PASSENGERS... are you enjoying the ride?

What would you do if you are facing an imminent solitude? Facing the fact that you will be alone for the res of your life? That life has played you a bad trick and now like if you were left alone in a dessert island you are facing the rest of your life trapped in a bubble by yourself? Obvioulsy the right thing to say would be to face the inminent destiny that awaits you or just opting to take your life, but what if you can actually change things and that means choose someone to join you in this horrible situation? You have the power in your hands to take someone's life to fulfill yours, what would you do? Would you face your destiny by yourself with all the perks and cons that that implies or would you opt for bringing someone to  the same situation so you both can go along meaning the life of that other or others will be taken for any possibility in the future. Of course the right thing and the moral thing to do is to face you destiny by yourself, but we as humans we are social creatures. We need that interaction to survive and full fill a lot of necessities and desires, so wold those circumstances justified the end? Would it be understandable and ok to have someone that will join us for the rest of our lives, to enjoy, and love, and fight the daily struggle even that means taking away that persons will to choose what would they wanted for their life?

All these philosophical questions serve as an interesting plot for a new sci fi film that pretends to explore the moral side of humanity when facing extreme situations like the ones just described but sadly, all of them just hang as a possibility for more falling for the easy way trying to please the crowds with a cheesy plot full of cliches and a lack of real plot that take us nowhere, trying to follow the rough path for a couple that fell in love and now is struggling with the circumstances they are trapped in. This is "Passengers" (2016), a new film that shows as a science fiction/ adventure  on the cover just to turn into a romantic adventure that lacks of romance and adventure, not even fits as a comedy as they just keep the sci fi because it's setting but with so many influences feels confusing and reminds us another movies like the one of a big ship sinking in the middle of the ocean after been hit by an iceberg while two passengers try to save their love and future together, or others about a man drafted in an island far away from civilization and trying to survive by himself while trying to find a way to get out of there, almost getting crazy and loosing himself for the lack of interaction with any other person.If we mixed those two examples we get something similar to what we are about to see, now just happening in the space as a place far away where we are trapped with no other way to go and played by two of the most popular and bankable celebrities of this time.

Chris Platt plays the role of a young man that left his planet to take this journey to populated a new planet where traveling for 120 years is needed, but when his capsule fails after an accident waking him up after just 30 years of the trip, just to realize that he is the only one among the other 500 passengers, leaving him trapped in the space ship by himself. Even there are more people around, they are sleeping to make it through the trip and get to their destination alive because there is no way to go when traveling deep in the galaxy, so has to make it by himself, meaning finding a way to kill time, entertain himself, leading this to the feeling of a life without purpose. Until he runs into beautiful girl, that while she is sleeping, he will get into all her life just to find some kind of connection that will push him to his limits at the point of the possibility to wake her up as a perfect companion to the new life he got into, but depriving her of her own choice to have a life and taking away her opportunity to continue her journey to this new planet. Since the moment we saw the poster, the preview or bought the ticket we knew how this goes. She will wake up to feel just as he did, trapped by the circumstances, facing the reality of losing her porpoise to go into this journey and leave her planet and all what was part of her life back there.

Again all these potential ideas are left on the side, with the potential of hitting into a darker story about those decisions that sometimes we are forced to make, pushed by circumstances, and how do we face them, how strong can our will to survive can be and how close we can get to try to finish with our own life when seems like there is no more reason to keep living. Instead of that we get a try out of a new kind of romance where two persons fall in love just and first of all because there are the only option for each other. Second because most of what happened was intended by him to pursue her, so he knows all details he needs to surprise and charm her, but we can't but wonder, will they fall for each other if the other passengers were walking around and if he wouldn't had all the information about her, putting him in a regular situation where a guy tries to get to know a girl. And using a new setting of finding love in space, they will translate any kind of cliche into a possibility for romance in a space ship, that feels more like a five star hotel or a luxury cruise. Sadly not even the romance works as we can't relate to this guys and we can't root for them under their situation. And as if we were under the stars, when romance starts to feel good and around, it's put on the side for a crisis that these two have to face in order to save their future but maybe to get them closer or add a little more adventure to the story, as if we were asking for it?

Or maybe was the intention of add some purpose to a story that keeps trying and trying to be something that is not even fun and needed. So what keeps this space ship and film on board is the charm and chemistry of the two actors, the FX that definitely create an evolving setting, an amazing photography and score that trap us visually into this possibility and mainly is Jennifer Lawrence character the one that we care more about, is she a victim of her circumstances after leaving earth just in a quest of doing something than no one has, write about it and go back to her life that won't exist anymore just proving her lack of commitment with the people around her, just trying to find perfection and justified by the fact that she needs to keep looking and searching for something that amazed her by doing what no one has instead of finding happiness in the simple things of life, one that has been and now is trapped by the situation of falling for a way the made her fall in love and open herself as she hasn't before just to realize that this man was selfish and took her life and her choices, even he is proving to be the right one and making her feel this way, this kind of love, but is it real love an illusion based on their destiny? Would it be the same as when someone leaves everything to follow their spouse or partner for a better job or life opportunity? or is it all about the fact of someone making a choice for us? Is there a justification in order to save someone's life to sentence other's? Is it real love and destiny when someone chooses us because we are the only option and because life tries to slap you i the face for all the wrong choices made before? Well next time you better choose right when going to the movies and looking for a realistic, deep and romantic story.

