Life is complicated...STRANGER THINGS

For most of us, what we can't prove can't be real. We go through life expecting to know all the answers, willing to do some research of learn from others what could be the logical explanation for what we don't understand. But how about all those things that can't be explain. Things that we heard or saw and we try to forget or just ignore because we are not able to give any kind of explanation about it. Always feeling fear for those things we can't understand or seem different, threading our ideals, our way of life, our beloved ones, judging to those trying to do better and find a reason for whatever is happening but we prefer to blame than do and hide behind the excuse of being logical or rational over being able to open our minds and embrace new tings no matter how different or weird they might look at first sight and only as a community being able to analyze and understand them rather than isolating us or them letting us been hurt and feel vulnerable and sometimes risking health or our life because finding answers is not an easy task and the journey can be as painful as  bright but since we don't know what we are facing, the end of it is unknown and scary and can be as happy as terrifying so our instinct of preservation will arise and we will show our true self, and bring the fighter on us to try to find answers or go against this threat to our reality.

So for some might be pure entertainment and for others more like a science project. I'm talking about the new tv show from Netflix, that has turned into a huge success and a must see from last summer, and by now everybody is talking about, "Stranger things" (2016-current), a new suspense, scary, adventure kind of show that will please from young teenagers to grown ups that feel fascinated for the idea of inexplicable things happening to some, urban legends that happen in every town or political theories about conspiracies from the government trying to hide some kind of information that will transform society the way we know. So for the every geek we have inside this kind of shows will awake a whole conversation over the table and with friends and co workers where we'll try to figure out wat the creators are trying to prove, expose or just fantasied. The kind of show that create new urban legends and conspiracies and opens doors for those that like to take their imagination to other realities, life after death, civilizations out in space, creatures living among us, deseases expanding and created to change the way we behave and to feed industries seeking for power and corruption. it all can be as real as crazy as we want to believe but for sure there are some things, little details in our lives that we simply can't, and we move on always having them back in our heads trying to find a possible explanation but we are all part of this new reality.

For those looking for an intense drama that tries to explains, expose and go deep human condition, might get disappointed and probably feel better looking for some other options, but if you able to sit and enjoy a ride that will take you to different situations that might sound logic or not and be able to open your mind to let those ideas get in and fantasied about the fact of a possible truth behind all this, you might love and get caught in the upside down reality of the show. And specially if you were born in the 70's and 80's, you will feel nostalgia at every from while watching this perfect setting of a show in the 80's where you can beat every pulse of what made that decade a classic.Also the show serves as a tribute to some of the major classic sci fi films of the era, from Spielberg to Scott, winking at them with every turn of the plot just as if all were clues leading you to a destination that you know just to end feeling more like a deja vu than a familiar face but the experience will definitely feel like an east egg chase or treasure hunt, so whatever is going on in your head while watching it might be just your childhood trying to show up at a late party and make you feel overwhelmed and welcome back to your own life. But don't take for granted that because you feel familiar with all these homage, you'll know the answers because you'll be surprise of how things can take a different turn and how little we know about all this stuff.

But behind all this alternative reality we have real people in front of it, dealing with their lives and problems and having a real shitty moment as we all do at some point, just to face these new events as a challenge to reunite them or to start fresh. The faces in charge of this addictive and sometimes scary journey is Oscar nominee Winona Ryder, as Joyce Byers a neurotic mother that while struggling to keep up with her two young sons trying to support them in a small town upstate New York, while been abandoned by her husband, trying to provide them with all what they need working long hours just to face one day that her youngest has disappeared and while most of the people are giving him for dead, she knows he is not and start noticing some kind of signals that prove her he is around and still alive and even trying to communicate with her. All this would show her as a crazy woman but his son friends, a group of nerdy kids met a lost girl that happen to have telekinesis, a sort of desease that here seems more like a super power, but had her in the middle of a runaway from the government trying to use her for her experiments but she will help the boys to look for their missing friend, even she has no explanation of what is happening but has some knowledge of what might be a possibility.

