Because sometimes 2nd aboard is more fun.... VEEP

We are leaving in very political times where all eyes are watching what would be the next move from the people ruling the world and while talking about politics could be a very deep and objective topic, the fact that we should know all about our government and what are they doing is a must from us as citizens from every country. So what do we really know about law and rules that apply to all of those behind the desk, making new laws or changing them, what's going on with their lives that may affect their decisions and tendencies from their politic side as much as how well are they doing their job which is basically a public service and has a lot of responsibility to handle all their citizens in consideration from the better in order to turn the country into a better place. But that's only on paper, the ideal perspective of politics, but in reality there's more in stake and happening behind the cameras that we can imagine. How are they lives? what are they struggling with in their daily basis? how's a norma day in the office for all those senators, politicians, and the president and vice president? how normal or different could be relate to them and what they are actually doing for us? Is it really a circus as the from what we can see in the news?

Well, for all of you wondering what happens in the big office, here you got "Veep" (2012-present), an Emmy and Golden Globe awarded sit-com from HBO network that serving as a comedy and parody of the system, takes us to the life of the vice president of the United States, just to show us and expose the system with all their rules, negotiations, hard work, public service and complots to move ahead in the letter just proving that beyond the law and what is written on paper we are still humans with our own agenda and that hungry for power can curt anyone. But this is not an intense drama as others currently playing in other networks that also are trying to expose the government and all it's dirty business but here we are about to enjoy and laugh with all the ironic situations someone working for the public service and with the future of a country in it's hands can handle. How easy is to show up every day in your office and deal with a full agenda from people that needs something from you. While you need to make public appearances and greet the people that chose you to negotiate with all the other politicians in order to make things happen and push law to change or being created.

Nobody wants to get in second place or be the second one, meaning there is always one in front of you, more important or more something. But how bad can this would be? well as bas as the fact that will push you to bring the best of you and make it to the first spot next time learning from your mistakes but more hungry and wise to achieve that power and be the number one. So when it comes to ruling the number one country in the word or at least one of them, seems like a big deal but getting to that spot means a big achievement for everyone, while a lot of responsibilities will come but who cares? what matters is to make it and this is the story of Senator Selina Meyer, a narcissistic and egocentric in her journey as new vice president and her staff that will help her to make her job and achieve all what is needed from her. But things are not easy and less when the two parties will be fighting to get the more attention and achieve more success in the public eye, and will learn that politics is all about the people, and is a circus that need some control but can turn into chaos.

Politics is about people, is her karma, but she will learn how hard to please all this people is, and that she is working with people as well and they have their own agenda, they have their own ideals and are fighting for their own goals as they are trying to build their own career to the top, so she has a staff that includes a chief of staff, spokesperson, secretary, right hand man, analyst, all trying to help her to rule in the best way as the second in command for their country. And the fun will begin when they start realizing that ruling and trying to make their job is not only about how smart or competent are they but how well they manage their connections and relations with the rest of the staff as with the senate while trying to manage their personal lives which soon would turn into none existence as this is a 24/7 job but how fun can it be to become a comedy? Are politics that entertainment to be laughing about? Well that the irony of the situation: politics are not fun and this people will realize that sooner than later, and they will struggle and work hard to survive it but it's all these hard work and learning process that turns into a show where things happen and get messy and hilarious.

And as we said at the beginning, this serves as a parody, so while we watch sadly how this people rule a country, and how sometimes their personal agenda comes first that the public needs or how many mistakes are they willing to make in order to finally learn the lesson and improve and change things putting on their side their ego's and that power that has corrupted everyone one of them, but while we are witness of all this facade we are also able to realize what's going on there and how things happen so we can't feel blind about it and start doing something about it, like demanding justice for the first place. As fascinating and intriguing as this circus may sound or seem it's more about how this people manage to work as a team and as individuals to follow a system that asks to be corrupted and demand to be changed as things out there are evolving and can't be ruling as used to be 50 years ago. So season by season we will be learning a new lesson and we'll be going to a new process and a new journey to create law and a career that will prove that sometimes the second place can do better than the first and then we can finally get to the top, because here doesn't matter what you do but who you are to make a change and make history. And let the games begin!...

Warm squad....TERESA PALMER & MARGOT ROBBIE.