JAMES FRANCO...12 hours express

Pocos actores trascienden de la fama al talento nato, y muchos se encasillan y forjan una carrera basada en estereotipos o popularidad, pero solo unos pocos logran moverse en la industria de tal manera que su talento se expande en todas direcciones, no solo actuando, sino produciendo, dirigiendo, escribiendo, ademas de relacionarse con otro grupo de actores que terminara en un pequeño circulo en una industria que mas que talento y arte busca crear negocio. Asi el caso de James Edward Franco, quien no conforme con lograr popularidad y reconocimiento en la industria filmica ha buscado la oportunidad de mostrarse como artista y fomentar su unica vision y talento para contar historias con valor personal para el. Y todo comenzó en Palo Alto California, en abril de 1978, hijo de hijo de una guionista y ocasional actriz y un hombre de negocios en el Silicon Valley, y nieto de una editora de libros YA, era de esperarse creciera alrededor de arte y cercano a una industria que lo llamaría mas tarde como estrella del mañana, creciendo a lad de sus dos hermanos, Dave el mas chico, también actor, pero a pesar de actuar en obras en la secundaria y tener el deseo de la actuación, temía seguirla por miedo al rechazo. Sin embargo después de su primer ano estudiando Literatura, deja la universidad para perseguir su sueno y teniendo que trabajar en McDonald's para mantenerse, lo cual le dio la oportunidad de practicar acentos con los clientes y tener una lección de humildad que a la fecha agradece.

Tan solo despues de 5 meses en talleres de actuacion decide empezar a audicionar, logrando roles en comerciales y series de television pero su debut filmico viene con "Never been kissed" (1999), una comedia romantica protagonizada por Drew Barrymore, sobre una joven reportera que se hace pasar por estudiante para escribir sobre aquella nostalgica etapa y lo que interesa a los jovenes de esa generacion pero termina enamorandose de su profesor y lograr vencer su inseguridad por no haber sido popular cuando adolscente y conseguir su primer beso. Franco aparece como el chico popular de la escuela que hara la vida imposible a la joven protagonista. Tras esta cinta vendria otra comedia adolescente, "Whatever it takes" (2000), otra vez interpretando al joven popular de la escuela y que actua como patan para acostarse con todas las chicas que lo idealizan, pero la cinta no brillo mucho al contar una historia simple que la opaco en una epoca inundada de opciones en este genero. Sin embargo, esto le abriria la oportunidad de protagonizar un filme para television interpretando a James Dean, en una historia biografica del popular joven, y aunque la cinta no logro el interes deseado, la actuacion de Franco gano excelentes reviews y nominaciones a premios como los Emmy, Golden Globes, SAG, entre otros, poniendo al actor en la mira de laindustria.

Y no paso mucho para que su fama creciera al foar parte de la trilogia de la adaptacion filmica del super heroe "Spider-man" (2002), interpretando al joven Harry Osborn, el mejor amigo de Peter Parker, un joven que tras ser mordido por un arana obtiene habilidades similares a dicho aimal que le permitiran ayudar a otros en necesidad y combatir el crimen mientras lidia con el hecho de ser un adolescente y lo que implica crecer con una responsabilidad tan grande. Las secuelas "Spider-man 2" (2004) y "Spider-man 3" (2007), fueron un éxito que se fue incrementando con el tiempo, inclusive la segunda parte es considerada mejor que la original, mientras la tercera fue una decepción. Le seguiria la cinta "Sonny" (2002), dirigida por el actor Nicolas Cage quien busco personalmente al actor para su protagonista, en una historia de un joven que es expulsado de la milicia y regresa a su natal Nuevo Orleans para terminar trabajando como prostituto. La cinta solo gozo de una limitada exhibicion y fue aplastada por la critica. Por fortuna logra colarse en la cinta "City by the sea" (2002), donde el actor interpreta a un adicto vagabundo en una historia sobre una familia tratando de sobrellevar los errores del pasado, y co protagoniza al lado de Robert de Niro, quien lo eligiria para el papel tras ver su trabajo previo y buscando involucrarse en un cine mas serio y artístico, forma parte del elenco de "The Company" (2003), un drama dirigido por Robert Altman,  protagonizado por Neve Campbell sobre la compañía de ballet Joffrey Ballet, pero la cinta paso desapercibida por la critica y publico.