While trying to understand what is going on with this weird girl and find the clues to find their lost friend, they have to struggle with being bulled in school for being smart and corky. And also we meet a group of teenagers, that while dealing with their own stuff like first love and friendship in times when we feel like rebels and no one understand us, that happen to face the fact that one of the group goes missing too and some clues will point to some coincidences from the little boy in toen the has gone missing too, so they will start they own journey to find her while the rest of the town, including a sad and lonely sheriff that after losing her daughter from cancer, saw her marriage disappeared and moved from the city to this town just to live a pathetic life behind a desk, trying to hide all his pain just in time to need to focus and move on so he can do his job and remember how good he is at it, also teaming up with a desperate mother than only counts on him to find her son. There is much more going behind all this drama and adventures but saying more will ruin the surprise of a mystery screaming to be solved and calling you to follow it step by step only if you dare to open your mind and let strange things to happen in your life and accept the fact that we don't know nothing other than what others try to show so maybe is time to start looking for your own signs and might find a clue to your own reality and be ready to embrace this unique journey called life and all what is attached to it.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES....when suburban life gets boring

Who ever says that life is full of surprises and that we like to spice things and get into new thing, trying to explore and experience new stuff, maybe lying if they haven't lived in suburbia at some point. We are pushed to follow the check list of life where society and family, plus media and government behind, push us to follow the same path of settling at some point of our lives, meaning moving to a better and quieter place like the suburbs, usually when get married, and want to raise children or want a bigger, nicer place to start a life of our own, people leave the cosmopolitan life, single life where everyday is full of possibilities, living in a city that offers multiple options for fun, careers, entertainment, relationships, try new things, but once we commit to along term project seeking those family values of a life shared with someone special and become parents, the biggest challenge for everyone , to raise a family and children of your one, the rule change dramatically focusing all your efforts and time into that group of people that is our own, and sacrificing all those dreams of travels and adventures for the best of raising new citizens to our society and feel proud of them, but when is enough or do we have a limit? is it right to pt ourselves on the side in order to achieve this goal or project or should we never abandon the possibility of continue a life full of excitement other than the one given by changing dippers or getting a diploma?

And this is the premise of a new action comedy titled "Keeping up with the Joneses" (2016), and the fact that even it's far from what it promises, no so many action and not many laughs, and also is doing poorly in the box office, not to mention was totally attacked by critics, can't denied is a fun ride, an entertainment for a sunday or rainy afternoon, if want to spent less than two hours in company of a talented cast that more than make us laugh will empathize with many of us, in ways to prove that our lives feel similar and what we are about to see feels familiar and for those who don't, is shocking to realize that the majority of the country moves and feels in that way, and that's a reality hard to deny or ignore and just for that, makes this movie as funny as any comedy and realistic as any action movie can be. With performances from a talented cast like Isla Fisher and John Hamm among others, and plot that moves fluently for less than two hours but is as predictable as any history lesson, not too mention his lack of great photography or editing but definitely an interesting soundtrack to remember.  So what went wrong? well after watching the preview at least a promise of a simplistic laugh and fun is almost a sure thing but once that we are able to see the full picture, they are just gone, not to say that is boring as what they try to project but their humor feels so force and exaggerated that can't but feel real, smart and natural leading it to a long speech about changing your life from monotony and taking new risks.

This is the story of the Gaffney's, a suburban family that finally seems the opportunity to take a break and have a vacation for their parents once they send their children to a summer camp, leaving the full house just for the grown ups that immediately start bringing ideas about how to spend all this time by themselves, putting on the side their obligations as parents and feeling again like humans and individuals able to enjoy the fact of doing nothing or be simply themselves, and of course as a couple trying to spend most of the time together doing what they always wanted to do, and try to bring the sparks again and spice things as when they met for the first time, but until then they'll realize that they have forgotten all what this means, and feels and how to do that without feeling like a parent, but all that fire has gone, they have become a boring couple with no ideas or energy to plan a fun date or just spend time together that can feel adventurous or exciting. The fact of being playing the same role for so long has turned into a kind of a new costume to a part of our personality that is uncapable to fade just like that. we don't even see ourselves as a sexy, confident, independent person, but as a family member trapped in this place and life. And part of it is being living in suburbs where nothing happens other than going shopping to the mall and watching your neighbors go by. That's why everyone tries to show up themselves as the new cool one in the neighborhood, turning the most simple thing like grocery shopping to the dinner plans into a competition to show off to everybody as the coolest family in the area or at work, the only place we spent more time that at home.

