Y tu mama tambien

What a portrayal of teenage life. There were many things in this movie that we as a society would like to think does not happen. But in reality it does. I was a teenager not to long ago and while in high school drugs, alcohol and sex are plentiful. There was not a weekend that went by that a party was going on and there you would find all of the above. These are hard topics to see youth portray especially since they really don't understand the effect that it can have on their lives down the road. All of the above can lead to pregnancy, STD's and other infectious diseases. Not to mention that death can be faced at any time while drinking or doing drugs. I feel that the youth did not respect themselves nor did they respect others. Sleeping around can do so much damage. I feel that these youth were confused. Not having any real role model to look up to and talk to. I can remember that feeling of being a teenager and not really knowing what life should be like. Do I do what my friends are doing or do I follow my heart and not give in to peer pressure. For me it was a little easier. I had a loving family whom I could talk to about almost anything. Although, I experimented with certain things in high school ( I was not perfect) I was careful and knew that my parents would be there with a quick call. Being a teenager was the roughest time in my life and would never want to relive it again. I am dreading the day when my daughter is in the same situation. If some parents stepped up and were there for their children and not the ones providing the alcohol and trying to be "best friends" with their children things maybe easier. Although, there will always be experimenting in this time of life maybe as strong parents we can curb the amount.

This is not a movie that I really wanted to watch. Was not my kind of movie, but it is good for people to realize that these situations exist and that teenagers engage in this kind of behavior. I won't watch again but am glad that I got the chance to screen the movie.

El Viaje de Carol

Wow! What a culture shock to watch a movie you don't understand. I understood a few words just from high school spanish but had no idea what was being said. It was hard to not know but at the same time it made you pay closer attention to gestures and facial expressions. I found this a great learning experience.

Now about Carol. I don't really feel that she had to much of an adjustment to moving to Spain. I feel that Carol fit in much better with the boys then the girls and almost looked uncomfortable when wearing dresses. She also had an adjustment with religion. I don't know what her religion was before Spain but she looked uncomfortable in the church. I thought that Carol did a very good job adjusting to a new home. One thing that she did seem good at was speaking her mind. She was not afraid to talk to adults. She was also not rigid and respectful like her other peers. I felt bad for Carol in the fact that she lost her mother and at the same time was worried about her father and his safety. She was not sure if her father would ever come home. Carol was very loving and didn't want to worry her father by finding out about his mother's death.

Carol and Tomiche just broke my heart. It was such an innocent love and one in which is easy to relate too. I can remember my first crush and my first kiss. Carol was able to reach out to Tomiche and touch his short life. It melted my heart with their first kiss. You can see that innocent look in their eyes when they look at each other. And each time she kissed him he would leave and look back at her and smile. He was willing to risk his life to try to help save her father's life. In the end she was forced to see her love lose his life right in front of her eyes. I felt so horrible for her. My first crush and one of my best friends died right after we graduated from high school. It broke my heart. I couldn't imagine watching it.

I wish I knew exactly what was being said, but at the same time I like to make up my own story. It will be on my list to watch in subtitles and hopefully I won't be disappointed.

Volver

Wow! What a film. I really enjoyed this film and was excited that I got to screen it. These women in this film were amazing. It was awesome to finally see the women as strong and resilient. First is Raimunda. She was such a hard working women who cared a lot about her family. She busted her butt to provide for her family while her husband was a slacker. She had been treated pretty badly as a child and became pregnant with her own father's child. She embraced this and raised Paula to be a wonderful young women. Paula! You go girl! Her step father had tried to rape her and she would not stand for it. Instead she protected herself and in the end killed Paco. When Raimunda found out she took the blame for the situation and got rid of the body so her daughter would never have to face the police. She did a great job at lying to everyone and making sure they all thought that he had just left her.

Mom was awesome. When she found out what had happened to her daughter she took the bull by the horns and made sure that she got rid of him! She spent the time after that taking care of aunt Paula until she died. Sole was also a strong women. Instead of wasting her time feeling sorry for herself because her husband had left, she opened her own salon in her house and made a good life.

I was so happy to see in the end that although these women had faced such tragedies in life they were able to mustard up the strength and go on with life. They in the end embraced each other and were able to become even stronger. I was so glad to see them all happy at the end.

Superstitions in this film seemed normal. The whole death process seemed more like a normal part of life and something that must be embraced then a sad thing. The women would buy their burial plots and take care of them for the rest of their lives. This kind of creeps me out. I don't want to go to the cemetery and see my name on a tombstone. Also, the village seemed to embrace Irene as a ghost and did not seemed frightened by it. Augustina even wanted Raimunda to talk to the ghost and find out about her mother. Death is normally a scary process but seemed normal in this culture.