Ahora que el tema de la migración a los E.U. esta de moda y creando polémica en las noticias debido a su impacto en la política, pareciera que mientras los ojos están enfocados en la política han pasado por desapercibido la industria del entretenimiento donde a pesar de ser una de las industrias mas grandes, fuertes y relevantes a nivel mundial, pareciera estar perdiendo fuerza a nivel nacional, al menos en Hollywood, donde cada día se ven menos caras y talentos nacionales para dar bienvenida y explotar talentos importados, especialmente aquellos de procedencia anglosajona, siendo UK el mayor influyente para los gringos que parecieran nunca haberse independizado de ellos culturalmente y ahora su hermano menos, Australia, otra colonia naciente del imperio Británico. Entre las bellezas, y talvez o posiblemente talentos, de esta nación que están invadiendo la industria americana tenemos dos mujeres que por su belleza y carisma están abriendose camino en la industria cinematográfica muy por encima de otras personalidades hechas en casa. Empezando con Teresa Mary Palmer, una joven nacida en el sur de Australia hace 30 años, siendo hija única quien después del divorcio de sus padres a corta edad se vio criándose en casas publicas a lado de su madre lo que cual sento raíces humildes en ella. Trabajando en lugares de comida rápida y tiendas de ropa para pagar sus estudios de actuación, logro ganar un concurso local en 2003, en busca de la estrella de cine del mañana, que la llevo a aparecer en comerciales de television y vestirse de fresa para un centro comercial.

Otro caso es la de hoy muy cotizada Margot Elise Robbie, originaria de Queensland, Australia e hija de un granjero y una psicoterapeuta, con quien creció a lado de sus tres hermanos y su madre en una granja por lo que llego a tener hasta tres trabajos al mismo tiempo para mantenerse hasta que a sus 17 primaveras decide mudarse a Melbourne en busca de iniciar una carrera en la actuación, logrando aparecer en varias cintas independientes en su natal Australia, hasta conseguir papeles recurrentes en telenovelas que impulsaron su popularidad, que le gano varias nominaciones y apariciones en campañas promocionales que la motivaron a decidir mudarse a Hollywood en 2011, a pesar de ser al momento considerada un idol juvenil en su tierra natal.

A pesar de ser aceptada en la universidad para estudiar docencia, y tras trabajar rescatando animales, logrando abrir su propio albergue de animales, es un cazador de talentos local quien busca a Mrs. Palmer para que participe en una de sus cintas. Con el gusto por la actuación siempre presente decide renunciar a todo y aceptar el rol en la cinta "2:37" (2006), un dram sobre un grupo de adolescentes unidos por las circunstancias y donde la actriz interpreta el rol de una joven que se vuelve suicida después de ser embarazada por su propio hermano. La cinta abrir en el Festival de Cannes y le valió a la actriz una nominación como mejor actriz en los premios del Instituto fílmico Australiano, lo cual le dio la motivación necesaria para perseguir la actuación como carrera. Por ello, participa en un rol pequeño en la cinta "December Boys" (2007), un drama basado en la novela homónima sobre cuatro huérfanos  que tras compartir le hecho de cumplir años en el mismo mes, celebran en las playas Australianas, tan solo para enfrentarse a su realidad y madurar. La actriz solo interpreta a la novia del personaje principal interpretado por el actor Daniel Radcliffe. Tras haber triunfado con la critica y fracasado en taquilla, decide dar el paso y mudarse a America, donde su entrada seria como la gran mayoría de los famosos actores, via una película de horror, y en su caso fue "The Grudge 2" (2006), la secuela del hit basado la cinta japonesa sobre una maldicion y un espíritu que atormentan a una joven y su casa en Japón, interpretando a una estudiante pedante que al no ser la protagonista, este rol lo tomo la actriz Sarah Michelle Gellar, no durara mucho en pantalla.

Una vez que Margot llega a Los Angeles audiciona en plena temporada de pilotos de television, donde la cadena ABC la elige a pesar de sus audiciones para un rol en su próxima serie "PAN-AM" (2011-2012), una serie basada en la popular aerolínea y ubicada en la década de los 60's dando un aire retro a la television de la época, contando la historia desde la perspectiva de cuatro azafatas y amigas, siendo la joven actriz una de ellas, la nueva del grupo, pero desgraciadamente y a pesar de las criticas positivas, la serie es cancelada al finalizar su primer temporada. Afortunadamente esto le favoreció para brincar a la pantalla grande, donde logra un rol pequeño en la comedia romántica "About Time" (2013), la historia de un joven que goza de la facultas de regresar en el tiempo para mejorar situaciones que muchos desearíamos olvidar o cambiar y gracias a ello logra enamorar a una joven mientras la actriz interpreta a una amiga de su juventud con la cual tenia un crush juvenil y lo ayudo a superar sus inseguridades como joven ante las mujeres. La cinta fue tuvo una mediana recepción en taquilla y critica.