At this is the major issue of all, because work becomes our major issue to deal with since its the one binging an income that will aloud us to take care of our beloved ones, so our hungry for success and challenge to pursue a career that we love and feel passionate about transforms into find the spot that offers more benefits for our whole tribe. And since half or more of our daily basis moves around work, the people we work with, a.k.a as our co workers, become our best friends, confidents and an extension of that family, willing to listen what was our night adventure, family trip of the weekend or new addition for home improvement. As sad and simple as it sounds, that is the reality of most of the people in every country that choose this path in life. And nothing wrong with it but one of the major give and takes from it is the feeling of being trapped in a cycle that turns our lives into a monotony surrounded for the same people that will sneak in our lives and will look after us but no more than changing tires, sign up for the next bowling tournament or cooking competition for the local fair. So once that a new couple moves next door and exhales a fish air from all the trips they've been, all the stories the have to tell from all the places they've been living and all the adventures they've signed in, making the others feel so ordinary and simple that will make Karen, the mother of this family to smell something fishy from the new neighbors and will make her start spying on them to a point of paranoia and follow them, in hopes of find something that prove her right.

But not everything is about the new neighbors, but for herself, all this paying this is a new feeling of excitement to her that takes her from their routine and being stuck in the same place and moment for years that injects something new in her life and soon she will realize not only that she was right about them but how wrong was about her own life, realizing how much has she lost from his relationship with her husband and how much do they still have ahead to explore and share together and will make us better as persons, even still trapped in this suburban life they don't have to settle with what everybody sells as the thing to do, but they can be the cool guys and go by their own and mix things as they please and funny thing, they will also realize how others, that are far from this kind of lack, envy and desire to take a break and enjoy this comfort of knowing what will happen the next day and start the adventure of building your own family and all the chaos of raising kids and sharing life as a married couple, because what matters is being with the people you love and make all around them ,feeling inspired by the fact of have them in your life, and that's more than what any spy can afford, facing and fighting enemies that will try to kill you so they can defeat the enemy and win control and power but sometimes just to seek a challenge that can take you out of that boring life and monotony that only us afford to fall in, because we decided to follow a dictated path instead of choosing a unique life led by our own thoughts and desires and that's worse than any formula that will take you an expected ending, with lack of plot twists, poor box office and terrible reviews, So why not take new chances and what possibly can go wrong?

THE ACCOUNTANT...counting on a normal life

What makes a thriller good? enjoyable, entertaining? Specially when we know real life is more of a challenge and drama than a thrill, so why we keep investing ourselves in stories about this people that tend to save the day, kill the bad guys, solve a puzzle and basically change the world. Spies, agents, super heroes, police man, assassins, detectives, terrorist, serial killers, all up for a good thrill, an adventures willing to be explore and make us go through a series of challenges and mostly face a bunch of bad people that is trying to do something bad in a big scale or just get us in trouble, How fun is that? Well, sadly there hasn't been much innovations in a genre that basically screams for a twist or a pop corn time. So what makes us feel up for that thrill? what possible a thriller can bring to add something to our lives? the idea of feeling adventurous? a dream of saving the day? a challenge to help to save the puzzle behind a mystery? Or just feed our need and appetite for some violence that sadly to say it's part of our nature and better to explore it by a fictional tale than in real life. But if we can actually have a story and some human emotion among all this would that it make it more real or at least more empathetic? Is it movies supposed to imitate real life or actually is our daily lives the ones trying to imitate movies and pop culture, submerge in a false reality where we need role models and inspiration to make through our simple lives and a need to transform all those dreams and human desires of violence, power, adventure and to transcend  that inspire movies and these inspire us.

