palabras ARACELI CRUZ

As I settled in my seat in the Directors Guild Theater on Friday afternoon, I began to notice more and more familiar faces, mostly of other festival goers making the rounds like me. However, at this particular screening I noticed one face that stood out among the rest. Actress and star of Dark Mirror Lisa Vidal was in attendance and looking stunning in a beautiful floral dress.

The suspenseful movie tells the story of Deborah Martin, a woman who moves from Seattle to Los Angeles with her son and husband into a mysterious house. Although she’s a stay-at-home mom, Martin’s real passion is photography. She begins to take various pictures around the house and is extremely intrigued by the history of it. She discovers that an artist used to occupy the house many years ago and disappeared along with his family. She begins to see strange shadows around the house and also uncovers that her camera takes odd pictures which begins to alter her reality. Martin realizes the people she photographs die soon thereafter. When she views her film, she sees that she also has photographed her son and husband.

This movie was really good because the concept is relatable. Moving to a new city can be quite stressful and it seems any little thing can throw you off guard. Vidal’s role of a woman losing her mind is completely believable because it wasn’t a drastic over night change or as though the things she perceived to be scary were in-your-face freaky. These were subtle things that made her do double-takes, things that make us doubt what is really there or not there.

Saturday’s screening of Liberty Kid at the Imaginasian Theater was a fitting way to end the 2007 NYILFF. It’s the story about Derrick and Tico, two friends who lose their jobs at Ellis Island after Sept. 11 and struggle to get back on track, even though the track they were on wasn’t that great to begin with. Both young men, who were kicked out of high school, resort to selling drugs. Although Derrick is the more determined out of two, he just can’t seem to get a break. He aspires to make a better life for his twin kids though joins Tico, the slacker, in his money-making schemes just to get by. Derrick finally gives in and joins the army while Tico gets caught selling drugs and goes to jail. This friendship seems doomed in the aftermath of these two major events.

Liberty Kid, directed and written by Ilya Chaiken, is a bitterly sweet drama with a heart-warming comedic take as well. The issues dealt with in this film such as inner-city poverty, the aftermath of 9/11, returning from combat, and the bond between family, friends and a community was so moving that it is definitely a film worth spreading the word about.
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posted July 27

Films based on comic books can either be really good or really bad. The great ones like Superman (with Christopher Reeves) and Batman Begins successfully express the real essence of the protagonist’s struggle. Horrible comic-based films such as Cat Woman and Batman & Robin simply fail to be entertaining. Last night the New York International Latino Film Festival featured El Muerto starring Wilmer Valderrama, based on the comic book by Javier Hernandez of the same name.

I was really looking forward to checking out this film because of its dark undertone and the Day of the Dead theme (I love horror flicks), plus it was filmed in Los Angeles and that’s always cool too (since I grew up there). Though a movie starring Valderrama (he also produced it) isn’t saying much, but hey you never know and the plot sounded quite fascinating.

While Diego, a young orphan from Mexico, is illegally crossing the border, an elderly man (who is also traveling with him) and speaks in an ancient Aztec language, carves an Aztec symbol in Diego’s hand. From that day on Diego, who has settled in East Los Angeles, gets strange visions and experiences blackouts. During a Day of the Dead celebration, 21-year-old Diego dresses up as a zombie mariachi and while he is going to a party he has a car accident and dies. He is sent to the Land of the Dead where the God of Death sacrifices him and rips out his heart. Diego returns to earth with special powers and is determined to save his soul and the soul of those he loves. Sounds good right?

Well…visually it look’s like your average cult-style B-movie, sort of like Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi and the film’s intro boasts animated clips of what the actual comic book looks like. However, the film fails to show Diego’s real inner struggle. We know he loves his girlfriend and we know he would do anything for her. Though if we don’t know who Diego is as person how can we transfer him into El Muerto? If audiences can’t make these connections, El Muerto is simply dead. The entire time I was thinking about The Crow, now that was a really good comic-based film that expresses the main character's pain and their desire for redemption. On one good note, actor Joel Moore was really good as Diego’s best friend Zak.