Esto le favoreció a la joven Teresa, en vez de afectarle, ya que el mismo Adam Sandler la escogió para aparecer como su interés romántico en "Bedtime stories" (2008), una cinta fantástica sobre un hombre que trabaja para el hotel que una vez su padre administro, que tras cuidar de sus sobrinos y contarles cuentos antes de irse a dormir descubre que estas historias de fantasia empiezan a tomar un uno realista en su vida transformando su vida y la de aquellos a su alrededor.  La cinta fue en éxito bajo el sello Disney y para el comediante Sandler en su primer proyecto familiar. Bajo el sello Disney sentando bien el genero de fantasia, participa en "Sorcerer's Apprentice" (2010), cinta protagonizada por Nicolas Cage como un hechicero luchando por siglos en contra de una poderosa bruja, para lo cual tendrá que reclutar a un joven estudiante de física que parece ser el elegido y siendo la actriz, el crush de la escuela del joven quien la involucrara en esta aventura familiar que a pesar de su éxito en taquilla paso desapercibida para los críticos. Atrayendo la mirada de la industria y con potencial para el genero, se involucra en otro proyecto de fantasia, ahora la adaptación de la popular serie de novelas "I am number four" (2011), donde interpreta a otra sobreviviente de la raza alienigena del protagonista siendo ella la numero seis y luchando por encontrar a los demás sobrevivientes mientras evitan ser eliminados por una raza alienigena enemiga. Otro éxito en taquilla para la actriz y el estudio pero no así para la critica y los fans de la serie.

El exit también se presentaría para Robbie, de manera repentina al co protagonizar la cinta "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013), a lado de Leonardo di Caprio, robándole casi todas sus escenas al interpretar a la dominante pero interesada esposa de un joven abriendose camino en el mundo de las finanzas, lo que involucraría dinero, fortuna y adicciones para la pareja y la familia que han formado. La cinta fue un éxito en taquilla y critica llevándola a varias de las mas importantes nominaciones de varios círculos de critica e industrias fílmicas alrededor del mundo pero definitivamente de lo que todo el mundo hablaba es de quien era la joven que la co protagonizaba y que puso los ojos del mundo en ella. Sin embargo, su siguiente proyecto no seguiría el camino de la fama que ya había iniciado y opta por una cinta independiente, "Z from Zacharia" (2014), una drama post apocalíptico, basado en el libro homónimo, contando la historia de una joven que tras sobrevivir un ataque nuclear ha logrado continuar su vida en su granja familiar y con la ayuda de un joven que ha viajado protegido con su traje radioactivo hasta que la llegado de otro hombre en busca de ayuda podría poner su estancia en peligro y tales su relación que oscila entre amistosa a romántica.

Tomando fuerza en su carrera, Teresa logra mas proyectos como co protagonista, como la comedia "Take me home" (2011), basada y ubicada en la popular canción de los 80's, donde un joven que trabaja en una tienda de video, vive enamorado secretamente de la chica popular que visita la tienda por lo que con la ayuda de su hermana el novio de esta, se armara de valor para invitar e impresionar a la chica en una de las fiestas mas populares de la ciudad, llevándolos a situaciones que pretenden ser comidas pero al igual que la cinta, fallaron en su cometido, lo cual se tradujo en un fracaso tanto en taquilla como en critica a pesar de su talentoso casting. Tras este tropiezo regresa al cine Australiano co protagonizando a lado de otro talento local, Joel Edgerton, en "Wish you were here" (2012), un drama sobre un joven y su esposa embarazada que viajan de vacaciones a lado de su hermana y el novio de esta para que un día, este ha desaparecido obligando al resto a seguir adelante con sus vidas y tratar de descifrar el acertijo de lo que en realidad paso en ese viaje. A pesar de haber sido exhibida en corrida limitada en America la critica la alabo y fue un éxito fuera de Hollywood. Regresando a Hollywood entra por la puerta grande con otra popular adaptación de una novela, "Warm Bodies" (2013), una historia sobre un zombie en un mundo apocalíptico que tras conocer a una joven humana empieza a desarrollar sentimientos por ella que lo afectan de manera que su condición se reversa para volverlo humano de nuevo. Un caso curioso de una adaptación que enamora tanto a critica como audiencia al mostrar zombies mas que como un símbolo de terror, como la metáfora de un mundo aburrido, monótono y dependiente que ha convertido a la humanidad en caminantes sin pensamientos ni sentimientos diferentes a los dictados por gobiernos y corporaciones.

