When THE STRAIN gets you...

Cuando pensábamos que ya lo habíamos visto todo, desde zombies y su mundo apocalíptico, hasta fantasmas tratando de hacer contacto con el mundo humano, u hombres lobo como metáfora de crecer y evolución humana, llegamos al punto que origino todos estos monstruos y sus multiples significados: el vampirismo. El mito de un hombre muerto en vida, atrapado en su cuerpo por la eternidad pero simulando a otro animal, el murciélago, busca alimentarse de la sangre humana como un significado de literalmente chupar de otros, lo mas puro y básico que nos mantiene vivos, nuestra sangre, el único elemento cargado con toda nuestra identidad genética, lo que le permitirá absorber su identidad y energía que lo mantendrá vivo y joven, lo que en sus términos significaría mantener sus habilidades sobre humanas y atractivo que sirven de carnada para las ingenuas presas que caerán ante sus encantos para terminar convirtiéndose en su cena. Una de sus habilidades es precisamente el poseer la opción de matar a su presa o convertirla en un monstruo como el. Esto es infectando cuando intente alimentarse de el con sus colmillos pero no dejándolo morir para que el virus lo mate y resucite como uno de ellos.

En una época donde lo hemos visto todo, inclusive una nueva version de estos seres que resultan pacíficos buscando alimentarse de animales y luciendo mas atractivos y mas cercanos a un modelo de pasarela que a un monstruo capaz de eliminar civilizaciones. Por esta razón, el director Guillermo Del Toro, se pone en la silla de productor, para presentarnos una de sus conocidas fascinaciones por mundos obscuros con historias sobre naturales que van mas allá de un simple susto para contar la realidad detrás de esos terroríficos misterios para convertirse mas en un drama sangriento y terrorífico por su problemática humana que por su antecedente paranormal, y nos presenta "The Strain" (2014-a la fecha), una serie que nos remonta los origines mas arcaicos del vampirismo mostrándolo mas como lo que es, una enfermedad que un mito.

Una misteriosa embarcación proveniente de Europa del Este llega a la ciudad de Nueva York y contiene un enorme sarcófago cuyo destino cae en manos ilegales manejadas por uno de los empresarios mas ricos y poderosos de Estados Unidos lo que beneficia el hecho de importarlo y esconderlo en la ciudad. La ciudad perfecta para esconderse e iniciar cualquier movimiento subterráneo sin ser detectado hasta que sea demasiado tarde. Con el escenario perfecto, que cabe señalar, muestra un cara mas real de la ciudad de NY, con sus calles obscuras, tan ruidosa y conglomerada como sucia y brillante gracias a sus rascacielos. Una vez que el cargamento ha sido protegido y escondido, su contenido es liberado desatando una serie de virus que se traspasa mediante una mordida, no mediante aquellos famosos colmillos, sino mediante a una gigante lengua con dientes que nos recuerda mas a un sapo que a un murciélago.

La historia se desarrolla en un principio mas cercana a cualquier historia de epidemia que hayamos visto. La gente empieza a aparecer con signos de infección, cada momento hay mas casos que invaden las noticias y hospitales, pero sin respuesta por parte de medicos, laboratorios o el gobierno para explicar lo que esta pasando. Por ende la ciudad sera puesta en cuarentena e iniciara la búsqueda por un grupo de individuos por encontrar la respuesta a esta epidemia y su cura para salvar a la ciudad que se contagia a pasos agigantados. Aquí es donde entra la historia humana, cuando nos adentramos en la vida y antecedentes de este grupo de personas que se adentran en la cacería de este virus y su origen, para descubrir la realidad detrás del mito y enfrentarse con las consecuencias del mismo. Cazadores de vampiros se presentan para explicar lo que están por enfrentar y la manera de eliminarlos, sus debilidades y fortalezas, pero para ello deberán llegar a la fuente de origen lo cual sera una cacería de brujas. Este grupo esta integrado principalmente por agentes policiacos y científicos que buscan una cara y la manera de detenerlo mientras luchan por mantenerse a salvo así como a sus familiares y seres queridos. Mas la vida no se detiene por una epidemia, asir eu sus propios fantasmas deberán ser enfrentados al mismo tiempo que enfrentar a uno nuevo que amenaza con destruir todo lo que has construido por vario tiempo.

El verdadero misterio y la verdadera historia de horror que suele colarse en estos mitos es la que se descubre por debajo de la superficie de una historia supernatural. La realidad humana que desencadena el terror que nos quita el sueño. No es la idea de que un vampiro llegue a la ciudad y empieza una epidemia que transforme a la población en una manada de vampiros dirigidos por su líder para aniquilar a su presa y alimentarse de ellas, es el movimiento geo politico detrás de ello. La búsqueda de poder del gobierno buscando desafiar corrientes políticas actuales. El poder económico de empresas en busca de controlar a las masas para direccionarlos hacia su conveniencia convirtiéndonos en una serie de marionetas contagiadas por el consumismo y enfermos por esta enfermedad que nos ciega para poder ver y darnos cuenta de como estamos siendo distraídos para que los altos mandos hagan sus jugadas y movimientos que los lleven a donde buscan haciéndonos a un lado como mera presa para una causa mayor.