And so is the story of Christian Wolf, one of his multiple alias, using famous mathematicians names to keep his real identity hide. And why is this guy doing that? well, just because he is having a double life, serving as a regular under rated accountant, proving his services to the community taking as a form pf payment any other thing that he would need at the moment, like a favor or a thing, but not cash, for that he is working for big corporations and famous cartels, mafia, and other not very legal resources, but getting very nice payments that as illegal as their costumers activities are, so the money is it so he will use his skills as an accountant to hide their activities and help them to keep their business going. But as ideal as this situation sounds, it's obvios to assume that won't be as easy as it sounds. Dealing with this kind of people brings another kind of risk, from their side and from the law, so obviously he has to be prepare and because this is a movie, he will, thanks to his father that works in the military, he would train him and his brother to be prepare to face any threat and challenge the best way possible, so for that, he would learn all kinds of self defense and later about how to use guns and be the best at it. And just because this is a movie he will beat anyone that crosses his way and he will be as precise and accurate that he can kill an entire mafia and face the highest and well trained assassins in town.

So far everything sounds like a big cliche, Another average and typical movie. Another thriller full of action and explosion with well made action and fighting scenes with a talented cast and charming protagonist but what make this one worth the ticket or our time? Or what separates this one from all the other where a guy/girl with high skills for fighting and espionaje will save the day? Well, happens that our hero has a sort of autism, and for all who know a bit about this condition will understand that even that from one perspective seems like they are crazy people, is actually the opposite. They are people gifted, very talented and with skills over develop and that's why it's hard for them to communicate, socialize and behave in a normal way for most of the standard, as they don't know how to do it in their very own way. So we can witness by flashbaks how difficult was his life for a young boy that saw his family suffer, and only found a sort of friendship through his brother and other kids with similar conditions. And so he has a motive and with the proper training he got the skills to be able to have a normal life, look to others eyes like a normal talented guy while in real life he is hiding his condition while trying to survive and make the best of it, dealing with his own suffering, the one coming from his own condition and fears and the sadness and loneliness seeing his family be done, and for that he has build a personal revenge through all the people that has cause some kind of damage or hurt the people he that had helped him at some point.

I know, everything still sounds very cliche and the fact that a guy with a condition like that is able to achieve this quest and keep things going, sounds more like a super hero story than a real life drama, where getting to know yourself and accepting your flaws will take you further and can make you capable or great things, some of them you'd never imagine. But the fact that this man is kicking all the bad guys asses and is hiding behind the numbers with an identity as normal and low key as any accountant, trapped in an office working with numbers and paper work, but as fascinating as it is to be able to identify by understanding numbers the situation of an entity,  business or corporation, identifying where is being hurt and what is happening behind the curtain. Same way you can understand and identify anyone's behavior and set of mind, by analyzing clues like their past, body language and background is what makes him special and human. He is just trying to understand himself, to make it up for all the suffer and struggle he brought to his family. Trying to adapt to a society that doesn't understand him and trying to feel normal. He might not be able to act like an average guy but he has the same feeling and desires just came in a different way so he just need to find the way to make peace with all that and the damage he is causing in order to move on and start a normal life, because all that he wants is to feel and being seen normal, respected as an equal.

When we look back to the moments in our past when we were kids, and how they transform us, how they changed us, or influenced we realize they are mostly experiences mostly shared with others and how they made an impact in our perspective of things. Either they helped us to lear a lesson or be better in certain way or they hurt us creating a hole that will be fill with insecurities or fears, so we are just the result of that sum of experiences and other's impact in our lives. We can just blame ourselves of the decisions she make but we have to learn to make peace and accept things as they come as most of the time we don't look after them but they happen like a movie script and we deal the consequences for the rest of our lives. So is our hunky well trained autism character, trying to fit in the world, looking for answers and fighting for what he believes and needs to keep going. Crossing paths with people that will understand him and will see the best on him as we all have, and others that will try to take advantage of him, not knowing what are they getting into, but realizing that acceptance and giving to ourselves the chance of getting to know the people we are trying connect with will make the difference and is what we are all here about, to find answers to our own issues but not by putting them on others but learning from others experiences how to deal with them. And just with selfishness and honesty we will be able to love and accept and love ourselves and everybody is counting on that. We are all different and that is what makes unique and great so not letting others to take us down is what a thriller means, that's our real fight and that's a challenge that will take all our nerve and courage to face live as it comes and learn from the love and pain.