Tratando de seguir construyendo su carrera mas allá de ser una cara bonita mas, forma parte de "The Great Raid" (2005), interpretando a un capitán de una elite infantería en su historia verídica en las Filipinas durante la segunda guerra mundial. Desgraciadamente y apesar de abrir en pleno verano y contar con un presupuesto digno de un blockbuster, la cinta fue totalmente ignorada. Sin embargo para 2006 las cosas mejorarian logrando dos roles protagonicos, el primero en "Annapolis", interpretando a un joven luchando por ser aceptado en la fuerza naval ubicada en el puerto del titulo y u lucha personal con su distante padre. El drama no logro buena recepcion en taquilla y la critica la aplasto, apesar de su esfuerzo entrenando en clases de boxeo. El segundo tampoco seria miel sobre hojuelas, interpretando al legendario héroe Tristan en "Tristan & Isolde", un romance épico basado en la leyenda medieval sobre un guerrero que se enamora de la hija de su enemigo al ser rescatado por esta, poniendo su relación en un drama entre familias y países enemigos, pero otra vez, la historia se quedo corta y no genero el interés necesario para ser un éxito poniendo en tela de juicio el potencial del actor como iman taquillero. Ese mismo 2006, aparece en "Flyboys", donde logro adquirir su licencia de piloto en otra historia de guerra, ahora situada en la primera guerra mundial y que cuenta toda la trayectoria de un grupo de jovens pilotos desde que se enlistan, su entrenamiento y su exeriecia en batalla. Pero nuevamente el resulado no es mas que otro desastre en la carrera del actor.

Para 2008, las cosas toman un nuevo gira al co protagonizar al lado de su amigo de su tiempos en television, el actor Seth Rogen, en "Pineapple Express", una comedia de accion sobre un mesero y su dealer de mariguana que se ven perseguidos por asesinos a sueldo tras verlos cometer un asesinato. Producida por Judd Apatow, y su singular humor, la cinta fue todo un exito e inclusive la interpretacion de Franco, como un drogadicto levalio una nominacion a los Globos de Oro. Gozando las mieles del exito, meses mas tarde lo vemos en el polemico drama "Milk", cinta basada en la historia real del primer politico gay y su lucha por la igualdad de derechos para los homosexuales en EUA. Al lado de un elenco de primero que incluye a Sean Penn y Josh Brolin y bajo la dirección del talentoso Gus Van Sant, el actor interpreta a la pareja romántica del protagonista. La cinta no solo fue un éxito sino que cause impacto social por su temática llevandola a participar en todos los premios de la temporada de la industria fílmica. Demostrando que su carrera es mas por amor al arte que la fama, participa en varios proyectos meramente como actor secondario o cintas independientes sin ambicion taquillera, ente ellas "Camille" (2008), "Nights in Rodanthe" (2008), "Shadows and Lies" (2010), "Date Night" (2010), y todo esto mientras es nombrado el hombre mas sexy de 2009.

Para 2010, lo veremos en la adaptacion filmica de la popular novela "Eat, Prey and Love", a lado de Julia Roberts interpretando a su amante mientras sobrevella su divorcio. La cinta estrenada en el verano fue un exito en taquilla y critica, apesar de la corta aparicion del actor. Combinando proyectos tambien lo vemos en "Howl" una cinta experimental que explora el trayecto del poeta Allen Ginsberg y su poema homonimo al titulo de la cinta, asi como en el proyecto que se fue directo a video "Love & Distrust", donde 5 cortos de 8 diferentes personas y nacionalidades que buscan encontar su sentido y proposito en la vida. Pero nuevamente es sino hasta que protagoniza "127 hours", un drama basado en una historia verídica de un joven ciclista que queda atrapado entre dos rocas en un canon obligando a buscar la manera de sobrevivir hasta optar por amputarse el brazo para librarse, ganandose el reconocimiento y atención de la industria con multiples nominaciones y algunos premios, ademas de llevar a la cinta a un éxito seguro, posicionándolo finalmente como una celebridad de Hollywood, capaz inclusive de conducir los premios de la Academia.

Posteriormente regresa al mando del director David Gordon Green buscando repetir el exito previo con la satira "Your Higness" (2011) sobre dos hermanos y guerreros medievales y su lucha por no ser unos perdedores y ganarse el amor de una hermosa doncella. Ni el hecho de co protagonizar a lado de Natalie Portman salvo a la cinta de un inminente fracaso. Para el verano daría la sorpresa al protagonizar la precuela "Rise of the Planet of Apes" (2011), reviviendo la popular serie con una entrega que fue amada por la critica y un éxito de taquilla que ya genero dos secuelas, interpretando a un joven científico que usa a un simio al que adopta para hacer experimentos genéticos que terminarían en un desastre para la humanidad. Posteriormente apareceria en un rol secundario en "The Iceman" (2012), biografia del famoso asesino a sueldo Richard Kuklinski, interpretado por el actor Michael Shannon, debutando en el festival de Venecia pero ganando una tibia recepcion por ambos lados. Mas tarde, co protagoniza a lado de un grupo de jovenes promesas la cinta "Spring breakers" (2012) un melodrama de accion sobre un grupo de jovenes universitarias que durante su viaje a Florida conocen y relacion con un narco traficante que las empujara a un camino de adicciones, crimen y violencia, todo en busca de pasar un gran rato de locura. Dado su contenido sexual y de fiesta, asi como su elenco que incluye a Selena Gomez y Vanesa Hudges como chicas malas, la cinta fue un exito de boca en boca relegando al actor a un segundo plano, factor que no le importa en lo mas minimo.

