both extremely well made, extremely entertaining and with great endings. You would definitely do yourself a favor by catching either one of these or both and don’t be surprised when you see these stories remade in Hollywood.
La Cara Oculta Official Trailer
La Piel Que Habito Official Website
Academy Awards Weekend
Oscar weekend finally arrives. Here’s my breakdown after weeks of seeing movies and after much speculation, of what should happen this weekend.
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale – The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo – The Fighter
Best Actor: Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay: The King’s Speech
Best Director: David Fincher – The Social Network
Best Picture: The King’s Speech
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards nominations were just announced and therefore begins my quest to see all the Oscar nominated films before the actual ceremony later on in the year. Last year was a good year, since I was able to see all the films nominated. It’s not typically that easy due to the fact that some films are out of theaters already, some are independents and are only shown in certain locations, but my journey will begin in earnest now. The Social Network looked like a runaway for a lot of awards but the competition just got a lot tougher and I’m expecting a lot more surprises than otherwise now. There were some notable snubs but obviously not everyone can be nominated. Among the most glaring of snubs was a lack of nomination for Andrew Garfield for The Social Network, Mila Kunis for The Black Swan and Ben Affleck for his job directing The Town. My point of view may change as I catch up on screenings but here’s a brief breakdown of what I’m hoping happens:
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Gone With The Wind
Went to a screening of Gone With The Wind saturday night at The Egyptian theater in Hollywood. I actually had never seen Gone With The Wind in its entirety until earlier this year but I’m very glad I did because it allows me the chance to completely seize the opportunity to see it on the big screen when possible. That opportunity became a reality saturday and I can’t emphasize enough how glorious it is to see a classic such as this on a big screen, in its crisp detail and cinematic grandeur. Everyone knows the Gone With The Wind story. Great story with superb, classic acting. Since it was only my second time seeing it, it definitely allowed for a deeper understanding and a new appreciation for one of the greatest films of all time. I also began reading Rhett Butler’s People earlier this year but never got to finish it. A bit of a sequel that was only introduced a couple of years ago, its status as fully authorized by the Margaret Mitchell estate should make it a very worthwhile reading and an enjoyment now that I have a much more deeper appreciation for all things Gone With The Wind.
