amelchor-stu Reviews

Bella (2006)

Above average movie, not quite Oscar level

[6/10 · 26 July 2007]

I was able to see Bella at a special screening for the NCLR Lideres Summit in Miami,Florida last week. Manny Perez,Eduardo Verastegui, and the producer were present.Also a representative from the Smithsonian was there since Bella is not a part of the Hispanic History Museum at the Smithsonian. The performances are OK, very subtle. They almost straddle the line between under acting or just plain,simple, raw emotion.

Tammy Blanchard as Nina gives the most varied performance. She is perhaps the best thing about this film,she is able to show a variety of emotions in a very convincing manner. I know Eduardo Verastegui means well but he is still used as an attractive visual in this film.It will take a lot for him to rub off his boy band/heartthrob image. Throughout the film you could hear the girls whispering about how "hot" he was.Manny Perez does a good job as Eduardo's somewhat eccentric brother. Angelica Aragon is very underused and the rest of the cast gives decent but not stellar performances.

The message in Bella is good, time after time after time you see situations in where different entities appear to be different but are united because they are humans. A very strong and positive message in a time where there is so much division not only in the U.S. but in the world.

The cinematography and score are top notch.However, if critics aren't able to love other parts of the movie I doubt this will get much recognition.

The movie is not done excellently. The climax comes a bit too early.The development is slow. The ending as many have said is a bit awkward.Talks of Oscar by the cast and the producer are a bit delusional and immature. The cast will certainly not get any nominations. The film as a whole could possibly stand a chance simply on message much like Crash but there are probably 40 films this year that have more hype or have proved their quality at the box office.About 20 of the hyped films would have to severely falter for Bella to even be mentioned in the same breath as those that come through the first few award chopping blocks.

Bella is a movie with a positive, universal, appropriate, and resounding message that needs to be heard. However, the road communicating this message is bumpy,inconsistent,slow, and filled with gaping potholes. Bella is a movie to pass the time and maybe learn something but not a film that will change people or change the world.

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

The film is absolutely disgusting

[1/10 · 29 November 2005]

OK, so what happens when you try to blend the old with what was then modern. This piece of trash movie which can not stand on its own if it weren't for the music.OK, so yes the Bible can be interpreted many ways but this is just absolutely pathetic. Judas betraying Jesus cos things got out of hand. Hello wan't that the whole point of Jesus kind of causing thought and showing that he was King. The whole hippie thing is so played out. Perhaps the music was good. The acting is horrible. I don't see how this was nominated for anything in film. Perhaps the musical is somewhat better. The only thing resumable is the fact that in a song they ask why did he decide to come then rather than now where perhaps he could have had a larger audience, more people would have believed etc. But that doesn't eliminate this from being a horrible film. Nominated for a BAFTA for Cinematography. Are you kidding me? This was shot in Desert and the shots are nowhere near reaching the merit of Lawrence of Arabia shot much, Earlier or even All ABout Eve or tons of other films where the shot told a story or supported the story this is just people singing in the desert. Goodness don't try o blend the old and the new cos the same things go wrong with Shakespeare you just don't mess with the classics or the Bible.

Los jornaleros (2003)

Embarrassing when interesting topics are used to make trash like this

[4/10 · 16 November 2005]

Adapting to a new country and culture could make for a very interesting film but this film is simply trash. Everything happens but there is no transition between things happening. One of the brothers suddenly realizes he's gay? Just out of nowhere. The acting is horrible as well. Facial expressions that are supposed to be of distress or panic look like constipation. Drunk scenes are made too look as if the actors are mimicking drunks. This movie is awful and should be removed. One thing, This may be something difficult to understand but the actors look hispanic but not Mexican if that makes any sense at all. I mean not even like they're from Latin America.