Finally a film I enjoyed. First one since Motorcycle Diaries!

Guantanemera

We can see many aspects of Hispanic culture in this movie. First, we see music. Music starts out the movie and ends it. Also we see the macho aspect take place again. Adolfo from the beginning is not easy to like. He basically runs Gina's life. She is scared to wear certain things because she knows that her husband won't approve. She also doesn't do things that she enjoys such as smoking cigarretes because Adolfo doesn't like her to do that. Then we see him insult her when she is wearing that dress and to eventually beat her. We also see the theme of love. Candido and Yoyito are reunited after many years and still love each other. It was a love that was still burning after 50 years. When Yoyito dies we see a part of Candido die.

The aspects we see that are particular to Cuba are the tea, rum and coffee. It is everywhere. Also we see people selling things on the side of the road and it being transported to other areas of the country knowing someone will buy it. We see the funeral that has to take place in the area that the person was born even if they didn't live there. Along the way we get to see the mode of transportation where people hop onto an empty truck to be transported. We also see how run down the country looks and how many things are rationed.

I really did not like this movie. First, it really bored me. It was so slow moving. Again, I am upset by the macho aspect and how these women are submissive to their men. We see another man beating on his wife. This really bothers me. I was a victim of domestic violence and to see it portrayed as being normal really bothers me. I just want to shake these ladies. I also think that Gina looks like an idiot. She leaves on stupid man for another! Oh well another movie down!

The Official Story

What started out as such a hopeful movie turned so dark. We see in the beginning the perfect family. A mother and father who could not have a child of their own but chose to adopt a beautiful little girl. To give her a better life. We see a prosperous family with such a bright future. Then it all goes down hill from there. Alicia meets up with old friends and runs into Ana. Being such good childhood friends Ana decides to tell Alicia what had happened to her and what was happening to innocent women and their children. Only then do we see Alicia question her perfect family. She becomes hopeful that she can figure out Gaby's past and make it make sense. Only to quickly become hopeless when she starts to realize that Roberto had a hand in hurting these innocent women. She finds a woman who thinks she may be Gaby's grandmother and she is hopeful that she can find out her daughter's past. When introducing Sara to Roberto she quickly finds out that her husband is not the man that she thought he was. The whole time Roberto is hopeful that Alicia wouldn't find out the truth. When Alicia's world comes crashing down around her she is forced to make a decision. A decision that we will never know. She is hopeless in the end with a child that was taken from her mother, a husband who has now abused her, and a grandmother who wants to be a part of Gaby's life. We see a hopeful movie turn to hopelessness. Will Roberto lose everything? Will Alicia take her daughter and live a good life? Will Sara ever get the chance to meet Gaby? We will never know.

I did enjoy this movie. I was hoping for a blurb at the end that would tell me an update but since that didn't happen I can only hope for the best for Gaby, Alicia, and Sara. I could care less what happens to Robert.

Like Water for Chocolate

This movie was a mix of emotions and did a very good job at portraying magical realism. I really found the characters in this movie as very interesting. First, the mother. Wow! What was wrong with her? I understand family traditions, but I really don't understand why Tita and Pedro couldn't marry and live with her just as Rosaura did? Also, she was willing to put her daughter through so much pain. To see the man that she loved everyday and at the same time be with her sister. The pain that she put Tita through just amazes me. I would do anything in my power for my daughter not to feel pain.

Tita, well she was truly a handful. She started out as such a sweet and innocent girl who was raised by Nacha. Yet through everything that her mother put her through she became a woman who cared only about her feelings. We see her agree to marry a great man whom would have given her anything in the world, only to cheat on him while he was out. She was not ashamed of displaying her affection and emotions towards Pedro at the ranch after her mother died. Even though her sister was there the whole time. The betrayal that she felt from her mother and sister finally overwhelmed her and she was able to change her personality in order to get what she wanted. The one quality that I loved about her was her motherly touch. She so tenderly took care of Her sister's baby and then again to Esperanza. She was able to raise Esperanza after her sister's death. She discarded the family tradition and made sure that Esperanza married a man she loved.

Pedro- I did not like him at all. He tells Tita how much he loves her and almost in the same breath agrees to marry her sister. I understand he wanted to be close to Tita but what woman in her right mind would want to see the man she loved kissing and sleeping with their sister. That is just down right gross. I felt that like she said he should have just kidnapped her. I was just very disappointed in him. Enough said.

