The new teaser trailer of the highly anticipated Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" was posted on YouTube and the internet went nuts. In one day, the new trailer reached 2,300,000 views and counting.
Rami Malek as Queen in Bohemian Rhapsody. 20th Century Fox
Since the first image of actor Rami Malek ("Mr. Robot") unveiled dressed as Freddy Mercury, the leader of the legendary British rock-band a few weeks back, people freaked out for the stunning resemblance between both of them. The agent who did the cast of the talented Californian young actor nailed the selection.
Bohemian Rhapsody. 20th Century Fox
This is a massive production of 20th Century Fox and Regency Enterprises, directed by Dexter Fletcher and Bryan Singer. They reconstructed the 1970's era to perfection with authentic sets and locations, costumes, great makeup and hairdos, and above all, the talented people who accomplished such an ambitious project.
To create more excitement, the trailer has the following slogan "The only thing more extraordinary than their music is his story." Now, we need to wait and see if the music and the performances will drive the masses out to the movie theaters, and the Academy members to vote for this epic, music driven, energetic, work of art.
Many need to learn who Maria Felix was, but Google does. This year, the searchable internet site celebrates the life of the legendary Mexican Diva with an iconic doodle. Maria Felix is history's ultimate and most famous Mexican movie star.
During the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema (1940-1950), she appeared in 47 films, including ones from Argentina, Spain, Panama, Italy, and France. Among her most well-known works are “French Cancan” (shot in France) and “The Affairs of Messalina” (shot in Italy). “Enamorada” and “Hidden River” are two landmarks of the famous Golden Age of Cine Mexicano, which helped propel the Mexican legend to international stardom. She also worked on “Naked Passion,” “May God Forgive Me,” “The Kneeling Goddess,” “The Devil is a Woman,” “Reportaje,” “Heroes and Sinners,” “Tizoc,” and “La Generala.” Maria proudly turned down Hollywood's offers to cast her as an Indian woman while she was playing a Queen elsewhere. The rest of the world knew how famous the Mexican diva was. So that is why she didn't want to work in the United States.
She spent many years living in Paris, where, thanks to her connections, the Mexican government and engineers collaborated with their French counterparts to build the subway in Mexico City.
Oil painting of Maria Felix by Diego Rivera
Maria Felix was born on April 8th, 1914, in the northern border state of Sonora. Coincidentally, she died on April 8th, 2002, in Mexico City. There, thousands of devoted fans said their final goodbyes and paid their respects in one of the most tumultuous and queenly funerals the city has ever seen. People lined up for miles, from the Palace of the Fine Arts to the French Cemetery. The funeral was broadcast live coast to coast across the USA on Spanish-language networks. Many still remember her beauty, which contrasted with her strong personality and inspired women in their fight against sexism. Her filmography speaks volumes and clearly shows that Maria Felix was the one, la devoradora.
“A Fantastic Woman” is a stunning film about love, grief, and compassion—timely, arresting, controversially fierce, and undeniably moving. It is a modern masterpiece.
“A Fantastic Woman” is this year’s underdog to win the Oscar for Best
Foreign Language Film.
In 2010, the favorite picture to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language was Michael Haneke’s masterwork “The White Ribbon” - the insightful Argentinean film “The Secret in Their Eyes” took the gold. This year, the Swedish Palme d’Or winner “The Square”is the front-runner, but the South American transsexual venture can be the night’s big surprise.
This year’s Chilean contender elevates the public into the universal paradigm of what will happen if the person you love dies in your arms.
Marina Vidal is reliable and, at the same time, a vulnerable transgender performer - a hard-working waitress who dreams of becoming a “Torch Singer.”
“A Fantastic Woman,” Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017
What makes this insightful film more authentic and relevant is Marina’s person (Daniela Vega), a real transgender actress and an excellent singer with a beautiful voice.
Orlando (Francisco Reyes), a 57-year-old divorced textile company owner, is Marina’s lover. The camera pans him, admiring Marina while she sings, “Your Love is Yesterday’s Newspapers.” After that, the loving couple celebrates Marina’s birthday over Chinese, where he professes his love to her.
“A Fantastic Woman,” Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017
Later that evening, Marina rushes him to the hospital. The first perplexing moment in that chaotic situation asphyxiates her. She has to deal with the pain of losing someone dear to her and the scrutiny of doctors, police, and the detective officer from the sexual offenses unit. They all want to implicate her in a crime that did not occur just because she is a transsexual woman.
AFI FEST, a standing ovation for A FANTASTIC WOMAN, photo José Hermosillo, Copyright FestivalinLA 2017.
After Orlando’s sudden death shock, what follows is even worse than the regular dying business. When Marina wants to go to her lover’s funeral, his ex-wife disagrees, and she has to explain to the singer that Marina and her ex-husband’s relationship is an act of perversion.
Her effort to keep Marina away from the family becomes a campaign that involves humiliation, abuse, and an attempt to arrest her. Orlando suffered head wounds from a fall as she was trying to get him to the hospital. The family, ashamed of their father’s “immoral” conduct, will try to break Marina’s spirit. Their imagination runs them wild. Through Maria’s experience, we see social injustice, and she must confront society and its laws. Marina is not a criminal, a prostitute, or the monster everyone thinks she is. She is a hard-working person with dreams and emotions like everyone else, as she proudly says: “My name is Marina Vidal. Do you have a problem with that?
Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio (“Gloria”) has an innovative storytelling style focusing on women’s issues with heightened awareness, sensibility, and respect. Leilo’s humanistic approach is impactful.
Influenced by the magic realism of the Chilean writer Isabel Allende (“The House of the Spirits”), Sebastián Lelio and his co-writer Gonzalo Masa developed the main character with universal appeal, mixing traditional drama with magic realism and hyperrealism.
