Y Tu Mama Tambien

Y Tu Mama Tambien
This was a very interesting film for me because I have a 17 year old son. I cannot even imagine him behaving in such a way or his friends for that matter; I hope I am not being naive. I guess this is where there is a big cultural difference between our culture and the Hispanic culture. I am not even talking about the raging hormones these boys displayed. I am talking about the smoking and drinking, not to mention the marijuana usage. From the film I would assume that for Hispanics drinking at this age is not against the law since they were able to go to the store and buy it themselves. They also seemed to have a steady supply of cigarettes. I know that kids in the US drink and smoke but it is against the law at age Tenoch and Julio are. Peer pressure can play a big part in any culture and if all of your friends are doing it there is a good chance you are going to do it too. One can only hope that parental influence can be as powerful as peer pressure. The problem in the film is that there was a lack of parental guidance for both boys. Julio had no male figure in his life and Tenoch’s dad was too busy for him.
Now let me briefly talk about the raging hormones. I think this is probably the same for any culture. I do think however these two guys were a little excessive in their quest for sexual satisfaction. Girls, themselves it really did not seem to matter to them. You just knew that the journey to the beach was going to lead to sex with Tenoch’s cousin’s wife. The fact that she was married to a relative did not seem to bother these two. I did find it ironic that what bothered them most was the revelation that they had slept with each other’s girlfriend.
Throughout the film we were exposed to the Hispanic culture. The wedding reception itself was nothing like I had ever been to in the United States. It did seem to me that the father was more concerned about the visiting President than his own daughter the bride. Unless it was a family member or a very close friend I do not think that we would have to worry about the President of the United States showing up at a wedding. Another aspect of the Hispanic culture and of the times were all the protests that we were exposed to. Julio had to go to a protest to find his sister to ask to borrow the car and then at different points along the journey to Heaven’s Mouth we saw other protest occurring. We also saw the military, could have been the police, stopping cars and searching them. Searches like this can happen in the US but usually it happens after being stopped for breaking the law and of giving the officer probable cause.
I would have loved to see how the film ended, instead I googled it and read how it ended. I figured Luisa had received bad news at the doctor’s office, I hope she died happy and at peace with the choices she made during her last month of life. I was sad to read that Julio and Tenoch did not remain friends after their sexual experiment. I guess it was hard to face each other and be reminded of what they had actually done.

EL Viaje de Carol

El Viaje de Carol

I am glad that we chose to watch this film without sub-titles because it made us truly watch it and go by feelings and emotions not just words.
Carol is a beautiful young girl from the United States going to visit her mother’s home in Spain. When Carol and her mom stepped off of the train I got the impression that it was the first time that she had ever met her mother’s family. She was hesitant at first but seemed to warm up quickly, especially to her grandfather. It was on the trip to her grandfather’s that we witnessed the first time that her American background influenced her actions. When the three boys shot the bird with their slingshot killing it, she threw something at them. She did not even hesitate in her actions, she just instinctively threw the object at them and after seeing the other young girls in the village where they lived none of them would have even considered such an act.
I think Carol’s appearance was another way her American background influenced her. She wore overalls most of the time and even when she was in a dress it did not seem to suit her. From the very beginning I thought she seemed like a tomboy. The other girls we met were always in dresses and probably never wore pants.
You asked the question about how she fights against conventionalisms found in this new culture. The biggest one that comes to mind is the unconventional deal that she made with the priest when studying for her first communion. I do not think Catholicism was something that she wanted to participate in but was being made to do so by her mother’s family. She made a deal to be able to wear what she wanted during the first communion. When the scene starts we see all the children at the altar waiting to be served. When they travel down the row of children we see the girls in their beautiful dresses and the boys in their white sailor like uniforms. When the scene stops at Carol, there she is dressed like one of the guys. I think the most ironic part is that when it came her turn to receive the wafer, sirens sounded and she never had to partake.
Carol was only 12 years old and in a short time she had to grow up very fast. She lost her mother and was left with family that she barely even knew. Her father that she adored was away fighting in the war. She had to pay someone just to get letters to him. When her dad finally does comes for her, he ends up having to run for his life to keep from being captured or even killed. And lastly she met and lost her first love, Tomi. He was killed trying to save her father from the Franco regime. No child should have to go through so much so fast!