Regresando a los grandes estudios y ahora co protagonizando a lado de Will Smith, Robbie aparece en "Focus" (2015), un melodrama sobre dos ladrones que ademas de ser pareja de negocios viven un romance que los ayuda a crear nuevas técnicas para sus planes. La cinta tenia aspiraciones para ser un éxito por el talento involucrado y emulando un nuevo clásico a la Bonnie and Clyde pero el resultado fue muy tibio con la critica y en taquilla paso desapercibida, pero curiosamente de lo que mas se logro comentar fue de la participación de la actriz y su creciente popularidad. A finales del 2015, hace un breve cameo en una tina de baño en la cinta "The big short", la cual fue un éxito de taquilla y una fuerte contendiente para todos los premios de la temporada, al basarse en el popular libro que busca exponer la crisis financiera de 2008 y que con términos financieros explicados por celebridades hizo de un drama una comedia accesible para todo publico y nuevamente la actriz logro dar de que hablar y ser uno de los momentos mas memorables de la cinta.

Su siguiente proyecto se iría directo a video, "Love and Honor" (2013), un drama ubicado en la guerra de Vietnam donde un soldado y su mejor amigo escapan de su deber como en la milicia para ir en busca de la prometida de este, quien resulta se ha unido a un grupo pacifista por lo que rechazara sus convicciones mientras el amigo se enamorara de una de de las lidere del grupo, interpretada por la joven Palmer, y quien influenciara en este para poner en duda sus ideales sobre la guerra y el amor. A pesar de una interesante primicia y tocar temas que dan para analizar la vision de los jóvenes ante las guerras, la cinta cae en el melodrama. La misma suerte corrió su siguiente cinta "Parts Per billion" (2014), un drama sobre tres parejas sobrellevando las consecuencias de un ataque biológico a su ciudad y a pesar de su reparto multi estelar, la llevo directo a video. Incursionando en el cine independiente y mas artístico, forma parte del nuevo proyecto del aclamado director Terrence Malick "Knight of Cups" (2015), una historia sobre un deprimido guionista y su andar por las calles de los Angeles y las Vegas mientras se topa con diferentes personajes que representan ocho de las cartas tarot, creando un sentido metafórico para la cinta la trayectoria del personaje principal. Desgraciadamente este ha sido uno de los proyectos mas ignorado y poco aplaudido del director a pesar del talentoso reparto, ademas de la actriz, esta Christian Bale, Natalie Portman y Cate Blanchet.

Este 2016 vimos mucho mas de Margot, empezando por "Whiskey, Tango Foxtrot", donde co protagoniza al lado de Tina Fey en una comedia feminista sobre una reportera en busca de romper estereotipos al mudarse el medio oriente en medio del campo de batalla para traer la noticia del día pero tendrá que aprender a convivir con un mundo lleno de testosterona, siendo la actriz una mujer que ha aprendido a usar al sexo opuesto para su beneficio y placer y poder lograr la primicia. Desgraciadamente la cinta no logro el impacto esperado pero no es considerada un fracaso gracias a una aceptable taquilla y recepción por parte de la critica. Este mes la vimos en "The Legend of Tarzan" (2016), una nueva adopción con un toque mas moderno y actual del clásico, que sirve mas como una secuela al cuento original, donde la actriz interpreta a la damisela Jane, quien ha vivido en Londres con el hombre simio por vario tiempo para buscar regresar a la selva que los vio crecer y conocerse y enamorarse para caer en una trampa y tener que luchar nuevamente con sus aliados para derrocar el intereses de otros por usar las recursos naturales. Con excelentes efectos visuales y un mensaje ecológico, la cinta es ya un sorpresivo éxito del verano que por primera vez un hombre en semi desnudo opaca la presencia de la actriz, mas no su fama y popularidad.

