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Reviews
The Agronomist (2003)
Viva Dominique
First of all, I thank Mr. Demme for making a film about this extraordinary man. Jean Dominique, needless to say, is someone to admire and learn from. He reminds me of José F. Peña Gómez, a Dominican of Haitian descent, who also took to the airwaves (circa 1965) and became an exemplary patriot.
In response to a comment about why the Dominican Republic has relatively stood idle throughout Haiti's ongoing strife, it should be noted that DR sadly has its own ills to tend as well. The island of Hispaniola it's one with two different nations, cultures and languages, a notorious legacy of the tug-of-war between former colonial powers. But like Haiti, it is another victim of many of the same demons that to various degrees afflict much of Latin America.
I must admit with much shame that even as a Dominican, only during my residence here in the far-flung region of New York rather than back home in Santo Domingo have I befriended fellow Haitians and came to know more about their culture. Learning about a Haitian luminary such as Mr. Dominique has thus been a treasure.
It saddens me deeply how most media outlets to date do scant coverage about what's happening in Haiti and elsewhere with little mention, if any at all, about the feats of Jean Dominique and how his assassins have yet been brought to justice. These and many more reasons make The Agronomist a must-see documentary. In this ever more jaded, cynical world, it's inspiring and much of a solace to find people like Jean Dominique amidst the disheartening and overbearing blanket of corruption and complacency.
Abril Despedaçado (2001)
Excellent Film
This film's craftsmanship is praise-worthy. It is a testament to the filmmakers' talent to visually convey their message in a graceful fashion without having to put all the burden on the dialog, voice-overs, etc. I disagree with some of the posted comments that describe how "obvious" or "overt" the symbolism is. Film-making, after all, is a visual art more than anything else, and I feel that the visuals were presented in a balanced, hardly in-your-face manner. This is the first film that I see from Mr. Salles and now I look forward to see his other work like Central Station. This movie is a must-see and I feel fortunate, because I happened to come across it by chance, picking it because I've never before seen a Portugese-language film. April Despedacado is a delight to the eye and a story to behold. It reminds us why we love to go to the cinema!
Nine Lives (2005)
Surprised and Pleased
I saw the film just two days ago and I felt the need to post this comment, because as it has been mentioned by others in this post, it is not too often that one encounters a film that is less about targeting some kind of "target population" as it is targeting a personal artistic statement. I must admit to feeling perplexed and rather disappointed during the beginning but as the film progressed, I was able shake out of the linear storyline to which our brains are accustomed to and just take each section of the film simply for what it is. I must say that what I enjoyed the most was the acting in this film. The characters are ones that undoubtedly many serious actors would love to sink their teeth into and so it was pleasing to see these fine actors superbly blend into their roles, recognizing their marvelous opportunity to test the limits of their talents. Special kudos for Amanda Seyfried who played Samantha, for she made an incredible U-Turn from her dumb-blond role in the teen pop corn flick Mean Girls. Whoa, who would've known! And just for that, I would definitely recommend Nine Lives. Felicitaciones Garcia!