Regresando a los blockbusters para mantener presencia entre sus seguidores y sobre todo mostrando su interes por participar en proyectos que de alguna manera le interesan o elacionan con alguno de sus tantas amistades en la industria, ahora poniendose de nuevo bajo la mano del director Sam Rami, quien lo lanzaria a la fama, participa en "Oz, the great and powerful" (2013), una nueva adaptacion de la popular fantasia ahora enfocandose en la historia previa del mago y las brujas de dicha tierra. Co protagonizando a lado de actrices como Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis y Rachel Weisz, convirtiéndola en todo un éxito de taquilla para el estudio Disney y poniendo de moda nuevamente la popular historia. Y continuando la buena racha, forma parte del elenco de "This is the end" (2013), una sátira apocalíptica, sobre un grupo de jóvenes festejando el fin del mundo, y reuniendo a un cast que incluye a la nueva generación de jóvenes comediantes que ademas son todos un grupo de amigos en la industria, lo cual atrajo a la audiencia a las salas de cine y la convirtió en un éxito en taquilla ademas de sorpresivamente agradar a la critica para una cinta del genero. Regresado al cine independiente no pudo contenerse en participar en una cinta que brinda tributo a la industria pornografica con "Lovelace" (2013), a lado de Amanda Seyfried quien interpreta a la popular estrella porno de garganta profunda, y donde el actor interpretaria a un famoso productor.

Mezclando su carrera filmica con su banda y discografia, loogra la primer adaptacion de una novela suya, "Palo Alto" (2013), acerca de un grupo de jovenes viviendo en aquella zona de Los Angeles, Cal. y enfrentando las dificultades propias de la edad  y el despertar sexual, el actor interpretando al entrenador de soccer que seducira a una de sus jovenes alumnas. A pesar de su limitada exhibicion la cinta conto con una buena recepcion. Continuando la mezcla de diferentes proyectos se pone en la mano del guionista Paul Haggis en la cinta "Third Person" (2013), una cinta que entrelaza tres historias que parecieran no tener nada en común, y donde el actor interpreta a un joven padre luchando por quitarle la custodia a su ex esposa acusada de maltrato físico. El drama es confuso y la historia no hace ningún sentido por lo que limito su corrida comercial y fue rechazada por la critica, a  pesar de su reparto multi estelar como Mila Kunis, Liam Neeson, Olivia Wilde y Maria Bello. Dando un giro inusual, interpreta al villano en la cinta de accion "Homefront" (2013), sobre un agente de narcos que se muda con su hija en busca de re iniciar su vida en un nuevo sitio, hasta ser perseguido y acosado por un narco iniciando una batalla que se ira incrementando conforme se va complicando poniendo en resigo no solo la vida de ambos sino de sus seres queridos. Para el genero y siendo protagonizada por Jason Stathman, tuvo un aceptable recepcion.

Y lo que pareciera ser una nueva tendencia afortunadamente no lo es, pero aun asi se cuela en el thriller "Good People" (2014), a lado de Kate Hudson, en una historia sobre una pareja de americanos que viviendo en Londres se ven atrapados en deudas hasta encontrar por zares del destino una suma de dinero que ponddra su moral y su vida en juego. Desgraciadamente la cinta tuvo tan malas criticas que limitaron su exhibición comercial. Como si eso no fuera suficiente, produce y protagoniza la comedia "The interview" (2014), una historia polémica sobre un grupo de reporteros que son obligados por la CIA a asesinar al presidente de Corea del Norte. La cinta fue hackeada y exhibida antes de su estreno el cual acarreo una de las peores criticas y taquilla en su carrera, por fortuna las noticias sobre la distribuidora opacaron el pésimo producto. Meses después regresa con "True Story" (2015), la historia de un posible asesino que es capturado en Mexico usando la identidad de un prestigiado reportero del New York Times, quien al enterarse de esto, acude a entrevistar y enfrentar al sospechoso. Co protagoniza a lado de su amigo Jonah Hill y con excelentes criticas no logra éxito en taquilla. Entre este tiempo a participado en casi una docena de proyectos independientes que si acaso han logrado una proyección limitada en casa de arte o en video, mientras otros aun siguen pendientes de ser exhibidos, convirtiéndolo en uno de los actores con mayor presencia en la industria del entretenimiento, no solo en cine y música sino apariciones en television como la serie "Saturday Night Live" y "11.22.63" sobre la posibilidad de cambiar el evento del asesinato de Kennedy entre otros eventos como escritor, productor, director, y acciones de caridad y apoyando a sus amigos en cameos de sus proyectos.