The Birth of a Nation... this is how we do it...

So we scream and freak out every time we turn on the TV or checking the news, full with violence and breaking news about shootings and bombings at places that we used to call home, or feeling safe while doing shopping or hanging with friends. We are getting to a point where is getting out of control and we can't stop but just complain about it. Did you see what happen in the mall last weekend? or did you read about the shooting at that school nearby? That's how our conversations start these days. We live afraid of the attacks from others and we wonder how this happened? When did we let things to get this far? Blaming to the minorities for all our mistakes, because we feel so entitled about our place in society that we left no room for others to come and try to make a living even they are part of our daily lives and commutes but just because they are different and came with new traditions and ideas doesn't mean we can't I've together and all this hate and love thing we spread around them is nothing but a ticking bomb that just started to explode to rise a voice that screams to be heard and bring equality to the table, acceptance for diversity and realizing that the damage we did in the past is just catching up on us in ways that we never saw coming and of course we don't like it but we easily forget when things were going ok, but how much damage have we done and have we improved in the all these years?

So when an independent and low budget movie made a lot of buzz early this year in the Sundance festival, wining the jury and audience prize, the studios right away start a fight to get the right for its distribution. So what's about this new movie "Birth of a Nation" (2016), that is making it a strong voice from diversity and equality, specially when we've seen other stronger stories about racism and slavery to already know that there is no happy ending there. We acted as cowards and ignorants back there, treating others worse than animals, and proving that human kind has it's very low moments, but fortunately we've been improving in recent times, educating new generations and fighting for that acceptance and respect to others no matter their race, gender, sexual preference or ideologies. But we are still halfway from an utopia, to become that kind of society that can see everybody as an equal and specially bring them the same kind of opportunities as anyone else. And for some the might sounds bizarre but for others is still a reality as they keep fighting everyday to find a way to survive and feel respected and accepted and loved. But who is to blame? them for being born that way and having to struggle to get what they want or need or fighting to accomplish in life or maybe us for not giving them the same opportunities, always trying to step a step ahead and showing some kind of betrayal with comments, actions or indifference to them. So are we still surprise when they haven't been heard and now they are screaming it with actions that mostly show a kind of violence.

This is the story of Nat Turner, a slave that was born and lives in a plantation in Virginia, owned by Samuel Turner. He was a strong, unique young boy, that was smart and curious enough to make himself learn how to read and connect with people, so grew up among his owners, and while helping his family with the salve tasks also started preaching for the community, making his voice to be heard all around just to bring the attention of other plantations asking for him to visit them and talk to their slaves, give them a bit of hope and obedience for their owners willing to invest in them in order to get more benefits. So he starts to become more popular among slaves that look at him as a promise of hope, buying the idea that things will change and they won't be suffering soon. but at the same time, this preacher starts to see the reality out of his plantation, where if compared with others, they are treated decently, so when he realizes how bad are other slaves treated, in inhuman conditions, are treating them like objects, worse than animals, not a single breath of respect or decency but just the way we treat any object that has a function, a machine that is made with the only purpose of serving us and when not, we try to fix it or get riddle of it. But they are human beings and when their lives are putting to a test, feeling denigrated and seeing how their own families are being murdered or rapped, the need to do something and stop things to continue start building up.