No se puede decir que estamos ante un drama politico o una sátira económica que busca exponer los hilos del gobierno o las estrategias de las corporaciones, pero esta historia sirve como metáfora para poner estos temas sobre la mesa y tratar de presentarlo a un publico adolescente y adulto sediento por historias sangrientas, leyendas sobre naturales, mitos góticos que alimentan la fantasia de aficionados del genero pero que dan para mas que un susto barato y aunque desgraciadamente el estilo del director Del Toro, así como de esta producción esta mas cercana a una película de culto o serie B, que  a un drama supernatural, es precisamente ese tono de misterio y acción en cada episodio que nos dará ese toque necesario para caer adictos a ella y a la vez tratar de desmembrar cada momento y linea para hallar mayor profundidad en ella que el mero placer de una historia y entretenimiento para los fanáticos del genero. A final de cuentas quien no gusta de un susto bien elaborado y mas cuando se vive en ciudades como NY donde cada día una nueva enfermedad amenazada con brotar en una epidemia travez de sus calles y vecindarios es suficiente para dejar pensando a mas de uno, que es lo que no vemos en las noticias o que es los que realmente esta pasando allá afuera.

WOODLAWN...hardworking for peace and equality

Talking about sports could be a very passionate topic as everybody gets defensive about their teams and preferences but talking about religion can get more sensitive as anyone believes are something as personal as any part of themselves that even defines them as person, so imaging a story that can mix those two topics sounds like setting a mine camp where everybody can get hurt or offended. Surprisingly not the case with "Woodland" (2015), the new sports drama that stands among the rest as it's supposed real based story relies in the influence of religion that changed this team and the whole town in times of crisis and bringing one of the best teams in high school football as well as their players including it's QB that was best know for his speed and ability to avoid among the whole team.

As we mentioned, the story is based in a high school football team that faces timing where it's town struggles through hate from racism and social status, making no room for the team to bound as equals and become the family they need to be able to compete and become stronger to win other teams. So when things seemed to go down and can't get worse a preacher comes to the scene trying to bring hope and a message of love to the team. Trying to open their eyes and hearts in order to accept each other as equals and love themselves first so can be able to love others, but sounds kind of crazy for the elders and the skeptics including the coach's team and school teachers so when have a chance brings them a message about praying and realize that only love and respect to themselves will bring peace to their souls and that will take all stress out and peace to their hearts.

The reaction of the young guys that were touched by his words and the idea of getting to know themselves and their team mates shocks everybody else but made them wonder if for real things need to change starting with their example and trying different things if want different results even if they look hard and painful to get but still needed. So the coach's first move is signing as the new QB a black guy that has proved great skills running and avoiding the opponent defense to score a touch down. Criticism and rejection will surface but results start happening and the team seems to like the idea and start wining which also helps as a motivation for each one of the players. That way a simple change starts a reaction that goes from a team, to a whole school to the entire town, all united from their love to the sport and it's tradition that brings together families and societies and inspired by the word of a religion that preaches love and peace among human beings.

Agnostics can be oppose to watch a film that embraces and makes part of its core religion, but don't get it wrong, this is not an advertisement to sell the idea and convert new followers into their religion. One of the good points of the movie is the treatment that gives to the sensitive topic, using religion only as an excuse for an introspective to look inside of us and search for that peace and love that exist deep inside of our souls and can become any bad thought or feeling into a positive or better one. As we all know, that's actually the real message and intention of any believe, religion or cult, that with time went wrong and became an institution seeking power and influence among kingdoms and landlords but their origins, name it, are the same. So even here, they use Catholicism as the example to follow, they make it clear to not sell it as the option to choose but to give a name to a message of peace and love among others even if not getting that from them, learning to forgive and becoming stronger from their judgments.

Even that all this events happened decades ago, at the 70's to be exact, when other races the the withe where fighting for same rights and treatments in North America, the story feels fresh when we listen to the message of a preacher that tries to motivate young guys that grew up in an era that feeds hate to others because they looks different or have different traditions, when no one is better than other and everyone has their own skills and attributes, so when these days we look around our friends or young people that like to bully their class mates or neighbors just because they like different things than what it's supposed to be, can't think in more than the lack of that soul search that will open their minds and hearts. Everybody is so focus in working out their bodies, keep themselves healthy, study and keep their brains active but just a few care about their souls, to bring peace to themselves, take a moment to breath and take all stress out from their daily basis because what matters at the end is becoming a better self in all aspects but just the ones that we can be recognize by others.

As also we have learned from all those sports movies and if a follower of any sport, these are more than just a passionate competition or a way to exercise but a culture to create strategies that help to unite and improve cultures while bringing some fun, but any team need to embrace the fact to become a family and learn to accept and respect their team mates to bring their best qualities for the teams sake and benefit from them to improve our own. Football is known as a basic on North American culture so the idea of using it as a way to deliver a message for good and unite instead of confront results in a better experiment and hopefully inspire a country that faces multi cultural communities to become one using love to a sport and a team as a reflection of love and respect to ourselves and all people that is lucky to cross around us. So are you ready to play or pray?

When your own life gives you...GOOSEBUMPS

We as human beings are social by nature. We need from each other and be part of a group of society is basic for survival. Always looking for acceptance, validation and respect builds our social skills and our own perspective for ourselves. The fact of being isolated represents one of the main fears that anyone can face in order to be alienated and question his own persona. But circumstances not always play in our favor. We get challenged to by ourselves and those voices in our mind that fool us to find a safe space to recover or find answers about what's next or what really define us, lacking others opinion.  When illness knocks our door or accidents happen we need to make a stop and look inside of ours in order to re charge our own values and concepts to move on, continue forward but maybe hurts more to do so, holding us in that very same moment that at least its known and able to handle.

