sisiana84 Reviews

Hombres (1997– )

Hugely entertaining

[10/10 · 6 February 2012]

One of the funniest Latin American productions that come to mind. The story follows the (mis)adventures of a group of brokers working at the Bogota Stock Exchange in the mid 90s. Absolutely hilarious and a complete departure from other programs released by Latin American networks. Characters are realistically flawed and humorous and the show addresses many issues otherwise absent from mainstream Latin entertainment, such as domestic violence.

Particularly fine performances by Margarita Rosa de Francisco, Nicolas Montero and Alejandra Borrero.

Watch it if you have the chance. You will not regret it.

Hurricane (1997–1998)

Well worth seeing

[10/10 · 6 February 2012]

Very interesting and well acted story, dealing with family ties and obligations as well as ecological and industrial concerns in present day Mexico. I was particularly impressed by the beauty of the scenery in this novela,which was filmed on location in Mazatlan, as well as by the acting involved. One of Angelica Rivera's finest performances, and a great showcase of the late Eduardo Palomo's talents. With its great story, fast pace and good acting, I would probably rate Huracan in the top 10 novelas I've ever seen.

The DVD version released by ALterFilms was also rather well done, unlike previous releases that received the hatchet treatment. Highly recommended.

La jaula de oro (1997)

Fast paced and original

[10/10 · 6 February 2012]

A fast paced story dealing with topics rarely addressed by the telenovela genre, such as toxic waste dumping, corruption and psychological trauma. Both protagonists do an incredible job portraying their respective characters, and have the support of an awesome cast. I watched this novela initially, when I was fourteen years old, and unlike many of the shows/ movies I re-watched as an adult, this production has stood the test of time. I would also add that unlike many other novelas, this particular one is fairly short (approx. 60 episodes) and thus the story is fresh and straightforward, without the unrealistic twists and turns often used in the genre as a way of prolonging the show. Highly recommended.

Fuego en la sangre (2008)

Truly awful

[1/10 · 6 February 2012]

Saw the three other versions of this story: "Las Aguas Mansas" (Colombia, 1994), "Pasion de Gavilanes" (Colombia, 2004) and "Gavilanes" (Spain, 2011). All of them are entertaining and well worth watching. FELS is simply terrible. How they managed to put together a good story and good actors and still churn out something so awful is beyond me. The (distorted) story and the actors' performances have a vaudeville-like quality, far beyond anything I've seen before. The story, which has been distorted into an unrecognizable mess, drags on and on with new unbelievable twists and turns, probably designed to "pad" the length of the show.

Most of the actors have a great deal of potential as seen in other novelas, and the story itself has been successfully produced on three separate occasions.

I bought the DVD on Amazon and forced myself to watch the whole thing. At the end I tossed it out.

Corazón salvaje (1993– )

Simply Excellent

[10/10 · 6 February 2012]

This must be without question the best Latin American telenovela I've ever seen. The story itself and its execution are simply flawless. Offhand I'm having trouble thinking of better matched protagonists & antagonists, or of a more realistic portrayal of eighteenth century Latin America and its intricate social layers. The story is romantic without inducing diabetes, and the characters are multi-dimensional, displaying both strengths and weaknesses, throughout. I don't think I can ever get tired of this novela.

Unfortunately the DVD version released in 2003-2004, has been heavily cut and occasionally the transition between scenes gets choppy, rendering the story difficult to watch. Here's hoping that Televisa will recognize the value of this work and re-release it. Properly this time.