So Nate starts feeling like a liar when trying to bring some hope with his preaching and using his voice to rise others to complain and make a difference. But this is early 1800 century, when they can not even walk around out of their property with our a permit. And when Nate's wife makes this little mistake and is beating up almost to death, and his supposedly friendly owner no longer respects him or others willing to use them for the benefit of others, he needs to make a stop and change things, so among other followers decides to take some revenge over all this people that has been humiliating them, using them for their benefits, giving them no respect to their own or their beloved ones, using women for their sexual pleasure and men as horses or tools to keep their business going. So finally they decide to fight and show them they are no willing to tolerate things to continue this way. But even what they demand totally makes sense and their motives are perfectly understandable, the withe people, the owners, see this as a threat to their way of life, they are murders, rebels that dare to challenge them as equals, how is possible a black guy is posible to tae a white guy's life? Scandalous!, Society is ok to give death penalty to the slaves and just kill them in a public plaza as a sign of punishment and reward for the owners but how do the slaves dare to go violent over those who abused them and mistreated them?

So that's what resonates so loud these days over other stories that serve to prove how low as society and as human beings can we go when we try to own others, or want to act as some are better than others when at this point we all know we are all the same, just came in different presentations but back in time things were all about power and trying to prove to the rest that we are the best or when afraid to lose our control and power feeling threatened by others we point them as a someone that we need to be afraid of or a threat. So when we see how all this cultures came to explore and conquer new lands and taking advantage  of their knowledge and mostly they system where the use of guns is more advance than the others, then start sub missing the locals to take control of the land and establish as the new society and colonize them. But when they are useful, better keep them that dismiss them. And through all these years all these cultures lived under this kind of regimen where someone push them down and took advantage of them, so no surprise why now they are tired of feeling this way and want things to change and they are willing to make their voice been heard even if desperate measures need to be taken. Sounds familiar? Trust me, when you see how a group a of slaves are getting ready to fight their owners and break the rules even enjoying taking revenge on them after all what they made them suffered you can't but wonder how things haven't changed much in all these years and why we see these people acting so violent and trying to make a point that might sound brutal for us but what have we done to them not even compares and might be time to balance things. so when a movie made with such heart, not trying to make the best of it or tell a tale of bravery or courage but to make a point and prove everybody wrong serving as it's preacher, to rise a voice and expose to the world a truth that has been hiding behind the history books, it just feels at the end that everything now makes sense and sadly we haven't changed a thing and history tends to repeat.

EDGAR RAMIREZ....che on the train

Como parte de la multi cultural población que habita actualmente los Estados Unidos, era de esperarse que empezáramos a ver latinos tomando mejores roles en producciones hollywoodenses y no solo como parte de elenco de relleno en comedias o representando minorías sino tomando a la industria por los cuernos y demostrando el talento que cuentan para interpretar papeles tan importantes y complejos como cualquier otro. Por ello se siente como una bocanada de aire fresco el ver caras latinas poniéndose cara a cara con talento anglosajones y europeos capaz de cargar con proyectos independientes como blockbusters y sobre todo abriéndose camino en el gusto de la audiencia logrando imponerse mas que por su naturaleza latina, por su mera presencia en la pantalla grande. Y tal es el caso de Edgar Filiberto Ramirez Arellano, un joven nacido en Caracas, Venezuela un 25 de Marzo de 1977, hijo de una abogada y un oficial militar por lo cual paso su infancia viajando en diferentes países lo que le permitió aprender y ser fluido en 5 idiomas: Español, Ingles, Frances, Aleman e italiano. De vuelta en Venezuela termina la carrera en comunicación, especializandose en el area política que lo llevaría a fungir como reportero en campañas para television, radio y cine lo que siempre le despertó interés en las artes y filmar un corto que lo llevaría a obtener una propuesta del director Alejandro G. Iñárritu para participar en su siguiente proyecto, propuesta que tuvo que rechazar por estar enfocado en su tesis y tratando de seguir el camino escogido y aplicar como delegado de su escuela en Harvard. Pero tiempo después, la película de Iñárritu se convirtió en un éxito global, incluyendo el festival de Cannes y el Globo de oro. Fue entonces que Edgar decido perseguir la actuación.