Volver

Volver is a film that shows us the lives of a group of women and how their lives are intertwined. There are a few men in the film but only in small roles with the exception of two of them. Their roles are small but extremely important to the telling of the story. The first is Raimunda’s father, we never even meet him except to see his head stone at the beginning, and the other is Paco, Raimunda’s dead beat husband. It is because of these two men that the women are all drawn together in the same circle. It takes almost the entire film to truly find out about the tribulations that these women have faced and overcome.
When we meet Paco for the first time we are shown the scum that he really is. He literally looks up his daughter’s skirt, more than once, when she sits down in the chair. We do not know it at the time but we soon find out, after Paula stabs him to death because he tried to sexually molest her, that he is really not her father. Next we find out that Raimunda and Sole’s father cheated on their mother all the time. Besides cheating on his wife, we also find out that he was also a child molester. He sexually molested Raimunda and got her pregnant. Raimunda and Sole’s father met his demise at the hands of his wife, Irene. She found him in bed with Agustina’s mother and set the hut on fire, killing them both. Everyone thought it was Irene in the hut with him so instead of turning herself in she went into hiding, ending up taking care of her ailing sister. Once all of these stories come out we see how these women showed their resilience by overcoming some of life’s most hideous tribulations to become strong, beautiful, courageous women. You would have to be strong to be reminded daily that your daughter was born from being sexually molested by your own father. It also shows Raimunda’s strength to give her daughter unconditional love. She proved that love by taking care of the situation surrounding the death of Paco. The only problem I have with the film is that we applaud these women for who they are and for what they had the strength to do but in actuality they committed crimes themselves.
To me the superstitions portrayed in this film can easily be explained. The East winds were thought to make people crazy. Aunt Paula was a victim of these winds or was she? Everyone thought she was crazy because she spoke of Irene in the present when she was supposed to have been dead for the past three years. We find out that she was not crazy, Irene was alive and living with her cooking and caring for her. Agustina believed in ghost which came out when she was telling all the women how it was the ghost of Irene that let her know that Paula had died. She believed in ghost so much that she wanted Raimunda to try and contact her dead mother and ask her if she knew what happened to her mother that just up and disappeared three years prior. We know now that Irene was not a ghost and she ended up caring for Agustina who was dying from cancer. Maybe this was to be her penitence for killing Agustina’s mother along with her cheating husband.

Guantanamera

Guantanamera
The first aspect of the Cuban culture that we see in the film is the music. It is a fun song with a salsa beat, easy to dance to. The way that they use the song to tell the story throughout the film is great.
The next glimpse of the Cuban culture we experience is family. I wrote my essay about being part of a Hispanic family and this film show the family and the bonds that they have. The relationship between Gina and her aunt is more like a mother and daughter, in the Hispanic culture family is family it really does not matter whether you are an aunt, uncle, mother, or father. You are all very close and take care of each other. Even if you look at the relationship between Gina and Adolfo she takes his abuse for such a long time because the husband is considered the head of the household.
Next we experience the way the culture deals with the death of loved ones. It is not the usual custom in the United States but it seems to be the custom in Cuba that you are buried in the area from where you were born. We see how family members are treated, needing tickets to get food after a loved one dies. In the United States it is pretty normal to have a full spread of food for family and friends after the services are held. It was actually sad to see that the families were so desperate for food that they tried for several days to get food after the death of their loved one.
We also see the foods of the culture. Bananas seem to be very abundant and are used to help smuggle illegal contraband to Havana. Coffee is also very popular. In the United States it is also popular but I do not think that it is as popular as it is in Cuba. In some cafes it is the only drink served besides water.
I enjoyed this film and seeing the Cuban culture through the journey to get Yoyita, Gina’s aunt, back to Havana for a proper burial. It was also great to see Gina come out of her shell and become a strong women and finally find true love. I am a sucker for happy endings!

Guantanamera

Guantanamera
The first aspect of the Cuban culture that we see in the film is the music. It is a fun song with a salsa beat, easy to dance to. The way that they use the song to tell the story throughout the film is great.
The next glimpse of the Cuban culture we experience is family. I wrote my essay about being part of a Hispanic family and this film show the family and the bonds that they have. The relationship between Gina and her aunt is more like a mother and daughter, in the Hispanic culture family is family it really does not matter whether you are an aunt, uncle, mother, or father. You are all very close and take care of each other. Even if you look at the relationship between Gina and Adolfo she takes his abuse for such a long time because the husband is considered the head of the household.
Next we experience the way the culture deals with the death of loved ones. It is not the usual custom in the United States but it seems to be the custom in Cuba that you are buried in the area from where you were born. We see how family members are treated, needing tickets to get food after a loved one dies. In the United States it is pretty normal to have a full spread of food for family and friends after the services are held. It was actually sad to see that the families were so desperate for food that they tried for several days to get food after the death of their loved one.
We also see the foods of the culture. Bananas seem to be very abundant and are used to help smuggle illegal contraband to Havana. Coffee is also very popular. In the United States it is also popular but I do not think that it is as popular as it is in Cuba. In some cafes it is the only drink served besides water.
I enjoyed this film and seeing the Cuban culture through the journey to get Yoyita, Gina’s aunt, back to Havana for a proper burial. It was also great to see Gina come out of her shell and become a strong women and finally find true love. I am a sucker for happy endings!

