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Una Great Movie (2022)
A Shining Gem Amid a Sea of Hollywood Mediocrity
I was so excited to see this film and was not disappointed. I followed Producer/Director/Actor Jennifer Sharp's journey as she struggled to make her passion project with her own money. And being told by the industry that the film wouldn't sell because it didn't fit into convenient Hollywood genres. But the strength of the film is just that - it's bold, authentic, heartwarming and real.
The film follows a Zoe (JoNell Kennedy), a Black woman screenwriter who struggles to believe her film can be made in an industry with no real interest in diversity. She is barraged with advice from various experts and industry professionals on how to change the script to make it appealing and 'marketable'. Sadly, this often translates to 'whiter' and more formulaic.
Meanwhile we see the movie play out, the story of a Susan, a Black woman who travels to a Mexican coastal village to visit, Luis, her long lost lover. The chemistry between Susan (Numa Perrier) and Luis (Jose Casasus) is lovely as they revisit their romance through the bittersweet lens of time and regret.
Sharp, who also plays the role of Susan's friend Jenny, used locals she had developed relationships with as extras in the film and their performances provide an authentic, wonderful and delightful layering to the film. In the end, it's a film about people, their hopes and dreams and the things they do to survive living in a world that is often harsh and brutal.
Go see this film. It's as un-Hollywood as it gets and you will really enjoy it.