Empezando de cero, su primer aparición como actor lo lleva a la pantalla chica en una telenovela, lo mas popular en países latinoamericanos, pero para su suerte la telenovela fue un éxito y esto le permitió poner su nombre en alto y colarse a Hollywood para conseguir un rol secundario en la cinta "Domino" (2005), a lado de Kiera Knightley, en la biografía de Domino Harvey, una famosa modelo que se convirtió en cazadora de recompensas. La cinta oscilo entre el drama y la acción, bajo la única vision de Tony Scott, pero desgraciadamente no tuvo gran impacto en taquilla ni con la critica pero en definitiva puso al joven actor en la mira de todos al interpretar a uno de los aliados de la joven Domino y que inclusive termina fungiendo como su interés romántico. Probando que su estilo le sienta bien para la acción, forma parte de "Bourne: Ultimatum" (2007), el cierre de la popular trilogía sobre el agente de la CIA que tras sufrir amnesia, se vuelve una amenaza para la agencia que sufriría de ser expuesta por sus métodos con sus agentes, por ello contratara a un especializado asesino internacional capaz de terminar con el agente, y este nuevamente le sentó bien al actor estar detrás del rifle pues esta vez la cinta fue un rotundo éxito en taquilla y critica, de hecho la mas popular de la serie, lo que le abrirá mas puertas al actor.

Una de ellas seria "Che" (2008), la version del director Steven Soderbergh sobre el popular activista argentino con ideas marxistas y una meta revolucionaria. Repleta de un elenco latino multi estelar e agrego cierto pedigrí al rol interpretado por el actor Benicio del Toro, pero desgraciadamente la cinta sufrir de una corrida limitada debido a su tema que no es de interés para las masas pero el hecho de contar con la aprobación de los críticos y obtener una exitosa comida por los festivales mas sonados la impulso un poco antes de pasar completamente desapercibida. De regreso a Hollywood, forma parte de otro ensamble, "Vantage Point" (2008), un thriller politico sobre el intento de asesinato del presidente contado por la perspectiva de diversos personajes incluyendo interpretaciones de la talla de William Hurt, Mathew Fox, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, siendo Ramirez uno de los personajes detrás de este atentado y que desgraciadamente funciona como vehículo de la industria para mostrar a las minorías como una amenaza y como responsables de las catástrofes del país. A pesar de esto su siguiente proyecto la daría la oportunidad de su primer protagónico, "Carlos" (2010), una cinta franco-alemana que sirve como puente para contar la historia de un revolucionario venezolano en la década de los 70's, Carlos El Jackal cubriendo su vida desde su primer ataque revolucionario hasta su aprensión en 1994. A pesar que el proyecto se quedo en el lado independiente, este le dio un cumulo de nominaciones y premios al actor por parte de las mas reconocidas asociaciones de actores alrededor del mundo.

Cargado de un mejor curriculum, regresa al lado comercial con la secuela "Wrath of the Titans" (2012), una secuela que sigue el éxito del clásico y el remake que tras su impacto en taquilla era de esperarse una segunda parte, y donde el actor interpreta al dios Ares, hijo de Poseidon, pero esta vez la critica no fue benévola y a pesar de una decente taquilla no fue el éxito de su predecesora lo cual detuvo cualquier intención de una trilogía. Mas tarde, lo veríamos en otro ambicioso proyecto, uno con miras Oscariles, "Zero Dark Thirty", una cinta que se mantuvo en silencio hasta su exhibición para exponer la historia de como el gobierno norte Americano encontró y aniquilo al terrorista Osama Bin Laden y el trabajo de todo el equipo detrás de esta misión que duro mas de una década en lograrse. El actor tiene una pequeña participación al igual que la mayoría del elenco multi estelar que forma parte de la cinta pero desgraciadamente la ambición de ser este una cinta que trascendería se quedarían cortas y su éxito en taquilla y critica fue mediano. Esto no lo detuvo, mas lo impulso a buscar otro ambicioso proyecto, ahora uno de la mano del director Ridley Scott, "The Counselor", en una historia que busca exponer los negocios y vidas de abogas y narco traficantes que falla en ser concreta y real, tratando de ser mas amarillista que profunda y a pesar de un elenco de primera, de la talla de Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz y Brad Pitt, la cinta fue un rotundo fracaso en taquilla y aplastada por la critica. A su favor, que el actor solo tiene un papel menor como el sacerdote con el cual una de las principales personajes se confiesa y por ende carga con sus secretos.