Other times is the fact of be faces by the fact of rejection from others that will turn us into ourselves and trying to find a safe place for that validation. Then our minds get locked and our imagination and creativity starts to wok building all what we are missing and help us to go through difficult times. Looking to surround us by people that might help us moving on or creating some to feel that and nurture that need. "Goosebumps" (2015), is a family film that finds itself in the middle of this search. Based on the popular series and famous for bringing most of our familiar and popular monsters of all time with a more family twist, the story centers in to different characters. The young man that just moved to the town, looking for a fresh start with his mom after his father death in an accident, that has taken him to this path where he has locked himself from the rest of the world, grieving his lost and making hard for anyone to connect him until he met his new neighbor, a sweet and friendly girl that lives isolated at home cause her father rules, so both, one looking to escape and other to be saved, find each other the perfect mix to understand themselves and help each other.

But then we have the father, that happens to be a famous writer that has changed identity to start a new life as well in this small town. What nobody knows is that with al success from his novels comes a curse. If he opens his originals writing from his books, all the monsters inside will come out as real ones and will turn everything in to chaos not to mention hurt others. But who will write such stories and be delighted by them. Even they are popular worldwide, is different to read them and want to be part of them for a moment that have all of them in your mind and try to bring them to life. Well, when this author was a boy, he was sick and that made him be different at the eyes of other kids, that bullied him and made him stayed away and alone. In the need of finding friends he create his own and those were capable to put the others in misery cause they deserve that after the pain that put on him.

When we are young is easy to act without thinking about the consequences of our actions and kids can be mean and cruel as their nature lacks f filters to be polite and respect others differences. This is where this movie stands for the new generations, trying to explain how things work backwards, showing the side effects of those actions in adults and teenagers. So now we can understand where all this monsters and scary stories come from. They were created in a mind that was dark and as a reflection of its pain and needs creates a call of help in form of horror. Because there is nothing scarier than the idea of being alone of being rejected. Both represent the lack of social skills and made anyone feels like they don't belong or not worthy to be loved or accepted, which hits in to your own confidence and evolves into other  behaviors that reflects that hole in our psyche and personality. But definitely this film would be a more pleasant ride full of humor and twists that will keep kids scared as much as their parents entertained in such an epic adventure and well done movie that is much helped by their stunning FX as it's real characters.

So when monsters are released along the whole town, the adventure starts for our characters not too just fight back and figured the plan to track them down but the figure out their own situation and face their own ghosts and demons that keep them in that path. A man has to realize that the kid that he was before is no longer anymore and needs to face his new circumstances and the destiny that has chosen for himself and his family, fighting to help others, the ones that once rejected him but now he can do better and might be time to move on from those dark places and find a brighter ones. And for a young soul, the light of love and finding others that he can be surrounded by, will help him to move on and face life dark twist and accept them as a challenge to be better and find new people that will fill the empty space that has been created.

And that journey couldn't be more fun. The fact that we love this kind of stories, scary in heir shape and dark in their context, only represents our own fears, from beauty to loneliness, rejection to anger, all fears of our basic needs and pure instincts of surveillance in a society that will judge us and challenge us to be better and someday the best. Sometimes we need to be forced to extreme situations to get the courage we need to challenge ourselves and discover new things about us that we didn't know and mostly explore more of us and keep surprising us as the first person we need to take care of, is our own.  When we are able to love and accept ourselves, we embrace and welcome the fact of others liking us. And at the same time the fact of not doing so, will turn our life in hell and no story would be as scarier as our own day by day, cause no werewolf, snowman, zombie, serial killer, alien, monster would safe us from our mind and all the monsters that can live inside it and we'll kill any connection and possibility of love consumed by our own fees and insecurities that through our eyes turn any happy ending into a goosebumps ride.

There is always ROOM for love...

What could be bigger than parents love to their children? Would their children love them back in the same way? What could be stronger than the power of love? What means life from eyes of a kid to an adult? All this questions are the set up for the new novel adaptation into a major motion event. "Room" (2015), based on the popular novel from 2010, that bases it's plot in the eyes from a 5 year old boy that only knows one world. The one that is inside an 11 x 11 room where he was born and spend his days with his mother, a 24 year old girl that was kidnapped 7 years ago and has been object of all kind of abusive behaviors by her captor.

What sounds like the perfect plot for a thriller turns into an emotion rollercoaster of the human condition and what define us as humans in this sometimes simple others complex world. We get into this small room that turns into a big world for this young boy, by his own perspective when he starts to explore the meaning of all objects that surround him. From a chair, a table, a bed, this is all what he knows, and the rest is part of a fictional place. Animals are not real, the sky is not real, trees are not real, and his interaction with other people other than his mother are non existence. She tries to make his life the most joyful and happy as possible. Getting all what they need to survive and a weekly treat from the man that keeps them captive. Mention apart deserves the two performances from our main characters, Mum and Jack, in the hands of two new actors deserve all credit as they are able to take us through this emotional journey thanks to terrific performances and assertive direction and adaptation from the book, that can't feel more real.

Their connection grows as unique and bigger as they only have themselves to fight their loneliness and their small world. What he seems like the only world he knows, she misses from all what she knows it's out there and she's no longer part of it plus suffering from physical and psychological abuse, making her fight to keep sanity for her son and to bring the best for him as he is the only hope that keeps her alive. We don't know much about the guy behind this. We only know what he did and how he is making this happening but definitely as a crazy man that can't recognize this boy as his son and lack of love for him just makes her stronger to keep her son alive and safe.

