Change Your Image
Barefooteagle
Reviews
Un balazo para Quintana (2008)
More like a promising showcase of characters, but entertaining anyway
Non-pretentious, entertaining, cheap budget flick with surprisingly fine camera work, solid acting and music, convincing dialogues, a good (though sometimes faint) story and a very interesting array of characters that could easily come from a twisted manga comic, each with enormous potential to develop a story of their own. Higher production values than what its scarce budget allowed. Enjoyable. I really wish there were more films exploring the characters beyond the confines of its closed locations. Most of the action takes place in secluded places, like abandoned warehouses and old rusty buildings, which adds to create an obsessive ambience that goes perfectly in line with the story.
Hold the Dark (2018)
Ending felt like it was waiting for part 2!
Terribly disappointing ending. If the film was going to be true to the book, it only needed a little more of storytelling and character build up to have a great, great movie. Instead, it just leaves you completely dumbfounded as to why everything happened the way it happened. I swear I was waiting for at least an additional scene that would deliver a rewarding ending to a haunting, well filmed, well acted and superbly photographed 2 hour film. It didn't happened. A real waste of talent and time. Don't waste yours and read the book instead.
Tron: Legacy (2010)
Very bad excuse for a film
I am deeply disappointed with this film. Indeed, trying to cope with one of the most entertaining science-fiction films of the 80s did not prove an easy task for Disney, a task in which they failed miserably, proving once again that risk is not one of the core values of its film-making, choosing instead to get close to safe formulae as much as they can, and resulting in a terrible version of what could have been a classic film like its predecessor. Badly predictable (after the first 15 minutes you have enough clues to figure the whole story out), and with some scenes that look as if directly borrowed from some other films (The Matrix, Ghostbusters, etc), this film is just a bad excuse to take the dust off a few memorable items (the bikes, the video game battles, the portal to the real world, Tron itself) and trying (very badly) to build a coherent story. No such thing. Almost perfectly parallel in its story telling to the original Tron, this is just a poor, boring story drowned in millions of dollars of plastic computer animation and terrible acting.
Uno y medio contra el mundo (1973)
Betrayal of hope and a crude urban depiction of 70s Mexico City
Great heart-breaking drama.
Somewhat innocent, given the much more crude violence and cruelty depicted in current movies dealing with poverty and the homeless (City of God being a good example). Nonetheless, is exactly that innocence what gives the movie its strength and value. Despite the bad things that the main characters (a young illiterate jobless man and his pal, a runaway child) go trough the story (including being robbed, wounded, sent to prison and having nowhere to live), somehow they keep a good deal of innocence, an enthusiastic approach to life and the faith and strength of knowing that everything, somehow, will be better in the near future for them. It makes you think that sometimes, even little things like going to the fair and riding the roller coaster with a friend can light up the otherwise cold and sad reality of having no family, a job or a place to sleep.
It is also interesting the way Mexico City is portrayed in the movie, giving the impression of not only being the background for the story, but making it an essential, living element, almost as another character, indeed, a sinister, cruel and violent one.
Odyssey 5 (2002)
Great show, fresh approach to the old sci-fi-drama series
This has become one of my favorite shows since its broadcast in Mexico City through open TV a few months from now.
I like this show because it has good science fiction stories, without being pretentious about it, like some other cult series that people took too seriously. This was just plain fun to watch.
It was so absorbing and entertaining, that I didn't know what the whole series was about until after 5 or 6 episodes (I always arrived home once the intro had passed), but I was hooked nonetheless by the interactions between the characters, the cool plots and the sense that I was missing something very interesting about the whole story.
When I found out, my interest just increased. It's a cool idea with interesting twists, intelligent content and a great cast.
I enjoy every episode as it has become a habit to get home around 9 pm to see what new adventures are these guys up to. So far, they had never disappointed me.