De regreso al genero de acción, Teresa forma parte del remake de la cinta "Point Break" (2015), ahora llevando su historia a un grupo de extremistas que fungen como un robin hood para robar al rico y darle al mas pobre, pero que pondrá a las agencias gubernamentales tras de ellos, siendo la actriz una vez mas, el interés amoroso del protagonista, un doble agente que se inmersa en este mundo para exponer a aquellos detrás pero poniendo sus valores en juicio, quien esta en realidad haciendo lo correcto?. Este año, ha sido uno decisivo y ocupado para ella, la vimos primero en el romance "The Choice" (2016), basado en la novela de Nicholas Sparks, sobre una joven que tras encontrar el amor con el emocionalmente indisponible de su vecino, cae en coma poniendo en perspectiva su relación y a su nueva familia. Lo cursi y simple de su trama la llevo a ser pobremente recibido por la critica y taquilla. Así, mas tarde ese mismo mes la vimos en la cinta de acción "Triple 9" (2016), sobre un grupo de ladrones que se vuelven el objetivo de la mafia rusa tras haber robado un dispositivo de la misma. La actriz tiene un papel pequeño como la esposa de uno de los miembros de este equipo, lo cual no le afecto que a pesar de la buenas criticas la cinta paso ignorada en su corrida comercial.

El proximo mes veremos a Robbie transformarse en la famosa Harley Quinn en "Suicide Squad" (2016), basada en el popular comic y nuevamente a lado de Will smith entre otros, interpretando a un grupo de villanos que ante la oportunidad de reducir su cadena perpetua podrán ayudar a derrocar a un villano mayor y mas poderoso pero que la convirtió en una cinta de acción mas, carente de trama para sus personajes, pero nuevamente siendo la interpretación de la actriz, como una psiquiatra que cae en la locura al enamorarse del temible Joker y unirse a sus malévolos planes de anarquía lo que la lleva a ser un arlequín letal y una de las interpretaciones mas fieles al comic. Con un par de nuevos proyectos en puerta para el proximo año, ya veremos si esta fama es solo una llamarada de petate para la actriz o su popularidad y belleza se traslada en fama y talento que la lleve a coronarse como un talento de esta generación para la industria Hollywoodense del mañana y que la lleve al estatus de celebridad. Si su acento y encanto Australiano no lo logra, talvez también seria la indicación para cerrar las puertas al extranjero y retomar el talento local.

Por otro lado, este mes vemos a Palmer en otra cinta de horror "Lights out" (2016), nuevamente sobre un espíritu que esta atormentando a su familia y cada día se vuelve mas poderoso poniéndolos en riesgo, siendo su madre quien pose el secreto para acabar con el y probando que toda maldicion tiene un motivo de ser y somos nosotros quienes la mantenemos presente por medio de nuestros miedos, que muchas veces son aquellos por protege a los seres queridos. La cinta es ya uno de los éxitos del verano y curiosamente para su genero la critica la amo. En noviembre la veremos en "Hacksaw Ridge" (2016), la historia de un verdadero héroe que se enlisto en la segunda guerra mundial bajo su condición de no usar armas ni matar a nadie pero salvar vidas como paramédico y a pesar de la critica y rechazo de la misma milicia, en la batalla homónima logra salvar a mas de 75 soldados, por si mismo, convirtiéndose en héroe de guerra y probando que la lucha y defensa de los valores e ideales de cada uno por muy difícil que parezca siempre sera la única y mejor manera de definirnos ante nosotros mismo y los demás. Un ejemplo de coraje y valentía y donde la actriz interpreta a la enfermera y esposa del soldado. También pronto la veremos en "Message from the king" (2016), que ya abrió en el festival de Toronto, en un thriller sobre un hombre Africano que viaja los Angeles para vengar la muerte de su hermana. Con estos ejemplos todo indica que su carrera va mas que en despegue y si sigue cosechando éxitos pronto no solo sera una belleza de reparto sino la prueba de otro talento de importación que revolucionara la industria mas ahora que esta felizmente casada con el director Marc Webber on quien tiene ya un hijo, otro gran giro para su vida y carrera.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC... do you see your father as a hero or a villain?

Have you ever thought about the meaning of build and raise a family? Most of people has the idea of having a family as a goal in their lives when the perfect timing comes to that, after a successful and lovely relationship, what better next step, right?, others get just trapped on it by circumstances and either will bring the best of them or will turn into a nightmare for al the involved. In this case we'll focus on the first. The one that is make by choice. When a couple, fall in love and sharing ideals and goals want to expand them into others by bringing kids to their small world and start expanding. But what means to raise a child? We all have heard is the hardest commitment anyone has and lot of sacrifices will have to overcome your personal needs. That's parenthood. And also will be the biggest love anyone can experienced towards another person, even more than your partner. The fact of raising a baby through the journey of childhood to adulthood when we can see everything we've been investing is, sharing some of ourselves in this new person that might look like us or at like us. Its overwhelming but also exciting and so powerful that has changed society since the beginning of human raze. Family has become the center of any society as becomes that place that nurture us and build the individuals that populate this world with cons and perks but still is the place where we all come from and can be the safest or the scariest.