Then the story moves to the second half where things change. Mow they are out and we go with them through the process of adaptation to the outside world. We are able to explore with a little guy through his eyes what means for any human being to explore the world for the first time. The first time of everything. To see the sky, breath fresh air, explore its scents and colors. First contact with other humans and animals. Realize what love means. What means that other people care about you. Take care of you and your needs. Listen to you. Talk to you. Play with you. What means to try all new things. New food. New places. All those simple things than in perspective seems like boring in a daily basis but can be fun when doing for the first time just to get use to them and move on. How we are defined ny what our parents taught us when we were young. How much of them we keep when we start growing up and even as adults we always have some of them with us. how important is their role model to any child and how big is their impact when a person starts to define their own persona.

On the other side and with other perspective we have life through the eyes of a mother. She's back to the world she was taken from. And after all what she been through is hard to feel part of this place anymore. Feels like everything was rapped from her and thats she no longer belong and she was stuck in a moment trying now to identify who is she now. only thing that brings her back to the ground is this little person that was sharing her suffering and kept feeling alive inside of her. What are those things that each one of us need in moments when we are about to lose it, to bring us back home? For one could be love, for others hope, money, people, dreams, courage, etc but all needed to keep us sane and when we don't have them, thats when we are lost.

What define us as a person? how can other affect that and transform us into other person? how the power of love can keep us straight and how the lack of it can destroy us? Our capacity to adapt to circumstances and environments is able to deal with extreme situations when we are challenge to ourselves or it just applies in some cases? What makes our lives worth to live for; the people that gets into it, the things we can get and enjoy, the places we can go, the experiences we make of it, or the connections we build through it that define us? Life is like a book or a novel, get chapters, so we need to enjoy and embrace each one of them so we can move to the next one, some are great some are not, but each one is made with a purpose we might not know or  realize at the moment but at the end only things like love and the people that loves us will make us stronger to move through every challenge and hold to the fact that we might not be the same person we were before but that doesn't  mean our feelings have changed or just the opposite but at the end, we get to the point where we need to face the fact that we need to have a closure and move on.

JESSICA CHASTAIN...The help of the martian...

Cuando el talento se da nato no queda mas que reconocerse y tal parece que el destino y una ambiciosa industria fílmica lo hacen para la actriz Jessica Michelle Chastain, quien llego a este mundo via Sacramento California en 1977. Criada por su madre y padrastro, su inquietud por las artes y la actuación datan a sus cortos siete años donde al asistir a la obra de su colegio y aunque sus intenciones por perseguir la carrera en las artes dramáticas parecía dificil de alcanzar es que logra una beca patrocinada por el actor Robin Williams lo que la lleva a asistir a la prestigiada academia Juilliard en NYC de donde se gradúa tras participar en varias obras teatrales producidas por la misma. En 2004 tras graduarse, se muda a Los Angeles donde con un agente empieza a codearse con la industria televisiva participando en varios pilotos de series para television así como breves apariciones en varias series que se transmitían en la época. No es sino hasta 2008 que hace su debut en la pantalla grande mas la cinta resulto intrandecente per su interpretación logro varios criticas positivas señalándola como una promesa.

Lo que para 2010 empieza a pagar frutos, con una breve participación en una cinta que genero cierto buzz por su reparto, "The Debt" (2010), una cinta de espionaje centrándose en la reunion de tres jóvenes agentes cuando ya como adultos mayores enfrentan una difícil situación para uno de ellos. La actriz interpreta el mismo rol de la otora actriz Helen Mirren en su juventud. Con una buena recepción por parte de los críticos y mediana en la taquilla, la cinta en definitiva pone a la actriz en juego para futuras producciones, y que mejor inicio que a lado de grandes actores como la inglesa Mirren entre otros.
En 2011, participa en el filme independiente "Take Shelter", que goza excelentes criticas e incluso nomina a la actriz, su co protagonista Michael Shannon y el director en círculos independientes. Una historia que oscila entre el drama y el terror, narrando las visiones apocalípticas de un joven padre y esposo que lo hacen cuestionarse si poner a su familia bajo refugio o hacer caso omiso de las mismas cuando una tormenta amenaza con explotar próximamente. Retomando sus bases histrionisas, participa en la nueva adaptación inglesa del clásico Shakesperiano "Coriolanus" (2011), dirigida y protagonizada por el actor Ralph Fiennes y con un elenco multiestelar que ademas de la actriz, como Gerard Butler y Brian Cox. La respuesta fue pobre en taquilla y los críticos no pudieron ser mas tibios lo cual no ayudo mucho a una mejor distribución en E.U.

Decidida a participar en proyectos ambiciosos en materia fílmica bajo la batuta de respetados directores, se cuela en el mas reciente proyecto del director Terrence Malik: "Tree of Life" (2011), un drama experimental, a lado de Brad Pitt y Sean Penn, narrando la vida de un hombre de mediana edad desde su infancia en Texas, la cual se mezcla con imágenes del origen del universo y la concepción de la vida.Bajo la estilizada ya conocida vision de su director la cinta abre en Cannes en dicho año ganando la Palma de Oro de dicho festival y generando excelentes criticas que para mucho llegaron a llamar una obra maestra. La taquilla sorpresivamente para este tipo de filmes fue bastante buena y superior a muchos filmes comerciales. Con semejante pedigree, ese mismo verano la vemos en la adaptación de la popular novela "The Help", en un papel secundario pero que roba pantalla por su fuerza y única interpretación en esta historia de la lucha por la igualdad de razas en los 50's de Norte America. Este mismo la lleva a su primer nominación de los premios de La Academia en la categoría de actriz de reparto.