Este año, siguió con agenda llena, lo vimos primero, o mejor dicho, oímos en dos cintas animadas: "Sausage party" (2016), una parodia donde la comida enfrenta su realidad de ser devorada por los humanos, haciendo burla de temas como la religion, apertura sexual, amor, razas que goza de momentos originales e hilarantes que la convierto en un éxito del verano para los adultos. Y la segunda, en la adaptación de la clásica novela infantil "The little prince" (2016), prestando su voz al señor zorro, y aunque aplaudida por la critica, su estreno comercial fue limitado y se fue directo a video. Tan salo un mes después lo vimos en "Goat" (2016), una cinta independiente, que produce y en la cual participa como un viejo miembro de una popular fraternidad que regresa para exponer la naturaleza y excesos de este sistema colegial que abusa de su propuesta para abusar de los jóvenes que desean formar parte de ella si como los mismos miembros, la cual ademas de entretener sirve como propuesta social. Otro éxito en critica pero limitada taquilla. Otro mes después aparece en "King Cobra" (2016), otra vez una cinta que expone la industria pornografica ahora contando la historia de un joven actor porno y su asesinato en 2007 por dos de sus productores, uno de ellos interpretado por el actor, otra vez tratando de exponer esta industria mas fue intento fallido al generar malas criticas y una minima taquilla con cero exposición. Y por ultimo lo vemos este mes en la comedia "Why Him?" (2016), una divertida cinta sobre la relación de un padre y su hija que esta saliendo con un millonario joven de la industria tecnológica pero que carece de filtro al hablar y su personalidad llega a ser demasiado excéntrica poniendo en sus limites al conservador y controlador padre de familia. Hasta ahora la taquilla y las criticas han sido muy tibias mas aun esta por verse su alcance en esta temporada decembrina y con otra docena de proyectos bajo el brazo, entre ellos la nueva cinta en la saga Alien "Alien covenant", tenemos Franco para rato.

SUPERGIRL...alienating yourself?

It's a plane it's bird, it's super...oh no! wait it's not even superman...it's "Supergirl" (2015-current), a new twist on the super hero spectrum that after invading the multiplex now has found a new house in TV, and after a few years exploring all this strong male characters is time for women to take control. Under the same premise from her cousin Kal-El, a young girl from planet Kripton is sent to Earth to protect her little baby cousin just get trapped in space among with a huge space ship that serves as a space prison for all those bad people that treated their planet that went to the apocalypse as we already know and we are familiar with that story? So if we've seen these story before since the perspective of the man of steel, why do we need more of it? Or what was missing from his cousin to tell, specially for a tv show? Well, for sure it's been a few decades since the last we saw how men were able to save the world but things have changed we don't live in a world ruled by men. Minorities have overcome to speak loud and stand for themselves. We live in times where there's a daily fight for equal rights and respect, trying to leave all by the same rules with no exceptions of gender, race, preferences, ideologies, cultures. So the tale of an alien trying to make things right in a different planet while figuring out herself and changing perspectives from people around her and all around the globe resonates more powerful than ever.

So yeah, maybe we know the basics about the story of this super heroes that came to our planet as refugees just to turn into heroes with super powers able to save the day and show to humanity our flaws and strengths but mostly our capability to love and overcome difficulties, but when we turn the table from a perspective a minority, a girl that happens to be an alien, a geek, and a teenager, things get a different perspective. Mostly because now the story moves from a feminist perspective. Men are put on the side to serve not as main characters but to show other sides of masculinity where you don't need to save the world by yourself to be a real man or be stronger, sometimes the fact or being able and open to ask and accept some help will make you better and will achieve your goals faster. Men have been entitled as a superior being. They rule the world, they save the day, they are able to transform, create, manipulate, destroy, rule and leader but there's more than that. There are more people and living creatures among them so it can't happen that way. As every empire in history their time has come so women have proved to be as strong and powerful as men, able to stand side by side in any fight, trying to prove they can lead organizations, corporations, countries, cities, and can be as useful and helpful as any one, and that applies to any other minority that has been overshadow by the power of the mighty white men. This is the time when we get to see stories about women trying to change, rule, transform and realize they also have something to say. They have struggles similar to men. They also love and fight to be successful and recognize their own talent.