Regresando al cine latinoamericano toma el rol protagónico en la producción "The liberator" (2014), una producción española- venezolana que pretende contar la historia con un alto presupuesto, de Simon Bolivar, uno de los heroes latinos mas reconocidos en Sudamérica y que le valió una nominación a mejor cinta extranjera por los premios de la Academia. Desgraciadamente fuera de esta nominación no logro mas, ni una sola para la interpretación del actor como Bolivar, lo cual mando la cinta a un destino de olvido rápido. Esto no lo espantaría de regresar al cine comercial, por lo que de vuelta a Hollywood, buscaría causar algunos sustos en su primer incursion en el genero de terror con la cinta "Deliver Us from Evil"(2014), donde co protagoniza al lado del actor Eric Bana en una historia supuestamente basada en un caso real contado por una pareja de policías que se enfrenta una posible posesión o culto demoniaco que los llevara a buscar ayuda de un sacerdote, interpretado por Ramirez. La cinta tuvo una tibia recepción pero la suficiente para ser considerado un éxito en taquilla. Buscando ampliar su gama de oportunidades y obtener papeles en proyectos mas ambiciosos, logra un papel co protagónico en la nueva cinta del aclamado director David O. Russell, que tras sus celebrados proyectos anteriores regresa con "Joy" (2015), la historia de Joy Mangiano, una mujer americana que tras vivir atrapada con su familia y ex esposo, logra sacarlos a todos adelante tras lograr vender una idea que la convertiría en una exitosa empresaria. Ni la interpretación de la actriz Jennifer Lawrence ni la del actor como su ex esposo, pudo salvar la cinta de destino de criticas encontradas, tibia taquilla y cero premios. Mucho debido a una historia con poco impacto y conexión con la audiencia que en estos días buscas por algo mas para salir a las salas de cine.

Regresando al cine de acción, protagoniza la cinta y remake "Point Break" (2015), ahora ubicando la historia de los 90's en el nuevo milenio donde usando la tecnología y social media, un grupo de activistas, realiza acrobacias extremas para robar dinero de las corporaciones y dárselo a los mas necesitados, reclutando a un talentoso joven que funge como policía encubierto y que debatirá entre su deber y la cause de este grupo. La cinta a pesar de contar con audaces secuencias de acción careció de conectar con la audiencia, por lo que ni éxito ni fracaso fue condenada al olvido tras su estreno. Este 2016 lo vimos cerrando el verano con la limitada corrida de "Hands of Stone",  cinta protagonizada a lado de Robert de Niro, contando la historia del boxeador panameño Roberto Duran, quien tras una larga carrera se volvió historia al regresar a sus 49 años por la revancha con su frase de no mas! . Este mes lo vemos en la esperada adaptación cinematográfica de la popular novela "The girl on the train" (2016), una adictiva historia sobre tres mujeres conectadas por adicciones, envidias y deseos, así como por tres hombres, uno de ellos interpretado por el actor, un psiquiatra tratando de ayudarlas mientras se descifra el posible asesinato de una ellas y que las definirá para su futuro. Y por ultimo lo veremos a fin de año en "Gold", un thriller protagonizado por Matthew McConaughey como un hombre americano sin suerte que se asocia con un geólogo, interpretado por Edgar, para encontrar oro  en las selvas de Indonesia. Con aspiraciones para competir en la próxima temporada de premios, veremos si este año sera el que ponga al actor y su nombre bajo los reflectores y se convierte finalmente en un actor prominente o estrella de Hollywood, todo dependerá de la respuesta en taquilla de estos últimos proyectos y ojalá finalmente veamos mas opciones y oportunidades para otros talentos latinos en una industria dominada por anglosajones. Tiempo de diversidad.