And usually comes to the mother to take care of the kids, to spend the most time with them while father goes out and make some money to support the family. That's the traditional way. But things have changed. We not longer live in the XX century and roles had switched and most important the concept of family has take another ways for better or worse. This is "Captain Fantastic" (2016), a new film that got great reviews from some movie critics as from it's run through some of the most popular movie festivals. Why? maybe because is a well done story about a father trying to raise his kids after losing their mom or because this guy is trying to fight for what he believes and had shared with his family as a mantra and there's no other option but to stick on it and prove he is right or wrong. Or maybe because is a well done story with a charming cast that will get you from the beginning just to take you to the core of a very unique family that is trying to stick together and embrace their way of life while fighting with other's judgment like a new version of the Von Trap family, all leading by the man, the father in charge, in the skin of actor Viggo Mortensen, that brings a unique and different performance but still fitting into other roles as father that has performed successfully. So if you ready to laugh, cry and open your mind be ready for a new perspective in cinema that will bring you new perspectives and topics to discuss afterwards over dinner.

What are we talking about? the fact that this family is not traditional at all. The story follows a family of six that rejects society and all forms of cosmopolitan structure, capitalism among all. How do we all embrace all things that seem natural for everybody. The way society acts by ruling their lives seeking power and money. Being raised from the beginning surrounded by all this and pushed to achieve either or both. How branded our daily lives are that we cat even name a food without relating it to a brand. We have food cravings based on menus created just to produce food for the masses and we like that, not even caring what we are consuming or putting in our mouth. We are more concern about pop culture than history or watching sports than actually being active and exercise. And all this seems familiar and normal until we start thinking about it or someone show us different. Exactly as this particular family will do. Two hippies raising their six kids in the woods, far away from society and cities, where technology rules and everybody wants to have or be the best next thing. Here they are them. They are this unique group of people that sings with their own voices and instruments and read and learn from the books, practicing with each other just to help their siblings to be better and show them what the other already learned.

The reason why they chose this way of life comes from a rejection from excess. The mother was raised very wealth off and saw all what money can buy and that made her sick to the point of quit and move away from all that with an ideal of proving that things can be better in different ways so their own family won't have to see and struggle what she did. But life is full of surprises and also made her ill, suffering from bipolar, ended with her life just to leave her husband and love of her life in charge and alone with six kids to raise by himself. But the real journey will begin once the family get the sad news and are prohibited by their grandfather to come to see their mom one last time. They need closure and the want to say goodbye to her mom but specially they want to follow her last wishes to be cremated and throw the ashes to a toilet. Yes, that's what she wanted and they, as her family are willing to make it happen even if that takes fighting against their powerful grandfather. So a new journey will begin for all of them, traveling from home, deep in the woods, where the climb rocks as part of their training to the concrete streets of the city where they will meet more family like their cousins that will see them as a bunch of freaks that maybe very well educated but are lacking of personal experiences that also help to anybody to grow up and become into a strong and confident person when is time to face the world and socialize.

So what would be better option? to become fluent in six different languages and have all the knowledge of a 50 year old man that has read as many books as possible in half of a life time while having a healthy, active, lovely life with his family and nature or being exposed to the world, through society and civilization just to ace the fact that we can be trapped by others ideas or ideals, and we ended spending time in worthless things instead of focusing on becoming a better person, just to be more aware of others lives than ours? Well, at least there is always about perspective, it can be two sides of the story of more, but definitely always will be someone that wants more, that wants to try and have something different from what we've been told. As humans, the unknown could be as tempting and fascinating as security or be on the comfort zone, so when different ideals collide won't be a fair judgment or resolution but let anyone explore and make their own mind for themselves but the fear of let your love ones go out there and explore with all the risks that come with the is any parent biggest fear but if your ideal is to prove things can be different by rejecting what has been told for years and explore new tendencies and ideas, would be hypocrite to say no when someone won't agree with you the same way you do with others, so it's only the love of a father and the fantastic leadership to take your kids through their own personality to embrace their own life and vision of the world will make the captain of a ship that moves towards a better self full of love, peace and knowledge. Would you?