So when we met Kiara, a young girl that was raised by a family on the country side, along with her step sister, she tries to figure out our culture, the perfect excuse to expose it as a collage of incoherent values where we rave for the brave but judge the one who take the first step as if all were afraid of what could happened and even she lives hiding her truth self, as instructed to avoid being rejected and pointed for those who won't understand her unique personality until one day she is forced to exposed herself and her powers in public to safe her sister from a plane crash. That moment will define her as a new era where she needs to do something about it, with the opportunity to save lives, help others and make a difference. But obviously the rest won't take as exciting as she did. Everybody will start questioning if this is another threat or a miracle. specially after the world already knows and accepted Superman, so now there will be two super heroes and that raises some fears and will point to the girl as the wicker just because her gender so she will have to prove it. So all along it's first season we go through this journey of acceptance from others for who you truly are and accepting yourself with pros and cons, knowing that even having super powers won't make you perfect and will make some mistakes and won't please everybody because there always be someone trying to judge you or stop you for their own reasons the same way we can't like everybody. So as a woman she will have to work harder to prove everybody's wrong and be accepted as an equal.

And then, just when things seemed to get better, another group of aliens will come out. Some with good intentions, others not so good, specially because they were living in a space prison paying some kind of sentence back in the galaxy where they are from, so now our planet is invaded by a group of aliens that live among us and while trying to adapt to our society, some will protect it and others will try to take advantage of it, so we the humans, are trapped in between this war but we are at home and they are foreigns trying to change our security and safe place, the only one we have. As similar as this sounds, the plot resonates in so many levels in times of globalization. Frontiers have expanded to another level. Cities are filled by people from around the world. traditions are shared and adopted as part of keeping and open mind and embrace new perspectives. So the struggle of a group of allies serving as immigrants in a foreign planet that might serve as home but is not theirs, will expose our fears and love to this current situation where some countries are facing the fact of new waves of immigrants from other countries, and the fact that these aliens might be or look superior to us, changes the fact of what we call security because they can destroy us and our lives depend on a small group of them that are actually willing to help while helping each others to find their lives in a place far from their home.

Charged with plots about politics, media, immigration, feminism, the show also takes a break for some fun, not taking itself too serious, serving just as a vehicle to expose these topics that feel more than actual and use a mythology to get deep on them but at the end the story centers on a girl that while saving the world also tries to have a life. She is working hard to make it through her boss office and her demands, while learning one or other trick to move up in the latter, while figuring out what does she really want to do with her life and find what she really is. Also she will try to feel normal, having a family on the side and making new friends that will stand at her side to fight with her, building a perfect team that will prove that working alone is not the answer but letting others in and get to know you, will bring more benefits. And why not? she is a girl, so she deserves and wants to be loved, to feel desired and meet that connection that will excite her and push her to keep going, but with such a busy agenda and too many things going o in her head, like saving the world and finish all errands in a 9 to 5 job won't make it easy, learning that being the princess is not as charming and useful as we thought because there is a big responsibility on your shoulders and having the eyes of the world on you can be intimidating, but at the end learning that we are a work in progress and that having a work team that will push your limits while bringing the best on you is more a blessing than a curse and the best super power we all can have, other than be able to flight, have a super strength and other things can't compare to the power of love, family, friendships and most important the realization of how great we are just by being ourselves, without labels of race, gender, preferences, ideologies, but just as a simple being.

LA LA LAND...life is better dancing

Once that you have seen the preview of "La La Land" (2016), you might think two things, first that you have no idea what this story is about other than the obvious and second, that definitely they don't do movies like this anymore. So after seen the movie you might agree with the fact that is a must see of the season and a movie that will define this generation and time. Specially in these times where the world feels under attack and life sometimes feel like a bump where we just want to take a break, or quit and go on a long term vacation just to keep our hope going about a better world for us and others, this movie comes and feels just right. Even that is set in present times, there is just something about the way is done and all what we see and feel that feels like the classics, like an old fashion film, where we can't but join to a celebration of love and want to leave the theater singing, smiling and dancing. Even the director couldn't avoid most of the cliches of the genre, musicals a tough cookie, because their charm depends in the final project and the big picture of it. It something goes wrong it will look horrible and ridiculous turning the whole thing into a disaster but if is well done, then we can be surprised and dazzled by the magic of the movies and get major events such as this Land. 

Ok, not gonna lie, it's on the surface a love story, like those old fashion musicals, so you were right assuming that after seeing the preview. And if you didn't even better. This is the story of Mia and Sebastian. She is an aspiring actress that lives with her three roommates, and works as a barista in the Warner Bros. lot just to deal with raising stars and wanna be celebrities while trying to find her way in Hollywood, jumping from one audition to other just to feel frustrated of seeking some kind of opportunity that seems to fit better to others, prettier, more talented, better dressed, with better connections, so even she seems to be doing great performing as has been told, is exhausting to look at yourself rejected one after other, feeling like you are not enough and that your dream might never come true. And actress Emma Stone will make you feel all the sadness and joy of someone fighting to own her place in an industry that is very wanted for many but just a fe can actually get in, just to prove that dreams might come true but at a cost and life is not a cheering song without going into some darker places and been pulled down just to find the way to re start and find a better and new way, but realizing sometimes we need from others to get inspired again and get some strength to keep going and pursue that dream, and maybe get some new ideas about how to, as she will just to crash again but into a new wall that after closing a door will open a window that might be the answer if she is willing to pay the price of jumping into it.