Con otro proyecto experimental se pone a la orden del actor Al Pacino quien dirige y protagoniza un drama/ documental basado en la famosa obra de Oscar Wilde "Salome", siendo la actriz quien interpreta el homónimo personaje. La cinta debuta en el festival de Venecia para quedar enlatada sin distribución comercial. Con otro bizarro proyecto protagoniza "The Fields" (2011), una cinta de crimen que narra varios asesinatos ubicados en la autopista que une las ciudades de Galveston y Houston. Las criticas fueron malas y la taquilla pésima. En 2012 ingresa a la animación por primera vez prestando su voz en la cinta "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted"la cual sobra decir fue un éxito de taquilla del verano. Tan solo unas semanas después la vemos en "Lawless", un western co protagonizado por Tom Hardy y Shia LaBeuf en una historia que narra el conflicto de tres hermanos y su lucha como familia así como su negocio, el cual el sheriff pretende cerrar. Para finales de año, protagoniza y lleva el peso de una cinta por primera vez, "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012), el ambicioso proyecto sobre la búsqueda y captura de Osama Bin-Laden, la cual fue un éxito en todos aspectos, inclusive llevándola a su segunda nominación al Oscar entre otros varios premios importantes, en esta ocasión, como mejor actriz.

Gozando de los beneficios de la fama y popularidad que conlleva el tener su nombre reconocido, participa en "Mama", una cinta de horror en la cual lleva el protagónico y peso de la misma nuevamente. La cinta que cuenta la historia de dos pequeñas abandonas en una cabina para ser adoptadas por su tío y su novia para descubrir un obscuro secreto familiar fue otro éxito para la actriz en taquilla y critica. En 2014, aparece en un proyecto que fue filmado en dos perspectivas, una historia romántica, vista de la perspectiva de el y de ell para fusionarlos en lo que fue la cinta " The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby", la cual mezcla ambas perspectivas de la relación de dos jóvenes, la propia actriz y el joven James McAvoy, con sus momentos juntos y la ruptura de la misma explorando las intenciones que oscilan en toda relación por ambos lados. Desgraciadamente el publico la vio muy artística y los críticos la sintieron muy comercial.

"Miss Julie" (2014), es un drama basado en la obra homónima y que cuenta el amorío de la hija de un conde y su joven ayudante interpretado por el actor Colin Farrell. Su limitada corrida comercial fue la maldicion en esta historia de época que de por si se sentía repetida al tratar temas de amor contra clases sociales. Mas tarde la vemos en otro ambicioso proyecto, en esta ocasión mas comercial y bajo la mano del director Christopher Nolan, "Interestelar" (2014), una oda espacial al amor paternal, donde la actriz comparte créditos con Mathew McConaughey y Anne Hathaway. Aunque un éxito comercial no logro cubrir las expectativas que se tenia por su elenco y el director y la participación de la actriz es poca en pantalla. Pero a principios de año la vimos en "A most Violent Year", (2014), un drama ubicado en los 80's en la ciudad de NY y que narra las peripecias que in joven padre de familia debe sobrellevar para mantener su negocio en contra de la competencia y las mafias que dirigen el mercado y mantener a su familia a salvo y poder brindarles el deseado sueño americano, cuyo precio parece ser mu alto poniendo inclusive su matrimonio en juego.

Este año y sobre todo este mes la vimos en "The Martian" (2015), otra aventura espacial, basada en la popular novela homónima sobre un hombre que queda varado en Marte y su lucha por sobrevivir mientras el resto del mundo lucha por encontrar la manera de rescatarlo, presentando una oda no a la fuerza e instinto de supervivencia sino a ese instinto natural del ser humano de ayudar al prójimo rompiendo barreras de idioma, cultura y nacionalidad. A este momento la cinta es ya un éxito rotundo a nivel mundial y ni que decir que los críticos la han amado hasta mas que la propia audiencia en muchas otras partes fuera de E.U. Y por ultimo ahora la vemos en "Crimson Peak", un romance con tintes super naturales que perfilan esta temporada de Halloween con algunos autos que desgraciadamente para los amantes del genero se quedan muy cortos, razón que la llevo a un recibimiento muy tibio de la taquilla que buscaba algo similar a los trabajos anteriores de su director, Guillermo del Toro, y salieron decepcionados, así como la critica que tiene criticas muy encontradas, que ni la intensa interpretación de la actriz como la villana de la historia y que se perfilaba para otra excelente muestra de su talento, pudo brillar, lo cual pone en duda sobre su futuro con tan mezcladas decisiones por proyectos que van de lo arriesgado a lo artístico sin importar que tan comercial o independiente sea pero que en definitiva pone a la actriz como uno de los talentos mas destacables de esta generación de actores y que en definitiva vale la pena seguir, al manos para descifrar su siguiente paso.

Bridge of Spies...humans can be cold as war

If your background is Irish, and the next guy's German, and your neighbor is Russian, what makes you American? Living under the same rules of the book. The Constitution is what brings all these heritage and different cultures together. Living as one. Now they all share one same ideology, building a new country based in a smash up of different heritages but under the ideal of freedom and liberty. If so, anyone has the right to be treated as equal and have a proper trial and the right to be considered as innocent as any citizen of their own country. Building bridges between countries that might not share the same politics or economy but hungry for power will become a secret war in trade for information that will bring and increase that power.
"BRIDGE OF SPIES" (2015), is that reflection. Described as a thriller, looks better as a drama. One that gets deep in the mind set of different countries fighting to figure their own status among the rest just to realize how ignorant sometimes we are when comes to foreign cultures.


