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Reviews
Twist à Popenguine (1994)
In the film Popenguine, the character Monsieur Benoit is being colonized
In the film Popenguine, the character Monsieur Benoit is being colonized. His character is very insightful and full of reality. He doesn't know whether he belongs in France or Africa. He feels as if he has no identity but he is accepted by the African village. In this film one can say, he is perceived as a hero to the African villagers. Monsieur's plot focuses on what it is like for someone to battle with where they fit in and how colonization can cause someone to reach their breaking point. The viewers get a good idea of how colonization affects Monsieur Benoit's life and how it affects those around him. His character deals with the dark side of colonization but later on finds the light with the help of the villagers or neighbors. Popenguine was directed and written by Moussa Sene Absa. It was filmed in the country of Senegal and the language spoken is French. It is important because it is one of the few African films that used the French language.
Monsieur Benoit teaches his students the language of France. It is important because the African people are learning a different language, and when they speak a different language it changes their identities. If the student doesn't know or speak French they end up being punished. In one specific scene the African woman is showing love to Monsieur Benoit. That is important because it shows the love the African villagers have for Monsieur Benoit. He has a special friendship with the African people. Monsieur Benoit is a single man who is impotent, and one scene that shows this is when he is dunk. He is talking to the pastor about Africa being colonized by France. This is an important scene because it shows that Monsieur Benoit does not know where he belongs whether France or Africa. He feels like an Alien. He also starts to spill out racist remarks and, because of this colonization causes his misery to boil to the top. He is being colonized by France because he was being racist against Africa. A place he is living in at the moment. The African people didn't even try to hurt him but instead they wanted to help him because they didn't see him as racism. They were concerned for him. To them he was family and a good friend. They saw him as one of them. They also felt Monsieur Benoit was just lost and didn't really mean what he said. They understood him. Which is a good example; of the love the African people have for Monsieur Benoit. The actor Jean Francois Balmer played Monsieur Benoit so well. His emotions and delivery really makes the viewer feel sympathy for Monsieur Benoit. In one scene where his emotions come out, and the delivery is amazingly good is when Monsieur Benoit is speaking to Jabeel. They have an argument about children. He mentions, "Children are the future. It must be give and take." The actor's delivery and facial expressions really shows that the character Monsieur Benoit really cares about the children, and they mean a lot to him.
One thing that I felt was negative about Monsieur Benoit's character was in the scene I mentioned before when he was drunk and slurred out racist words. They say when someone is drunk the truth comes out. I don't think his character was really racist but why is it when he's drunk he speaks so bad about Africa? When he was sober he seems to love it. He also gets along with the villagers and that is just one thing I got confused about with his character.
This film is very inspirational and helps the viewer learn a lot about colonization with African and France. The fact that the director Moussa Sene Absa points out many different issues when it comes to the relationship between France and Africa is very intriguing. I love the fact that he had different views on both of the countries. I would recommend this film to African and French people because I think it would be interesting to see what their reaction to the
Entre nos (2009)
Entre Nos is a film that deals with struggles and hope
Entre Nos brings out sadness, happiness and anger in its viewers. Entre Nos is a film that will automatically capture the audience and leave them wanting more. It shows how immigrants have a hard time in the United States. The film gives the viewers a look on what it's like to be a single Mom, and all the struggles a single Mom has to go through just to protect her children. Mariana is a superwoman to her children. She is a fighter and an independent woman that knows how to keep going even when things get rough.
Entre Nos was directed by Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza both women also wrote the film as well. This is very important because this film is about Paola Mendoza's grandmother. This also is a film about all the struggles immigrants have when living in a foreign country. Yet, at the same time showing what single Moms have to go through when raising their kids alone. This film has gotten positive reviews, shown at 14 film festivals and won many awards. This is important because it shows how important and touching the film was to many viewers who have seen it, also showing how serious it is for an immigrant living in the U.S.
The characters in the film Mariana, Gabi and Andrea deal with living in the United States as immigrants. It's not easy for Mariana when she has to live in a country where no one speaks Spanish. One specific scene where it shows the affects of people who speak two different languages and tries to carry a conversation is when Joe sent Mariana and her kids to a motel. Mariana was saying, "I can't pay you tomorrow but I can pay you tomorrow." The woman could not understand what Mariana was trying to say, and they almost ended up not having a place to stay. This is symbolic of how difficult it can be when two different languages collide. It also shows how tough Marian has it. One thing about Mariana is that she reminds me of both Tita and Mama Elena in the film Like Water for Chocolate. When Mariana is telling her kids what to do and demanding them to tell her where they are going when leaving, she is just like Mama Elena because of the authority in her voice and all her demands. She is like Tita because she hugs her kids and tells them she loves them. Tita has done that with her niece, nephew, and some of her sisters. Mama Elena has never done that with her kids.
The performance in this film was extremely well done by Paola Mendoza. Throughout the film the viewer can see and feel her emotions. Paola Mendoza's strength came out in this film especially in the scene when Mariana, Gabi and Andrea had to sleep at the park. The way Paola Mendoza was holding them in her lap and looking down on them showed how protective a mother is when it comes to their children. When the camera zoomed into her face you can see the emotions in her facial expressions. Paola Mendoza did a powerful job displaying how strong single Moms are when taking care of their children.
