Cinema Rental

This past week was a week filled with movies. From start to end I have been catching up on some old ones and enjoying brand new releases, both in the cinema with a box of popcorn by my side and in my couch with my blankie and the soothing sound of gentle rain in the background. Some of those I watched:

Chance. So, if you'll remember my last entry I denounced the cultural level in which Panama is located. I'm not going to retract that, however, I am going to say that this movie gave me hope that maybe we aren't a lost case; maybe, Panama is going places art wise. This movie, ironically enough, is a social critique to the stereotype of high class families in Panama. It follows a wealthy family through their experience of getting kidnapped by their maids. As a result of this kidnapping, the family's secret about being completely broke let's loose and they face with harder and deeper issues within the family that had been being ignored for a long time. The way it portrays the panamanian culture and mocks the social stereotype is hardly offensive, instead it adds a histerical bite to it. It has a mix of different genres: sometimes drama and sometimes comedy. It's raw, it's funny and it makes me feel proud of being a panamanian thanks to the quality and cohesive story this film has. Kudos to Abner Benaím for taking the risk!

Alice in Wonderland. Let me start off by saying that Alice in Wonderland is my favorite Disney movie because it is such a mercurial story that you can't help but wonder what will happen next. The new one? It gave me a mixed feelings after taste. I don't know if it was the 3D quality that didn't help me in capturing all the details or the high expectations I had before the film, but for me it was just OK. Nothing espectacular, but nothing horrid either. The performances by Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter), Anne Hathaway (White Queen) and Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen) were amazing, though. The way they captured the essence of each of these characters but putting their own touch to it was remarkable. Dislikes? It had so much going on that made you loose what makes it so wonderful to begin with: the story. It was hard keeping up with the connections between scenes (and the color change they made on the Cheshire Cat didn't help either). As hard as it is for me to criticize the making of the master of bizzareness Tim Burton, I have to admit it wasn't my favorite. I liked it, but I didn't love it and sometimes, liking it just isn't enough.

Now that I've been over the new releases, let me give you a quick opinion about the old ones.

Coco Avant Chanel. I still question how was it that I didn't see this movie when it hit theaters? However, this movie captured exactly what I expected: fashion, story and romance. The way Gabrielle ¨Coco¨ Chanel faced the adversities of introducing a whole different style scheme to the time and place in which she happened to live in, just made me admire Mademoiselle Chanel even more. She had a point of view and wasn't afraid to demonstrate it, no matter what anyone said.


My Sister's Keeper. What an amazing movie! It has family, it has problems and it has love. It is such a beautiful story following the ups and downs of what a devastating disease may bring upon a family. It has laughter, hopes, dreams, sadness, but more importanly, a message: value what you have. If you haven't seen this movie, please, go to the nearest video rental store and rent it (while you're at it buy some tissues and chocolate).