I’m off to catch Dark Mirror. Hopefully this one will make the grade.
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posted July 26

The second installment of the weeklong New York International Film Festival was smokin’ with hot celebs, a hot party but a not so hot feature.

It was very cool to see actress Heather Graham and director Alfredo de Villa come out to support the premiere of their film Adrift in Manhattan at Florence Gould Hall.

Graham plays Rose, an optometrist who is suffering from the recent death of her two-year-old son and the separation to her husband Mark, played by William Baldwin. Victor Rasuk (who also starred in Raising Victor Vargas) plays Simon, a young, quiet man infatuated by Rose who begins to photograph her every step. Dominic Chianese (who was also attended the premiere) plays Tommaso, Rose’s elderly patient, who is trying to cope with the fact that he is going blind. When Rose discovers that Simon is following her, instead of reporting him to the police, she begins to take a liking to him, more so because he is discovering a part of her that she feels she has lost since the death of her son.

As a new resident who is becoming more familiar with New York City, it was fascinating to watch, a “New York Movie” now that I have a different perspective on this amazing city. Small and instant connections between total strangers on the subways or city streets are so common here, that Adrift In Manhattan attempts to capture that concept. The lack of emotion from the characters, which could have been intentional though not believable, leaves the film sour and empty. The beauty of the city was not enough to balance out the storyline.

Regardless of how blah the movie was, it did not hinder our intent to party at Tavern On The Green. As a first timer (I’m going to be first-timing a bunch of things in this city) at this ultra-snazzy and historic restaurant, just walking into the mirror maze-like halls was an Alice In Wonderland adventure in itself. The entire place was divine, from the floral pattern carpeting, to the Christmas lighting and outside lanterns.

Jose Cuervo hosted the open bar giving us a margarita flow all night. A couple of stars made it out too. Aside from Graham, Chazz Palmiteri, "Sopranos" actor Frederico Castelluccio, actor Manny Perez, director Jessy Terrero, among others, were all there.

The partying, and screenings, continue tonight with El Muerto and Junior, which the latter is part of Dominican Night, but they are both showing around the same time! Decisions, decisions, decisions. Good thing both after parties are in close proximity to each other. I wonder how this night will turn out. Stay tuned!

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posted July 25

Last night I experienced an inspiring and exciting opening to the 2007 New York International Latino Film Festival. The annual festival, now in its eighth year, had a sense of reawakening. This can be due to the growing amount of supporters, the directors who have been with the festival since its inception, but after the screening of Trade, it is obvious the NYILFF’s resurgence can be attributed to talented storytellers.

Trade, an alarming film about sex-trafficking, really brought forth the mission behind this unique festival, which is to bring awareness to thought-provoking stories in order to unite a community.

This hard-hitting film, directed by Marco Kreuzpainter, tells the story of a 13-year-old Mexican girl who gets kidnapped by a brutal ring of international sex-traffickers and stars an incredible cast.

Actor Cesar Ramos plays 17-year-old Jorge who is desperately trying to find his sister Adriana (played Paulina Gaitan) after she gets kidnapped and coincidently befriends Ray, a U.S. cop played by Kevin Kline, who in turn helps the boy in his search. Actress Alicja Bachleda-Curus plays Veronica, a young Russian mother who travels to Mexico City as an inexpensive way to enter the U.S. There she is also kidnapped which is where Adriana joins her and the others who will be auctioned off to sex-offenders.

Trade contained several elements that made it intriguing and extremely real. First off, the direction and editing in this film was by far the best aspect. Kreuzpainter has a remarkable eye for detail, whether it was the helicopter-views of Mexico City, the landscape shots, the close-up takes of the actors, visually the film was stunning. The most interesting element was all of it seemed so real, from the cast, to the religious imagery, to the emotional score. The cast’s raw depiction gave the story so much feeling that you actually felt you were on the same path as these people who just wanted to go home.

I loved this movie and I can’t wait to see the countless of other films. With more than 80 film screenings, lots of fiestas you’re going to want to check nocheLatina throughout the week for all the latest reviews of films, parties and some juicy chisme!

Tonight is all about Adrift in Manhattan and the after-party at Tavern on the Green.