The lighting in the film gave it a more realistic feel. The lighting was symbolic of safety and protection for Mariana and her two children. In certain scenes there were over-head lights being used. The same scene I mentioned above when Mariana was looking down at her children had the light shining above Mariana's head symbolizing that the viewer should mostly focus on her. I felt the light was symbolic of Mariana being her kid's savior and superwoman. She protects them and keeps them safe. Another scene that used overhead lighting was when they were sleeping on the stairs. The lighting keeps them safe. It also makes them look pathetic because they are sleeping on the stairs looking worn out.
The wardrobe in the film represented the characters lifestyle. When Mariana, Gabi and Andrea were homeless, their clothing became dirty looking. When they made enough money to support themselves their wardrobe was nicer looking. The clothing they wore when they were homeless created sadness for the audience and sympathy for them. When they weren't struggling anymore the wardrobe they wore created happiness for the audience.
The film did have faults. One thing I noticed was that in one scene when Mariana, Gabi and Andrea first met Joe, Gabi was able to tell his Mom everything Joe said when she couldn't understand. However, when they went to the motel, Gabi couldn't tell his Mom what the lady that worked there was saying. If he can speak English why couldn't he speak for his Mom? That part confused me because I thought since Gabi understood what Joes was saying and was able to translate for him maybe he could do the same for the woman that worked at the motel. Then she could understand what Mariana was trying to say.
I thought the film was well directed, acted and written. Paola Mendoza really brought to light what its like for an immigrant to live in the U.S. I love how more realistic this film was compared to Like Water for Chocolate. As a matter a fact, the audience can relate to this film. Everything that happened with Mariana and her children working to support themselves is realistic. Like Water for Chocolate was more about magical realism. I would recommend the film to any single moms who are struggling just like Mariana because the film might bring them encouragement to not giving up. I think immigrants would find the film to be interesting. The viewers will not be disappointed with all the emotions that go on in the story because they get the best of both worlds and different moods from this film which is hope, sadness and happiness.
Como agua para chocolate (1992)
Like Water for Chocolate is filled with the wonders of magical cooking, passion and love
Like Water for Chocolate is an incredible piece of art. It shows how cooking can be a fantastic thing when having a mixture of love and passion. The film gives the viewer, especially Northern Americans, a magical insight of how Mexican culture is about love, celebrating and the joys of cooking. Tita cooks up different recipes, and while doing so pours all of her love and passion into them to the point where anyone who feasts on them starts feeling the love and passion as well. Like Water for chocolate was directed by Alfonso Aru and written by Laura Equsivel. It won 11 Ariel awards of the Mexican Academy of Motion Pictures and became the highest grossing Spanish-Language film to ever be released in the United States. This is important because this film has made history in not only Mexico but in the United States as well. It also means this film is one of the few Spanish films to do well in the United States. The characters in the film go through a journey of anger, love and the magic of cooking. When Tita cooks a certain recipe it relates her love for Pedro. Once people start to eat her cooking they feel whatever Tita was feeling. One specific scene is when Tita has cooked a recipe of quail and mixed in sauce from roses. When everyone is eating the meal, their expressions are filled with love and passion. Lines such as, "Not only Tita's blood but her whole being had dissolved into the rose sauce" shows how meaningful and magical Tita's cooking is. Not just for her, but for the other characters as well. The performances from Lumi Cavazos (Tita) and Regina Torne (Mama Elena) in this film is not beyond splendid but nor is it coming up short. A specific scene that both women performed amazingly well is when Mama Elena's ghost arrives behind Tita. The way Lumi and Regina were going back and forth with one another delivering their lines was filled with drama. When Tita said "I hate you, I always hated you," it was a way of Tita letting Mama Elena know she is not afraid of her anymore. When Mama Elena said, "See what you've caused?" That line also puts the viewer over the edge because the way she delivers the line let's the viewer know she means business. The lighting in this film was dark orange. It is symbolic of the burning passion the characters experienced in this film. Dr. John gives one of his grandmother's quotes saying, "We're all born with a box of matches inside. We can't light them by ourselves. We need oxygen and a help of a candle." Each character needed love and passion to light the matches so they would be able to feel liberated. The costumes also signal the characters different emotions. Whenever the woman attended funerals they wore black dresses to represent their mood. The rich characters would wear fancy looking clothing. The poor wore cheap looking clothing While, there were some good highlights the film did have its faults. The film didn't have 100% Mexican actors. The actress Claudette Maillé looked as if she was Irish. The thing is that Gertrudis character was mix with African American and Mexican, so it would have helped the authenticity of the film to have found an actress that looked like that kind of person. I felt the film was very good with the way Esquivel used magical realism to get the message of love and passions across. The fact that Esquivel showed cooking comes from the heart and can bring love to one another is a valuable message. I would recommend the film to anyone who wants to know the real meaning of passion and enjoys the wonders of cooking. If viewers watch in a metaphorical way, and not literal, they can see the magical realism in the film, which makes it more enjoyable.