Niños de la calle (2004)
Deeply, deeply shocking
This is the most harsh and shocking documentary I had seen in my whole life. Indeed, Mexico is a place of contrasts, but few of them are as overlooked as is the case of children who live in the streets. If you have questioned yourself from time to time where do this kids begging in the streets of this city come from, this film brings all those answers to the light, by showing us a world of despair and misery in its coldest form. Through the eyes of the camera we learn about the daily lives of these children and the circumstances that pushed them to run away from their families, as well as their aspirations, desires and the ultimate sense of friendship and compassion that seems to hold them together. The way I see the streets and its people has changed forever since I saw this movie and I am encouraged to take action and help.
Urgently, extremely recommended for alienated and corrupt Mexican politicians.
El revoltoso (1951)
The funniest Tin Tan comedy ever
Since I was a kid, I had enjoyed classic Mexican cinema, especially that of the comedy genre. This movie is, by far, one of the most entertaining black and white films ever made. It is hard to see German Valdez "Tin Tan" involved on such improbable situations as this one, except perhaps, "Simbad el Mareado". Gorgeous girls, clever dialog, silly situations, a perfect casting and musical scenes that complement a very entertaining story make this movie a true jewel of the genre that will keep you laughing from start to finish. This film has the usual gang of great actors: Wolf Ruvinskis, José René Ruiz "Tun Tun", Juan Garcia and Marcelo Chavez, led, of course by Tin Tan in the role of a very mischievous character that puts everyone at trouble with his unwanted comments. It also has its dose of action: there is an incredible scene at the ending, where Tin Tan climbs to the top of the Mexico City Cathedral, that impressed me since I was a kid and saw this movie on TV for the first time. I still wonder if this was performed by him or a double. If you are searching for the perfect Tin Tan movie, this one has to be it.
Corazón de melón (2003)
It could have done better...
This is one of those movies that raises high expectations and then lets you terribly, terribly down. Unluckily, the acting is very poor and the characters just seem to get lost in terrible dialogues. Sometimes it seems like the actors are just reading their lines, thus resulting in a terrible lack of credibility that makes the story sink lower and lower as the movie continues. And its such a shame, because everything seemed to point to a very successful and enjoyable comedy. The acting, especially that of the of the younger actresses is below average (especially Christina Pastor -awful- and Aldonza Velez), and the talents of experienced people like Jose Alonso and Patricio Castillo go unnoticed in small roles. Having a nice, funny and sensitive story, the director misses a lot of opportunities to build on the plot, ending in a lousy, predictable and mediocre TV soap-opera style instead.
Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
Anthony Hopkins rescues another film
Based on a story by Stephen King, the movie takes us to that familiar nostalgic background from past films like "Stand by me" and "It", by the same author. The main difference is that in this movie, there is too much effort trying to display the atmosphere of the sixties in the screen, rather than giving more importance to the characters and the story (in fact, the movie title in Mexico translates as something like "Nostalgia for the past"). The use of the TV shows and the constant playing of songs from the time during the entire movie become an evident, over used resource, as to make the public catch the ambience by force. The story is average, but with possibilities. The kids overact with criminal, annoying impunity during all of the movie, a fact that contributes a lot to the predictability of the end. As with "El Zorro" and "Mission Impossible 2" Mr. Hopkins' acting is the only solid reason to go see this film. His role as a mature lonely man with strange psychic powers is excellent and makes the story interesting and sound, despite the poor acting of the children.
Sista kontraktet (1998)
A refreshing action film.
Being tired of watching U.S. detective and spy movies, with all their over used cliches (the spy who falls in love and must not, as in "The Saint", the nice looking hero who saves the free world, the Russians as being always the evil guys and sort of) all I can say about this one is that it recaptures the original meaning of detective movies, and shows us at the same time a new perspective (the troubles by keeping the detective job secret from the family, the unusual emotional ties between the assassin and a journalist, the passive role of the government in the crime, etc).
A very well time-paced movie with a intelligent and mature plot rarely seen in detective and action movies this days. I strongly recommend it.