The story follows the fight of a Brooklyn lawyer, Mr. Donovan. His firm pushed him to take the case of an alleged Russian spy that deserves a proper trial in order to follow the nation desire of get him on the electric chair. Because what matter is what everybody thinks, and that means he is a spy recovering information to drop the next nuclear bomb to the country.We might never know if he is a spy or not and what are his real intentions in the country but as a human being is as honorable and decent that won his american lawyer heart's. Then things take a turn when american best interest of spying their Russian fellows ended in disaster, getting their new prototype plane hitter and crashed and the young pilot caught as prisoner of war. Then Mr. Donovan, played by the popular actor Tom Hanks bringing one of his charming performances but nothing new to his standards, gets involved in the negotiations to exchange spies, trying to save the one of his own and bring his case to a happy ending. When negotiations start, we can only realize how politics follow a different book.

The one that cares about what everybody wants and thinks. Some are more concern about wining a war. One that doesn't exist but also is happening under the table exchanging information that will bring power to whom posses it. Some others care about their citizens, bringing peace to them in their homes and minds. Others just follow orders and care about wat they are told in order to do their best and be doing an excellent job. And just a few care about what is right. What all the people involved are suffering. Of how many are paying the consequences from decisions of others. It's only when you get out of your comfort zone and get in the shoes of others that you realize what you really have and the benefits you are enjoying and the sacrifice others are living. We might not agree with all what we have and things happening around us but it's not until you are able to experience the lack of those in others that you might value them.


Nothing is more important than safety, liberty, freedom, and when these are in jeopardy, perspectives will change and things take a turn from living to survival. Under perspective of director Steven Spielberg, this story proves it all. His own obsession with war and its consequences brings to the the table a new face of the period called Cold War, moving away from what a traditional war is, to become an espionage tale that moves around the psyche of it's participants. Showing images of those consequences after war and comparing two sides of the world living the dream of winning and losing.

At the end, what really matters is whatever you think, not to be thank for or be recognize for, but knowing that anyone has done what it was right and supposed to is what will bring you peace. Not following just orders or becoming a sheep following others but standing by yourself even when others point at you and might not understand what's behind your actions, at the end this will fall together and will prove if was right or wrong but in times of war and desperate measures needed, follow your heart will prevent you to become as cold as any war or winter storm, because by the end of any conflict, and when we were able to look back at the events, are those who pursue the idea of saving and helping others the ones that will stand timeless and will bring the best for any nation regardless cultures, heritage, traditions or ideologies but as secret heroes nor soldiers or spies. What make you an American? What makes you a citizen of your country and what are doing to make it a better one? Are you building bridges between countries, cities, families, careers, communities or you still standing by your own?

Steve Jobs - a man behind the screen...saver

What's behind all those personalities that we read in the news or keep watching all around the place trying to change the world in certain way? Are they the person we figured at first sight or is there more than the book cover? What's really happening in their lives at the same time things are happening in the spotlight? It's easy to judge someone by their acts but what's behind every decision or quote we hear from them. How's possible they are transcending and being part of our current history while inspire us or maybe the opposite, they are just challenging us by showing us a dark side of thing from us to avoid it and search for better. Are we define by this person we became or will it be for the people around us, that got inspired by us when able to see the real person we are deep inside. What is being said on every action in our life? How can be judged when we don't share the same perspective of things? But also how can we judge if we not open to listen and see more than what we think are capable to.There's always more to add in the equation than a simple definition. What's happening when everyone is trying to change their own world following their own path and trying to build a new one with others that might share or not the same vision.

This is not an easy essay about this psyche getting deeper into human personality and behavior but a very interesting and entertaining one to prove that there is always more than what we can see in the surface. The subject of this analysis is "Steve Jobs"(2015), better known as the CEO of one of the most popular companies based on the tech industry that is well known in every side of the world and is value is multi billion based. Also is well know that he co found with his all time friend, at his garage, the Apple empire. And we knew that he launched Macintosh to become a big career failure pushing the company to fired him just to find himself re inventing another product just to get his way back to his once, beloved company. Also got in a battlefield of the media regarding his attitude against his friends and employees, but mostly regarding his daughter, the one he first didn't recognize but once we started seeing the resemblance in their perspective and language of his own world, start growing on him.

How all this pieces fit a puzzle in a life that was end from the sudden thanks to cancer? Well, we all know and figured how all this is gonna work, award season loves bio epics, so bringing a new one from such a celebrity, entrepreneur, businessman and in his own words, the man behind the orchestra, capable of put and manage all the pieces while others are just the best at their area, designing, decoding, engineering, etc, sounds like we are ready for what is about to come. Fortunately this is not your average bio epic. Based as other recent ones in just a few important events in his life, we are able to get into the mind and skin of one the know called, greatest minds of the century, just by being present in his life for a few minutes before the launching of his greatest creations, the ones that made a bigger impact in his career as much as in his life and all the people around him.

What's the price any mortal needs to pay to build such an empire? A very high one. Being able to coordinate and design the right product, being visionary while keeping it on the cool side while trying to go against the traditional way is not an easy task but when your mind is set on the right direction you might reach your goal, sadly people will get hurt in the process, alienating your closest friends and family. When you run your life like a horse, with a very specific vision, can tend to ignore some details that others but you can see and then fights and egos get involve. But when your mind work as a planner, designing the next step and able to see what is better for the market or your own company, discovering black holes in the process, and imagining a better way, can't let feelings get in involved, treating persons as machines designed to follow a plan. Then your life can't get better but lonely.

The way greater minds act is still a mystery but history has proven than you can have it all, and that big talent come with side effects like the fact of being told more than you are based on your fame or talent more than your heart and humility. As we speak, there a millions of people using any kind of apple product and thats a legacy than just a few can take from. But with time and at the end of the run what matters more? Hit the target and become famous, popular and a role model for millions of strangers while just a few people is still around and has nothing but hate and anger against you is worth the fight? We can't judge until we know whats hiding underneath. Sometimes funny, some others intelligent but mostly stubborn, what makes a man stand in front of thousands take more than a short description and this is just a glimpse of the man behind the name and a logo.

