Category: Reviews

By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) This festival entry from Colombia turned out to be my favorite film of the ones I saw at Cine Las Americas this year. It also just so happens that this movie won both the audience and jury awards for Best Narrative Feature. So just don’t take… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 17 Review: MATEO

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) This delightful farcical comedy does have it issues, but is highly enjoyable nevertheless.  I must admit that the lovable characters and their often hilarious antics had me constantly smiling and laughing.  Jorge (Carlos Marchand) desperately needs to come up with money for his wife Lisa’s (Marise… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 17: LA ESPERA DESESPERA (HOPEFUL HOPELESS)

By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) This HBO Latino documentary film features a multitude of Hispanic and Latina women from different generations and all walks of life offering insight and perspective as women in their respective careers and cultures. Director Alberto Ferreras keeps it simple, focuses his camera on his individual subjects and… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 17: HABLA WOMEN (WOMEN SPEAKING)

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) From Cuban director Enrique Alvarez and writer Claudia Muniz, comes this film about three “roommates” connecting, though they don’t verbally communicate often. Tania (Olivia Manrufo) works as a seamstress out of her home, but can barely make ends meet. She has received various eviction notices and… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 17 Review: JIRAFAS (GIRAFFES)

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Written and directed by Adrian Manzano, this festival entry is very much the epitome of modern filmmaking. Sex, Love, & Salsa is a faux documentary about Julian Suarez (Manzano), a smooth-talking salsa dancer who prides himself as a ladies man and wants to capture his daily… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 17 Review: SEX, LOVE & SALSA

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) I found this film to be the most stylistically interesting film of the festival.  Written and directed by Veronica Chen, a talented filmmaker of Chinese ethnicity, but born in Argentina and raised in Texas, Mujer Conejo shows the influences of Chinese, Argentine, and American cultures in… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 17 Review: MUJER CONEJO (RABBIT WOMAN)