Gertrudis-I loved her! She was the best character. She didn't care what anybody thought and ran off to be rid of the horrible mother that she had. I loved her personality and thought she was hilarious.

Magic realism was very evident in this movie. First the wedding cake that had received Tita's tears makes everyone cry and then throw up. Then we see the flowers that Pedro gave Tita that she cooked with the quail and makes everyone horny and causes Gertrudis to run off and be taken by the federalis. We also see the magic realism in the beginning of the movie with the water breaking during the pregnancy and flowing like a river. The matches that caused the place to burn up after Tita ate them was amazing. I found magic realism hilarious because it is so unbelievable.

I really don't know what I felt about this film. It was horrible. I won't watch it again, but it brought forth many emotions. Interesting!

The Motorcycle Diaries

This was a great film and very eye opening. When I read before class the Che Guevara was part of the revolution with Castro I automatically assumed that he was a bad person. Instead we see a story of 2 men who started out on a mission and both made dramatic changes throughout the movie.

I feel there are so many points in this movie in which we see Ernesto's personality change and can see glimpses of what the future may hold for him. We see him go from being frank and straight forward like he was with the man with the tumor, into a man who can sweet talk his way through things. One of the big scenes I can see his personality change is when he is at the house with his girlfriend. He loved her so much and wanted with all his might to stay close to her, yet he was on a mission and stayed true to that mission. He ends up leaving her behind in hopes that she will wait for him. He started something and was destined to finish it. We can see a dramatic change in Ernesto when he runs into the couple in the desert. We see him start to realize the injustices in the world and how it has impacted everyone. He is willing to give up his blanket so the woman can be warm and we find out later in the movie that he even gives up his $15 dollars to them. He could have used that money so many other times in his journey, yet he felt this couple needed it more than he did.

When the men finally do end up in the leper colony we see a man who truly cares for people. He puts past him the fact that these sick people have leprosy and disobeys the rules by not wearing gloves and hugging and touching the people. He sees injustice in the fact that he was not served food at the colony because he did not attend mass, but then sees how caring people can be by risking themselves to bring him food. He truly changes while at the colony. He falls in love with these people and is truly amazed how the people embrace him like family. We see him truly upset about the fact that the sick were placed on their own island and he even swims across the river to be with them on his birthday. He realizes that his dream of being a doctor is no longer a reality and he is determined to fight the injustice in the world. He even expresses in his birthday speech that everyone should be able to live together and have the same rights.

In the end we see changes in both men. Mial is changed and is forever loyal to his good friend Fuser. What started out whole-hearted and funny ends up in a serious silence with two changed men on a mission to right the wrongs in the country. Che Guevara was a very influential man who only wanted justice for the impoverished people.

Women on the verge.....

I really did not enjoy this film. It was hard for me to find the humor in it. I felt that Pepa was an idiot for chasing a man that she knew was with other women. I felt that she knew the whole time that Ivan was cheating on her and that she was chasing something she could never have. I think that if she really wanted to let him know that she was pregnant she would have just left him a message with one of his many mistresses. I thought she looked like a fool running around all hours of the night trying to find him. She should have just accepted the fact that he was a player and tried to take care of herself and move on with her life. When she realized that Ivan had another child whom he never saw she should have realized that no matter what, even if she did find him that he would not take care of his child. He was in no way going to stay true to one woman and take care of his responsibilities. As my mother would say "a tiger never changes his stripes." Ivan was also going to be a player and move from woman to woman always making an excuse.

I think that this sort of situation happens all the time in many cultures. You see many woman here in the US that are single mothers and the fathers have nothing to do with them. I think the difference is that American woman are more independent and especially in the later generations are taught that they should not depend on men to take care of them. I think that is becoming more of the norm for American woman to have a baby out of wedlock and to raise that child herself. I feel that an American woman would have faced that responsibility more easily and not chased the man around trying to get help from him.

I feel that in all the Hispanic films we have watched there has been a common theme that woman are taken advantage of by men. Rosario was taken advantage of by her ex who left her to raise a child on her own and make decisions that she should never have to make. In Machuca we see a mother who has a wonderful family and loves her child, yet she lets herself be taken advantage of by a rich man who can fulfill her material needs. In this film we see that all the women allow themselves to be taken advantage of. Pepa allows Ivan to do whatever he wants with other woman and accepts it by chasing him like a fool. Candella was taken advantage of by the Shiites and then by Carlos. Lucia allows Ivan to ruin her whole life. I really hope that in real life Hispanic women are stronger and don't depend on women as much.