And that inspiration will come in the form of Sebastian, a young pianist, and jazz obsessed guy that is fighting even harder for a type of music that is dying but he loves, he ever has and ever will, but has taken him to nowhere. he has no money to pay his bills, living by the charity of his sister, pushing him to take some side jobs in restaurants and parties playing piano in a way that feels wrong, following a play set that makes him forget about his love of music, the essence of jazz, which means be able to perform and re invent and compuse at the same time while doing something new every single time. So his frustration can't be more obvious that turning him into an asshole, even that life tries to match him with Mia, till once when finally she is the one trying to take it back on him for his attitude just to get his attention and even they have no much in common, there are sparks and attraction there, there is something they can't explain happening when they are together and they are not looking for any romance. She is already seeing someone and he is in a bad place to think in a relationship, but when things happens and you get in some kind of synchronization with someone, opposites attract and magic things happen, and that's how love happens. They both find themselves immerse in this feeling that make them float, dance, explore new things, but mostly inspiring each other to keep fighting for their own dreams, supporting each other to believe they can make it and that life is not as bad as it seems, they have teamed up and they are stronger together, but that feeling can be expressed better with music and body language. Thanks to another great performance from actor Ryan Gosling, who's charm will get you cheering and singing for him.

While music will keep you on the edge of your seat, the perfect score a mix of jazz and modern musicals, makes this story the perfect fit to revive a genre that is also dying just like jazz and also in a time where movies seem to be going on a way down due to an increase of quality in tv, where shows have overtaken the industry and the attention of everybody, specially new generations that prefer to binge at home or their phone that spend some time in theaters where is crowded, dirty and people talk while the show, so with jazz and cinema almost dying these two characters can't represent better the two sides of their own fight to bring them back while expose their beauty. The fact that movies can inspire and influence anyone's life transforming pop culture and sticking in your mind for generations and music can inspire and awake feeling you might not know having or simply to keep fighting for whatever your dream or cause is. Mixing the magic of movies and the power of music you get a musical that while exposes itself inspiring new generations to understand their own beauty and embrace them as a unique opportunity that feels like falling in love and while it might not be perfect for sure will change or transform you life in ways that you can't imagine, understanding that something no need words but simple images, sounds, corporal language can say more than thousand words. so are you ready to dance and give it a chance?

Well if you do, then you won't missed the part that the preview was hiding. The story of love is just the cover of a major storyline, the one that defines us in more ways than music and art does, the story of life, it's power to takes us through different paths and how sometimes or most of them we miss their signals, when trying to say something, because as music or dancing, not always will be too straight forward or clear but more smooth, forcing us to understand a secret message hiding behind it's actions. We'll get clues and opportunity, and every person that we cross paths with has a reason for, a meaning behind a simple chit chat or encounter. Life will surprise you if you give a chance but nothing can be stronger than your will to make things happen, to fight for your dreams but as said before, everything will come at a cost, we can't ave it all, at least not all together or at the same time, so sometimes you'll have to choose between love or dreams, happiness or satisfaction, or maybe one will lead to the other, but relationships are not as simple and magic as the happy ending movies, even that we can make peace with our decisions, and that will make us happy, we will have to face the fact that for every major decision we do, will be another possibility that we might be missing or letting go and that one could be better than the chosen one, but won't know till later, when we are able to have a different perspective. Music is made of from a composition of tones and high's low's, so is life, and cinema is made from different kinds of art, all mixed together, and they have different tones and acts, perspectives and storylines, so does life, so be ready to immerse in a journey that you might already tried but need to awake and start enjoying and here some tunes and steps to do it better, cause never felt better to have a feel love and hope among difficult times, this might be just a bump. La la la...

Manchester by the Sea.... in time to move on

One of the things that hurt the most is any kind of loss. Even simple things as losing a game or a bait to losing a job or your time can be frustrating, annoying, painful, but nothing comes harder and tougher that when comes to losing someone, either as a break up, when loses the love of your life or worse, when someone close to you passes away. Realizing that someone has died and will not be around anymore brings one of our biggest pains and fears, facing life and the need to move through it knowing there will be an empty space from the one that is no longer here. The closer the person is to anyone the harder it gets, a spouse, parents, children, friends, are missing pieces in our heart that hardly will be replaced and even we can learn how to continue without them and accepting that they always will be with us in our thoughts and all those things we learned and shared with them are now part of ourselves but sometimes tragedy comes with guilt and if we are not in piece with ourselves and the acceptance of that loss, we might start losing ourselves  and that is just the start to a big fall through a rabbit hole that might never end or take us to a dark place that will transform us in ways we  and all around us will unknown and alienating our lives only takes one direction: sadness and loneliness because if we are holding grudges, that weight won't let us move on and find peace in our heart, mind and soul turning us in a walking zombie.