Knowing the truth and embracing what we are and where we come from will let us know better and understand our actions. Can't be a good nor great father if never had one and your own mother wasn't your to be able to love you when got you. Can't be a great leader if never had a role model and the only one we count on is turning against us, losing any faith and respect on us. Then we come back with all what we have and we won't stop till get us to the point where we feel safe and confident again, and that one is most getting to the top, of everybody and everything. That's quite a hard life job.

THE WALK ... of shame?

Robert Zemeckis es mejor conocido como un director optimista con un gusto particular por lo visual. Historias que trascienden mas por su corazón y el impacto que generan en nosotros como espectadores, que por contar la historia y adentrarse en los linajes mas profundos de ella, por mas obscuros o intrincados que parezcan. Así tras habernos llegado atreves del tiempo ("Back to the future", 1985), mostrarnos la vida en comparación a una caja de chocolates ("Forrest Gump", 1994) o dejarnos náufragos en una isla ("Naufrago", 2000), ahora nos lleva y presenta una historia que desafía las alturas y toda moral, lógica mientras pretende brindar tributo a un monumento de la cultura america atreves de los ojos de un foráneo, que cual metáfora de los origines del país, es quien brinda la mejor representación del mismo mediante la imputación de su talento.

"The Walk" (2015), es la historia de un singular joven francés, Philippe Petit, quien como todo niño, tras presenciar un acto circense queda asombrado e impactado por la hazaña de sus interpretes que decide intentarlo por si mismo. Pero a diferencia de muchos que con el tiempo, crecen y lo superan, Philippe se apasiona mas con la idea de ser un caminante de la cuerda floja, por lo cual crece practicando cual gimnasta, toda habilidad y técnica necesaria para ser el mejor en ello. Lo cual lo lleva a cruzarse con singulares personajes que lo ayudaran en esta búsqueda y lucha personal por desarrollar lo que mas le apasiona y que fuera de ser solo un acto en un circo, el pretende llevarlo a cabo hasta convertirlo en un arte y maravillar a la gente con ello de la misma manera que paso con el.

Así, con el paso del tiempo, y tras sentirse mas capaz de lograr ejecutar un magnifico alto, solo queda la incógnita de cual sera el lugar indicado para ello? Cual señal del destino, en las noticias aparece la próxima apertura de las, entonces, torres mas altas del mundo, Las Torres gemelas, con el perfecto ángulo para poner su cuerda y caminar de una a otra. La cinta podría dividirse en dos diferentes filmes. La primer parte, la cual ahonda en la historia detrás de este peculiar acto y el hombre que lo llevo acabo. Llegamos a conocer y profundizar en Philippe para entender sus motivos, su pasado y de alguna manera lograr empatizar con el a pesar de que en papel refleja el perfecto cliche que el mundo tiene de los francés, egoístas, testarudos, egocéntricos y obstinados. Con la interpretación del actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, un actor americano, tenemos también la encarnación del francés promedio, acento incluido, mas es difícil juzgar su similitud con el Philippe real, quien aun se encuentra vivo y que a su vez protagonizo el documental basado en el ahora histórico momento.

Desgraciadamente, por tratar de hacer al protagonista agradable y accesible a la audiencia y sus motivos luzcan mas un acto de pasión que un capricho en busca del arte personal y redención, hay momentos que caen en lo caricaturesco, volviéndose enfadoso el tener que escuchar la narración del protagonista de los hechos de su vida como si estuviéramos leyendo un libro para niños. A su rescate tenemos el grupo de personajes secundarios quienes representan todas aquellas dudas y sentimientos que en algún momento como espectadores vienen a la mente. Donde esta la vida mas allá de su pasión por el arte? Hay cabida para mayores emociones y sentimientos que aquella adrenalina por esta fascinante idea? Como cualquier artista hasta donde se justifica su vision contra la perspectiva del resto del mundo? Cuanto cena la obsesión ante la pasión y amor?

Y llegamos a la segunda parte, donde ahora la cinta se convierte en estilo de cinta de roba bancos, donde todo gira en torno a la planeación y ejecutaron del robo, que aquí se transfiere en la ilegalidad de colgar un cable y todo el equipo necesario para soportarlo durante los minutos necesarios para que un hombre camine a través de el y cruce de una torre a otra. Toda esta planeación se reflejara y creara secuelas en los involucrados, especialmente en los miedos y obstinación del protagonista por lugar su cometido, y como todos sabemos, el momento llega, y nuestro protagonista logra su cometido, no como un héroe que salvo al mundo o descifro una nueva formula, sino como un mortal que logra su meta, alcanza un sueño y nos da con bofetada de guante blanco una lección de cuan factible es alcanzar lo que nos proponemos cuando se trabaja arduamente por lograrlo.

Mas esta no es una lección moralista, ya que en su trayecto, se hirieron sentimientos y rompieron relaciones por no decir la ley, mas se le aplaude su valentía por desafiar lo inimaginable y valorarle la audacia y tenacidad por su lucha mas con la nota en rojo sobre cuan ejemplo a seguir esto es. Si todos lo aplicaramos, cuantas leyes se romperían? cuanta anarquía se desataría? vale apena pagar tal precio sin sacrificar los efectos secundarios ? es valido luchar por nuestras metas e ideas, mas cuantas de ellas no afectaran las de otros o sus vidas en general? Y aunque saldremos de la sala entretenidos cual acto cirquense, mas al estilo del Soile que de los hermanos Vazquez, esto no deja de ser un entretenimiento y sentirnos a salvo y protegidos por la red de seguridad, no ay riesgos, conocemos el desenlace, todo se ve muy fácil y correcto muy a pesar que en el fondo de nuestra mente sabemos que no lo es, pero si hay algo de rescatar y aplaudir es el trabajo visual que estamos por presenciar.