In like manner, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason’s documentary “Bridegroom” (2013) addresses the sensitive subject of “domestic partners” and the absence of their legal rights in hospitals, given their outdated rules and bureaucracy. In Marina’s case, the film exemplifies how, in Chile, as in many other places globally, transgender people and, in general, the LGBTQ community are unprotected by the law.
“A Fantastic Woman” is an exquisite film comparable to Pedro Almodóvar’s “All About My Mother.” The most powerful scene comes when a strong wind tries to erase Marina from the earth while she stoically remains attached to her destiny.
Daniela Vega in A Fantastic Woman, Chile. Photo courtesy of the Berlin Film Festival 2017.
The striking visuals, the richness of color, the reflective mirrors, and the perfect framing are the work of the talented cinematographer Benjamin Echazarreta, whose arresting images create the right impact on the viewer.
The opening sequence of the Iguassu Cascades is evocative and visually contrasts with the modern part of the city in a style similar to Venezuela’s hyper-realistic Golden Lion winner, “Desde Allá/From Afar.”
The beauty of the film resides in Marina’s evolution into the perfect woman she wants to be. As she sings Aretha Franklin’s cover, “You Made Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” she attempts to remove negativity from her system.
“A Fantastic Woman,” Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017
Very few movies center on an actual transgender person as genuinely as in “A Fantastic Woman.” Prejudices and public humiliation represent homophobia. Those stigmas are similar to the ones shown in the relationship between a transgender woman and a U.S. Army Officer in the 2003 TV movie (based on a true story), “Soldier’s Girl” by Frank Pierson.
During the film’s conception, actress Daniela Vega worked as a script consultant to bring authenticity to the project - until one day, the director wrote her a letter of invitation to take Marina’s lead. Daniela jumped on the spot.
Producers Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín (“No,” “Neruda,” and “Jackie”) invested in a risky film that is taking the world by storm.
“A Fantastic Woman” is a classy and gripping film about the transgender community who have struggled for quite some time and don’t give up on their fight for “equality and justice” in a closed-minded society.
“A Fantastic Woman,” Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017
The problems presented in the film need to be addressed personally and openly.
Orlando’s unexpected passing sets the grim tone of this Latino, tropical-flamboyant movie from the beginning. And its artistic touch makes “A Fantastic Woman” an inspiring story. Marina’s ordeal challenges its audience, providing the right tools to explore, expand, and connect with empathy and respect with the brave people who choose to be as different as Marina Vidal in “A Fantastic Woman,” a colorful, classy, and mind-blowing film.
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“The Square” is brilliant, intellectually, and emotionally entertaining.
This sophisticated and well-told story centers on the Stockholm museum’s director and curator, Christian (Claes Bang), who falls elegantly into a personal and professional catastrophe through a new and provocative exhibit.
Pretending to be a role model, a good father, and a fantastic lover, he thinks he can take any woman to bed. In this case, an American reporter (Elisabeth Moss) covers the story of the museum’s new opening. After a few drinks, the reporter and the director have one of the funniest after-sex scenes ever.
“The Square” is a beautiful satire placing humans in implausible situations blown out of proportion. As Christian says, “We, as a museum, mustn’t be afraid to push boundaries.”
Actor Claes Bang as Christian. COPYRIGHT 2017
The humor has irony within. The mockery of sophisticated people that look like standup comedians is absolute. The sarcasm pushes everyone into corners of the arena.
Ruben Östlund, The Square. Photo Jose Hermosillo COPYRIGHT
Swedish director Ruben Östlund is a perfectionist who doesn’t mind doing more than twenty-five takes until he gets what he wants from the actors. He says in five takes,s you can’t get a precise reaction from the performers.
In a conversation with Mr. Östlund, he freely expressed his thoughts on violence in a film, “We love violence in cinema because it doesn’t represent a threat or physical damage to us. Same with dark comedy, it has horror and amusement as well.”
In the director’s previous work, “Force Majure,” the conflict between husband and wife is because of the husband’s passivity and inability to take action to protect his family from an avalanche, which makes him the most hated character in the story, from the wife and everybody else. In contrast with “The Square,” the male character is as susceptible and vulnerable as his female counterpart, regardless of his inability to make the right decisions.
In the director’sdirector’s body of work, the influence of Lina Wertmuller’s misogynist film “Swap Away” (1974) with its battle of the sexes is notorious. And another subtle reference is the surrealistic Oscar winner “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” by Luis Buñuel.
The film, far from condescending, is a rigorous critique of today’s society.
The audience who assisted to the world premiere at the famous French Riviera Film Festival saw themselves reflected on the big screen because the actors in the movie were also wearing tuxedos and nightgowns. The spectators identify with the actors because they look alike.
The story goes furthermore when the performers representing the rich people in the scene contemplate a man acting like an orangutan. He aggressively started capturing the patrons’ fear with his hunting instinct, pushing boundaries to the limit.
While invoking to discover what is inside “The Square,” the director added to the conversation, “Human beings are elementary and easy to change their behavior.”
Anarchy is represented through animal behavior, contrasting with the people’s rights intentions and the true meaning of art.
Ruben Östlund, film critic Jose Hermosillo COPYRIGHT
Pretentiously conceived to win the Palm d’Or in Cannes, the film aspires to perfection with its terrific cast and original story. Still, its narrative pushes its theme so hard that it misses its substance internally – Then the movie becomes conceited and hard to believe.
The 2017 Palm d’Or winner is elegant and fun to watch, but you can’t only depend a little on what is real and what is not. If you dare to enter to see and experience “The Square” at a museum or opt out to “Exit Through the Gift Shop.”