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates... and you need to get your s***t together

We've talked before about the impact of others in our lives, specially family, but also friends and relationships leave a mark through time that will stay with us even if we already move on. We are who we are because the sum of all those experiences and what we learn from the people around us. We build our expectations about us and others in base of what we learn from role models like our parents, siblings or friends. Family is a stigma that we can't deny. It's a connection stronger than us, and if we let them will stuck with us for a long time or forever but we need to learn how to manage it, find our own identity and be able to stand up for ourselves, identify what we like and we don't from our heritage and deal with it, being capable of accept and respect others for their own choices but allowing us to have ours and fight for them. But in order to do all that we need to accept it. Like any addiction, we can get caught in it without knowing or realizing what is happening or even if knowing, denying it just as an excuse to not face it letting us hide all our problems or situation behind it, so we need to man up and start growing up facing our problems and any situation not matter how hard it us just to convince ourselves we are the person we always wanted to even if no one believes in us.

All this sounds too deep and too serious for a raunch comedy, but as everything in life, there are layers in every situation, so as funny as life can be, there will be a bit of seriousness in it or the opposite, we just need to find the right balance, and even that's not what the new movie "MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES" (2016) was intended to be, it's a movie that tries to be as funny as raunchy but ends having a bit of soul and deepness that works in favor of it's hilarious cast and maybe that's one of the main things that works against it, that even has some really good jokes and moments, it never defines it's style or gets too edgy to stand up as the new raunchy option out there. And for those who are lost about the thin line between a comedy and it's trashy sister, this means that it's sense of humor will be more edgy, straight, direct, unrated, trying to show how low can someone can go trying to be funny or make fun of things, using cleaver but naught or double meaning jokes instead of dark, smart sense of humor. So when we are sitting for the movie to start we are ready to be thrown by stupid moments made by idiots trying to have a fun time while learning a lesson in life.

So what's going on this time?, well we have the story, poorly based on a real story, of two brothers that happen to be party boys, the ones that can't do anything good for their family but getting in trouble and ruining every holiday or occasion while trying to get some attention or just having pure fun. Those are Mike and Dave. Two ordinary guys that we probably have seen in our own families or somewhere else. They are not trying to be smart or pretend to take anything serious but just go away with what they want and have fun all along. Mike is the oldest of the family. He's a wreck. Likes and need attention, so can be loud and extrovert dragging his younger brother into it, but also has been there always for him, being a good brother and standing up for him, that way Dave will look after him as love and gratitude towards his older brother, helping him in all his quests, even joining him as partner in business even when he doesn't like what they are doing and his aspirations move in other direction. But now is the time for both to take a break and behave, start growing up, as their parents request them to find a decent date to bring to their sister's wedding and behave as mature respectable  guys not ruining their sister big moment, eve when the sister is also traded in this need of good behaving marrying a guy she doesn't know if it's the right one.

So far there's nothing we haven't seen, but when the two dates come to the picture things get a twist as these two young girls are just pretending to be nice girls in order for them to take them to Hawaii for the wedding as a free vacation trip, because they need that break. These two girls are all messed up in their lives that need some perspective to put their shit together and move on. Tatiana and Alice are party girls, because not only guys have fun, and they know how to have fun. They've been traveling, partying, doing drugs, getting waisted, switching jobs, just to avoid their own reality. Alice was stood up in her own wedding by her fiancé, and since then she hasn't move on from that pain, pushing away everybody else and trying to avoid being present so she can't feel the pain. And Tatiana is so afraid of failure and not being successful enough that always treat everyone with disrespect and so confident to protect herself but at the same time this works against her, letting her out from any chance of connect wth someone or meet someone that would believe in her helping her to achieve her dreams or prove her the opposite.

So when these two pairs collide, things start happening as they meet their match and their true selfs starts to show up, bringing the best and the worst of them. Of course we are talking about a comedy so you better be ready for a bunch of laughing out loud situations while the guys and the girls try to prove who's best, and while Dave and Alice find a romantic connection, is Tatiana and Mike that find a match in their darkest side, touching each ones insecurities, becoming a challenge for each other and turning on a sexual tension between them. So while all of them pretend to be nice people and behave in from of the family as they require, following all social etiquette's is their own fears and insecurities what will take us to trouble and will show them at the end what they need to do to move on and finally be what they are meant for. Realizing that maybe they have been a bad influence for each other, stopping them to move on and achieve their own dreams would be the best decision but not before having some fun and screwing up things while learning how to love, have sex, get high, and embrace their own ideals without fear of judgement, specially from family, because seems like their job is to shut us down, so why not liberate yourself for a moment and have fun, laugh, get drunk and enjoy life with the people you like and choose to have in your life and always remember to stand up for yourself and embrace the fact that you'll screw it up a bunch of times in the process but that's the fun about it.