La representación de las famosas torres, a sus casi 15 años de caídas, lucen en su máximo esplendor y adornan la ciudad de Nueva York, como lo hicieron desde su primer día, y como su ultimo cuadro de la cinta, el verdadero homenaje de tal acto y de dicha historia no es al artista sino a la musa, dos torres de concreto que se sienten aun vivas y presentes y que despiertan al asombro de aquellos que no tuvieron la oportunidad de conocerlas, como la nostalgia de aquellos que vivieron atreves de ellas. Así la pintura se convierte en una ofrenda al cuadro para poder apreciar el arte detrás del artista y al momento la cinta pinta para fracaso al ser esta una ofensa al patriotismo americano que se siente burlado por la falta de respeto a su obra por un foráneo que rompió sus reglas y leyes para hacer de su tierra su campo de juego, no así la oportunidad de presenciar este acto en tercera dimension vale la pena de tan caro boleto cuando para muchos fue una oportunidad gratuita en plena calle, otra gran metáfora en esta caminata de vida y desafíos. Y tu que tan alto o lejos estas dispuesto a llegar por esa meta o lograr lo que creías imposible?

99 HOMES....when just need 1 to get your family under

There's no safer place like home but what if you about to lose it? What if your own space, the one that protects and let you rise your family is taken from you? What would feel like to lose everything? because even more important than your values is the place where so many memories were built and let you safe them. This is "99 Homes" (2015), a movie that is more a recent tale about recent events. This is only 2010, 5 years ago, when America and the rest of the world were struggling after the economical crisis of 2008, that affect millions of families, leading them to lose their home against banks taking over them when the lack of jobs and increase in mortgage interests turn the market into a shark tank.This scar still feels fresh as we haven't forget yet what we've been trough to get to now and build back our economy and get financial stable after months of debt and bills. So when we sit to watch the story of so many others losing the most precious and sacred core of their family can't feel but moral guilty about this path that so many built and how others took advantage to survive and make business from it.

How did you or would you feel if one day you wake up to realize that someone ese own your property. You are trespassing. you are breaking the law and you need to leave, with only 2 minutes to pick whatever you can and be a homeless. This is the story of Mr. Nash, a young man, taking care of his mom and his son, jobless and now homeless. We are about to witness a story of survival. A terrific tale of two characters facing two sides of moral complementing each other as ying yang with an intense script, serving as a modern economic parable, a heart pounding score and powerful performances. When you lose your job, the less you realize is that in between all the upcoming debts and sacrifices, a new life will show up as part of the increase in rates and business of others behind the face of a bank. Corporations start to fight over thousands of houses that are facing increase in rate and interests making their owners hard to keep up with mortgage. Then as a real state, when the market is close due to the economy and can't sale more houses to private, a game changer comes turning to sale them to others, bank, government, and corporations that are willing to pay for them as an investment for the future to come and a new market able to pay for them or just make the best of it.

But any owner won't know that. When  you fight against them all what matters and you can see is the law, and law is supposed to rule but in desperate times, desperate measures either ways, for them to push the government to move faster with a lack of evidence or prove to close deals and defenseless workers and families and for these to find a way to survive through the crisis and get their families bak to a safe place and put food in their mouth. Mr. Nash, as any family man is only concerned about his family and bring the best for them. So when they need to move to a motel while figuring out the next step and being humiliated while kicked out from their home, losing personal properties and moving away from they friends, opportunities arise, sometimes from where less expected. That way, he find him working for the same people that took everything from him. But he has experience and more than that, courage and a will to help his family. And soon he realices that solution is in front of him, and in a very easy way, but everything has a price and nothing is for free, the moral charge that comes with it might be harder to deal than his own circumstances.

At beginning, it seems easy, just construction work is needed, but soon things go deeper as he keeps doing a good job and winning his new boss trust. And thats the second character worth to follow. The survivor. The new boss and business taking advantage of this new market while the rest is in crisis and sinking in the economy, he founds the way to survive but doing it using others. As he describes, America was built for fighters and people taking risk and survivors willing to do whatever it takes to get the american dream, no matter the price that comes with it.

For someone struggling and fighting to keep his family through difficult times, these words and example comes like to music to his ears so with that set of mind a new phase starts, he will start doing his boss job. So now the good guy turns into the dark side, and even when he's doing wrong and we can see the moral effect in him, we can judge him as he as everybody is trying to do his best for his own. Same way the other families do the same and he did when in their shoes. How far can we go to achieve our goals and what's the limit to use others to bring ourselves up and do better? Does the end justify the means? What defines when is right or wrong if we are in hard times and crisis? we act like a modern civilized society when economy and politics are stable but what about when this get out of control and balance will benefit just a few, is it right to fight against our neighbors and others like us to survive or better say to avoid being us the ones who suffer the most? And if so, that makes us the bad guys or we still good ones justified by our real motives, nothing personal against others. We just came through our last economic crisis so might be the right timing to reconsider the damage and casualties and learn from our mistakes trying to to better for the best of all or plan measures for the times to come and be aware that we are facing hard times every day from now on, and fight to keep at least one place we can call home.