I really did not enjoy this film as I did the other two. I hope the next film we watch is better. Sorry about the bad review.

Machuca

What thoughts do you have about the interaction between these two children?

Gonzalo and Pedro were brought together by Father McEnroe who offered scholarships to a few children in the "shanty towns." There friendship prospered based on the fact that they both were bullied. Gonzalo stood up for Pedro and their friendship blossomed from there. They were typical young boys and enjoyed being children. They didn't seem to notice that they were from two completely different worlds. Neither boy seemed to mind the differences in their social class and in actuality spent more time in the "shanty town" then they did at Gonzalo's house. When it came to girls they both seemed to take interest in the same girl and didn't mind sharing her. I feel that they both acted like typical boys and didn't judge each other.

Were you able to see the differences between two social classes, the rich and the poor in Chile?

The social classes were obvious in this movie. The first we saw of the differences was at the school when the poor children were brought in. Their clothes were tattered and they didn't have the clothes to participate in swim class. You can also see the differences in the cars that were driven. Gonzalo's mom drove a nice car while Pedro's uncle drove a run down truck. You can also see the difference in the housing. The "shanty towns" were run down and there were many people crowded into the houses. Whereas Gonzalo had a nice clean house with a nanny and had many luxuries like nice toys, clothes, shoes and plenty of food. It was very eye opening to see the difference in the two social classes.

What messages can you obtain from this film?

One message that I obtained was that many children wear "rose colored" glasses. They don't seem to care about social status, they just want to be friends and have fun. Another message I got was that everyone is human. As much as Gonzalo loved his friends and didn't want to see them hurt, when push came to shove he didn't mind throwing his social status out there to save his own life. He knew that his Pedro would be killed and although he didn't agree with it he didn't want to die.

Add your personal thoughts about film, content, culture, social issues, etc.

It was amazing to me to see the total disregard for human life that we see in this film. When the military came in they had no remorse in "disposing" of the poor and ruining their town. We hear about this genocide in Germany with the Jews and it is hard to think that many years after the Jews something like this happened again. It is disgusting that people could do something like this and never feel they were doing something wrong. It makes me glad everyday when I wake up in the US and can treasure my freedom.

La Misma Luna

This film is a great depiction of an illegal immigrants life in the US. Rosario had made a tough decision when Carlitos was little to leave him behind with his grandmother and cross the border. She felt that there were more opportunities in the US and if she was able to work and become a legal citizen that she could provide a better life for her son. She exerted a lot of effort in order to hide from the INS and work illegally to send money home to her son and save for a lawyer. She gave up the comforts of family, familiar surroundings and her son to try and make a better life for both of them. You also see the struggle of illegal immigrants when Carlitos is with Enrique. They have to work hard jobs that most people would not like to do and constantly have to worry that the INS is going to come and take them back to Mexico. We see that they would rather struggle and hide in the US then to go back to Mexico.

The struggles that Rosario and Carlitos faced while apart were tremendous. Carlitos only real family in Mexico was his grandmother. She was ill and he was such a young child to deal with taking care of a sick grandmother. He constantly struggled with the fact that his mother left him and he had no father. He felt that he had done something wrong and his parents did not love him. He didn't realize his mother left him in order to make a better life for them both. He was alone when his grandmother died and I feel this pushed him over the edge to find his mother. He missed her terribly and you could see this when he would wait anxiously for his mother's phone call every Sunday. Rosario felt some of the same emotions. She loved her son so much that she was willing to risk her own safety in the US. She longed for her child and pushed everything and everyone away to do anything to be with Carlitos. Rosario could have taken the easy way out and married Paco who was a legal US citizen and then brought her son to the US. Yet she was strong and determined that this was something that she was going to do on her own. It pained me to see how much she missed her son. I could never imagine being away from my daughter for as long as she was away from her son. It is hard to not have your family there to support you. Both Carlitos and Rosario felt that they were alone and had no one, if they didn't have each other.

I really don't feel that a woman in the US would make the same decision that Rosario made. There are many programs in the US to help struggling families and most woman would turn to these programs for help. Also, there are many opportunities that we take for granted. We are so used to having food, water, shelter and luxury items that we tend to forget that in other countries people do not have these luxuries. Rosario made a tough decision that many other woman would not be able to make and in the long run was able to be reunited with her son.

The title Under the Same Moon is touching. We see that even though they were miles apart and in separate countries that they were both "under the same moon." They both loved each other and longed to be together. They both faced struggles and heartache. They both had the same ultimate goal which was to defy all odds and be together. I really enjoyed this movie and would highly recommend it.