This process of grieving is the main topic in the new film "Manchester by the sea" (2016), a perfect example of a story about facing a big loss and different ways and how we all approach it in different ways and how loss will affect everyone in different ways. Because even we follow certain steps and traditions to learn how to deal with it, move on and accept and find that light to keep going without letting sadness take over us, there will be more than one thing affecting us, depending the circumstances of what just happened and life is not always fair as we already know, so any left turn can take us downhill. Coming wrapped with great reviews and having all critics raving about it, this movie just set in the Oscar race and all other nominations of the season after it's released early this year in the Sundance Festival plus terrific performances for it's main actors, including a break through performance with a story that can relate to anyone, and feels ass crude and real as any wound, thanks to a great directing orchestrating a script that moves around the most intense drama to a dark comedy, a great balance just as any simple day in our lives because even when we are lost and life feels without meaning or direction there will be others trying to guide us or pulling us up even we prefer to stay down and those moments of us doubtless will define our actions and thoughts, sometimes to make us stronger others just to revive past memories and old wounds, and because our nature, we'll try to ease the pain, and the only way to protect us from that is pushing everybody away.

The story follows a man that has just been notified his older brother has passed away, from the sudden while fishing at his boat, and has left behind his teenager son. After his wife left them in search of treatment for her alcoholism, he took care of the boy and raised him with his younger brother's help. So now is asking for that help again. To take care of his son. But this man is going through a rough patch. One that has last for the last couple of years since he has another loss that can't get over. And one that turned his life into a living hell for himself, turning him from a loving husband and big hearted man into a cranky, neurotic man that can't even keep a job for longer than a few weeks and with so much anger that his major hobby is to get drunk and hit the bars just to find a friendly face to punch at after any excuse. But he has a reason and the one he own is a big guilt and pain after losing all his kids in a terrible accident. One that as any accident wasn't made intentionally but happened because of him. as always if there would be another possibility, things could have gone differently but from an innocent moment, a disaster came, and after losing all his children and his house, his wife couldn't live with him due her own pain, letting him leaving with the pain of destroying his life and all what he once loved.

This is not a simple loss. This one carried a series of events that turned a simple man, a family man into a hermit, a man full of anger and guilt. One that is living day by day without purpose and even now that one has knocked at his door with the opportunity of make up things taking her of his nephew, he just simply can't. His pain is bigger than the responsibility he is facing. He feels incapable , and is afraid to fail again and screw it up big time, and he knows there is no way he can survive another failure, so he'll take the easy exit, even he knows is the wrong thing to do, but if he can't even take of himself much less would be able to take care of his nephew. And that's where his story comes to a place to match with the grief of his uncle, because this young soul is going through a different but at the same time intense patch after his mom left him and his dad, so as any teenager dealing with proper things of that age, has to deal now with the fact of having no family and no one to care about him so he hides and refuges behind the fact that he has a band and two girlfriends and all what he does is just to finally have sex with all of them. But this guy walk like a tick tack bomb, he seems ok and happy, and as any young guy with all his life in front of him, smiles and enjoys all the pleasures that come when just started discovering and enjoying it, but when life hits you, you need to hit it back and so he feels like need to do so.

The life of tis two men collide while dealing with all the process of the death of a brother and a father. They need to figure out how to get along and take care of each other like two lost puppies because how can they be strong for the other if they can't take of themselves, they feel weak and lost. And people around them can smell that and even offer their help, family issues stays inside family so they are the only ones that understand each other but their journeys are far from stay close to each other even they love each other, their pain is deeper and bigger than any love. So how can we learn to make peace with ourselves in situations where there are no second chances?, How can we find peace in our minds when we know there always will be that empty space left and we can't change the past and even the future might look bright and be able to make up things in life and find another opportunities when life take something from us usually opens a window and offers a different path but we blind ourselves because we can't just feel anymore, we learn to shut our feelings from the outside world. Why is so hard to find happiness and so easy to lose it, and again so hard to move on without it, learning to accept that things happen for a reason and will be other opportunities but we grew so attached to others and being hurt is a primal fear that we can't avoid but to learn how shut it off as the only reason to continue with life, making everyday another reason to keep blaming us and others for our mistakes and keep feeding pain and sadness with the idea of using them to try to get riddle of, like birth and death, we can't have one without the other. Why are we so afraid of death? is it because the loss makes us face ourselves and all those insecurities we were trying to avoid or is it the incapability or moving to another phase in life without the people and the joy they brought to us, incapable to keep loving others the same way we love before. Time to learn to move on and enjoy life with it's ups and downs.