Category: Film Reviews

By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) From Mexican writer/director Sergio Umansky Brener, comes this dark and gritty tale of vengeance that rings truthfully and accurately, based on the current state of crime and law enforcement in Mexico. Acclaimed actor Noé Hernández stars as Aurelio, a humble father and husband dealing with the… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 22 Review: OCHO DE CADA DIEZ (EIGHT OUT OF TEN)

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) From Costa Rica comes a provocative and shocking film that addresses the issues of women’s rights, sexism, and society’s complacency in addressing these issues. Writer/director Alexandra Latishev takes a realistic, slice-of-life approach to her presentation, but still pulls no punches when it comes to her messages.… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 22 Review: MEDEA

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Based on the Pokemon franchise and on the video game of the same name, this film adaptation does offer some entertaining comedy, mostly courtesy of the hilarious voice work by star Ryan Reynolds. Fans of the pop culture franchise are sure to find much enjoyment in… Continue reading Review: POKEMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU

By Mark Saldana Rating: 1.5 (Out of 4 Stars) I sincerely hate to be the bad guy when it comes to tearing down movies about underdogs trying to overcome adversity, but this movie just doesn’t have much good to offer in terms of storytelling and character development. I am sure the filmmakers who conceived this… Continue reading Review: POMS

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) On the second night of Cine Las Americas, Edward James Olmos and his son, director Michael D. Olmos presented this film which offers a fictional, but honest portrait of immigrant life in the United States amidst the backdrop of the 9-11 atracks in 2001. The movie… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 22 Review: WINDOWS ON THE WORLD

By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) The 22nd annual Cine Las Americas International Film Festival began with a wondrous, beautiful and heartbreaking documentary which details the life and career of Chicano artist and activist Carlos Almaraz. During the early nineteen sixties, Almaraz left his home in Los Angeles to study art and… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 22 Review: CARLOS ALMARAZ: PLAYING WITH FIRE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with romantic comedies. There are those that I love dearly and the ones I simply cannot stand. Even the mediocre entries frustrate me to the point of hatred because at this point in Hollywood’s history, they are usually… Continue reading SXSW 2019 Review: LONG SHOT

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Going into this movie, I couldn’t help, but think, ” You’ve seen one movie about an obsessive psychopath, then you’ve seen them all.” To be fair, that is not always the case. In the case of The Intruder, the movie does have much in common with… Continue reading Review: THE INTRUDER

By Liz Lopez  Rating: B “El Chicano” premiered during the opening weekend of the Los Angeles Film Festival in September of last year, followed by a screening in the Marquee Features category of the Austin Film Festival. If you missed it at the one – time screening in Austin last October, here is your chance… Continue reading Review and Interview: AFF’s “El Chicano” opens Theatrically featuring Raul Castillo in the Lead

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) From writer/director László Nemes, the filmmaker who made the critically acclaimed of Saul, comes a different type of story that follows a female protagonist during an era of much prejudice and sexism. The appropriately titled Sunset is a historical drama that entails a lost woman’s quest… Continue reading Review: SUNSET