The Official Story

I had mixed emotions after viewing this film. Yes it was very good film but I was torn between Alicia finding out the truth behind Gaby’s adoption and thinking that she should have left well enough alone. I know the actual story is fictional but in reality it was telling the story of hundreds maybe even thousands. There are a lot of Alicia’s out there that adopted the children taken illegally and a lot of Gaby’s that will never know their real parents due to the military takeover in Argentina.
The film is about a women’s journey in searching for the truth behind the adoption of her beautiful daughter. Alicia is married to Roberto and after trying to have a child for years they end up adopting Gaby. The one condition of the adoption is that Alicia can never ask about it. Roberto on the other hand knows all the details. They are an affluent couple and have provided Gaby with a loving home. Things change for this family in a short amount of time.
Alicia teaches history and from the start she lets the students know that she teaches straight from the book and does not put up with any nonsense. The students on the other hand think the book was written by murderers and let her know it. One day she comes in and finds pictures all over the board depicting missing and or murdered women and children. She has one of the students remove the pictures but instead of throwing them away she keeps them.
We also meet Alicia’s childhood friend Ana that had been away for quite a while. When we first meet Ana there is a group of old friends having dinner and afterwards Ana ends up back at Alicia’s. The two are drinking, laughing and having a good time when Alicia asks Ana why she just disappeared. I do not think Alicia was prepared for the answer that she got. Ana told her about being held captive and tortured by the military. She described what she in detail she had endured and also what she saw. She told Alicia about seeing pregnant women and then later seeing them without their babies, sometimes she never saw them again. I think it was at this point that Alicia really started to question the details of Gaby’s adoption.
During the quest for answers Alicia finds out details about Roberto that she never knew. He was part of the military junta. This comes out when she will not stop asking questions and the adoption. After Alicia brings a women to their home that could possibly be Gaby’s biological grandmother, he goes ballistic and after throwing the women out he physically assaults Alicia by ramming her head in the wall and slamming her hand several times in the door. Alicia is begging him to stop and when he does the phone rings and it is Gaby wanting to say goodnight and sing them the song that she has learned. Roberto talks to Gaby and listens to her song but Alicia is upset and can’t talk to her daughter, maybe she is upset about what just happened or maybe she is upset about finally learning the truth about the adoption. Whatever the reason Alicia hugs Roberto then leaves.
This film is full of hope and hopelessness. You feel the hopelessness when watching the demonstrators looking for their missing loved one. Theirs is of hope, the hope of finding them alive and well. The hopelessness is in knowing that they will never be found because they have been murdered. The hope that comes out of all of this is Gaby. She represents hope for all the families of those that have missing loved ones. I think that Alicia and Roberto love Gaby with all their hearts but with the way Alicia left I feel like the chance of their marriage staying together is hopeless.
I mentioned earlier in my blog that maybe Alicia should leave well enough alone. I have to think that if I adopted I would want to know everything that I could about birth parents so that I could share this with my child later on. I am reminded of the old saying that “the truth shall set you free”. I hope Alicia felt this way after her quest for the truth was over.

Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate

Let me start by saying that I truly enjoyed this film. It had a little bit of a Cinderella story line and also that of Lady Godiva. I only wish that Tita and Pedro could have had a longer life together. Now having said that, what a way to go! To have that much love and passion inside that it engulfed them both in flames. Their love was powerful, passionate and truly lasted a lifetime.
Magic realism is intertwined throughout this film. We see it from start to finish. It is so well done that we know what is occurring is fantasy but with the way it is presented it seems real. The way the rose sauce affects everyone, especially Gertrudis, can’t happen in reality but when it occurs in the film it seems real to us. Another example of magic realism is when we see the ghost of Nacha and Elena talking to Tita. Nacha’s ghost represented love giving Tita advice on everything from cooking to healing Pedro’s burns. Elena’s ghost represented evil. Even being dead didn’t stop her from trying to make Tita’s life miserable and after Tita stood up to her she turned her anger onto Pedro and caused him to be severely burned. But the most powerful example came at the end when Tita started eating the matches which ignited the passion from inside engulfing the two lovers in flames. The movie would definitely not have been as enjoyable without the use of magic realism.
One topic that is discussed throughout the film is that of tradition. I know in my family we have several traditions but none which dictates that as the youngest I would have to take care of my mother until she dies and never be able to marry because of it. I would take care of my mother out of love and respect not because I was ordered to do so. This tradition sentenced Tita to a life of servitude. This is also how this movie reminds me of Cinderella except what makes this film worse is that in Cinderella she was treated badly by her stepmom, Tita was treated like a slave by her own mother. After Elena died, Rosaura threatened to carry on the tradition with her own daughter Esperanza. Tita told Rosaura that she would never allow that to happen and she didn’t. Esperanza was allowed to marry and when she had her own daughter she honored her aunt by naming her own daughter Tita.





This should come as no shock but the common message throughout the film is that of love. It is a message of lost love, denied love, and undying love. The common thread in all of these is Tita. She lost her father shortly after her birth, because she was the youngest she was unable to marry the man that she loved, and from the first moment their eyes met Tita only loved Pedro and they took that love with them to the grave. Love is powerful but as seen in Like Water for Chocolate it is also magical.