OUR KIND OF TRAITOR ... do the right thing

What would you do in order to save yourself? And i'm not talking about a life or death moment when someone has a gun pointing towards you or your family is threatened at home by some gang killers, but the moment when you realize that after a series of bad decisions and low points in your life you are feeling hopeless and you life and daily basis in moving without purpose, obviously affecting everybody and everything around you, drowning it into a black hole that is sucking their souls and turning there lives into a miserable momentum. How can you take back what you've done in find some peace in your mind that let you move on and keep going? And what would you be willing to do in order to save the ones you love the most? To take them out of the picture and give them a clean slate for them to start their own countdown and not having to deal with a baggage inherit by you. How many times do we need to fall to learn how to get up? How many times do we need to make a mistake to realize that we are wrong and that whatever we are doing is causing some damage to us and others?

This is the story of two men, trapped in their own lives after  series of bad decisions that are about to collide and will get them together, maybe from some redemption but at least they will try to straight things up and do better for their beloved ones. First we have a young english man, Perry, working hard to get his wife and marriage back to were they were before he cheated on her and put his career on jeopardy, but things won't be easy as some trust is broken and marriage is suffering from some distance between them, but when he notices how successful she seems in front of everybody's eyes, he can't stop but feeling like a loser and wondering why he hasn't done anything great or more meaningful, and he'll be about to when he cross paths with a middle age Russian man, that after seeing how Perry's wife left him for work in the middle of dinner, he invites him to join him and his friends to party. What can be wrong about joining a foreign stranger with a bunch of bodyguards to a very private club in the middle of nowhere while you on vacation on an unknown town in Africa?

And he is about to figure out, when this man, trates him as his guest in a very peculiar club where seems like the mafia like to hang, but actually he as a good time and the two guys start bonding and sharing more time, introducing their own families to each other until by the end of the night, Dima, the Russian man, asks Perry a favor: he is a member of the russian mafia and is looking for a way out so need help from the British government to protect his family, because he is 100% sure they are in danger and they are coming for them, so he is willing to negotiate and trade some valuable information for the government in order to locate and stop the russians. But why would anyone help a random stranger that happens to be in the mafia and get involved in what seems to be foreign affairs just to save a couple of kids from being murdered? Maybe because sometimes is the right thing to do.

Or how many times we've been tested to help others just as favor or cross paths with strangers that might sound crazy at the moment but deep down we all need some kind of help and we are mostly afraid to ask for it, so we tried to solve things on our own but there's nothing wrong to ask for help and definitely would be a better world if we were still acting like in old times, willing to help others in need. As Perry, that is about to get involved in a crossfire to save a family from being murdered, and when his wife asks him why is he doing this, he just comes to the realization that was the right thing to do when actually was also something he needed. This selfless act is bringing the peace he was looking for and funny fact is actually helping him to save his marriage while putting this couple to work together for something bigger than them, and working as a team will bring back the passion that they needed to reconnect. And might sound crazy and hard to believe, why would someone got involved with a random stranger in order to save him? Maybe because that particular person saw something on us that even us were denying. Dina saw in Perry an honorable man, an honest guy when everybody else only sees a guy that made a lot of mistakes and is trapped in a miserable life working as an english teacher while others are changing the world.

But Dima is no saint. He has his own past. Choosing the mafia in order to survive in his country when even his mother was fucking men to get some food for her child. After killing and serving, Dima realized that his family comes first and now they are in danger because of him. He put them in that position and now needs help to save them. Is it too late to change the curse of actions and do better? How can you undo a tough road that gave you what you needed but now is checking all that against you? Well, usually life closes a door to open a new one or even a window, but this time we are taking about a thriller, an excellent option for this summer, a well done and written thriller about two men and their families, and their own struggles to make things right involving doing the best for their own countries, moving away from the usual cliches of this genre, but taking us to some dark places and fussy images from the visionary look of it's director and the great mind of it's creator, John Le Carre, that has other bunch of thriller, already adapted as motion pictures and some others acclaimed printed novels, and in hands of an extraordinary cast lead by Ewan McGregor, Naomi Harris, Damian Lewis and Stellan Skarsgard, you'll definitely will be sitting at the edge of your seat while wondering if you'd be able to do the right and become "Our Kind of traitor" (2016).