raven5378 Reviews

Son of the Bride (2001)

A Masterpiece of generational relationships in the stress of modern life!

[10/10 · 14 July 2002]

So much real life is captured in this relatively unadvertised film that covers three generations of a trying-to-love, half-broken hearted family, confronted by the stresses and realities of modern Argentinian life--which is also common to most contemporary societies that have "come of age".

The network of relationship: espousal and post-espousal, parent/grandparent-child,friendships(non sexual male-male and female-female), business and career, care-giver/care-receiver, and most in between type of human connections are all beautifully captured in this single cinematic portrait of an ordinary family and all who relate to to them. The universal theme of need to live from "affirmational" family bonds could not be better portrayed! A collage of real genuine human moments is displayed before your your eyes and impressed upon your heart in an essentially non-sentimental way. If you you aren't excessively distracted by sub-titling, this movie is well worth investing your time in. From a hundred or so co-viewers I heard only feedback that might have been be phrased without exaggeration as "A Song Of Accolades For A Most Unanticipated Cinematic Production!" My rating is FIVE STARS + and on a scale 1 to 10--A definite Ten!

And Your Mother Too (2001)

Wonderful satiric depiction of social disparity, political corruption, and the contradictions of both adolescence and machismo in present day Mexican society!

[10/10 · 10 May 2002]

Humor can make the awful truth palatable especially when merely speaking on issues of political corruption, oppression of the meek, and outrageous standards of virility imposed upon Mexican youth--leaves a sour taste in one's mouth. Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN with one cinematic brush paints quite a critical and yet laughable picture of Mexican(much of Latin American?) culture. The two main male characters are ever so subtly portrayed as unwitting victims who have been sucked into the "machine" of National Idealism. This idealism does not ring true with their personal quite imperfect human relational experience. The main female character, though unwittingly wise , is yet a victim nonetheless as she identifies with the poor with whom she finds solace. I found the movie thoroughly delightful and laughed so hard that even the more revealing, erotic scenes(by some considered soft porn)only served to accentuate how deeply penetrating and pervasive"lies" of a society influence the young, restless, brave and idealistic even in their more intimate moments...though they think they know better! I highly recommend this to anyone who wishes to view a first class cinematic "event", which may well become a classic in Mexican filmmaking.