JULIANNE MOORE....the hours in nine months

Pocos actores pueden darse el lujo de obtener un status en la industria para poder elegir proyectos a diestra y siniestra, sin importar que tan malos o buenos estos sean, ya que su capacidad histrionica los salvara de cualquier porqueria en la que se vean envueltos pero este lujo y privilegio solo se ve en contadas ocasiones y tiempo atrás nunca se imagino seria el caso de Julie Ann Smith mejor conocida como Julianne Moore, una actriz que supo escoger sus proyectos cuando forjo su carrera fílmica y con un talento nato que la ha puesto en la categoría de los grandes actores, y finalmente parte del circulo de los aclamados por la Academia, es una de las pocas actrices que combina sus proyectos dentro de Hollywood y la escena independiente y con altibajos, ha logrado interpretar y representar a un grupo de visionarias pero complicadas mujeres. Mas no es su caso, habiendo crecido en Carolina del Norte, hija de un juez militar y una madre escocesa que inmigro en los 50's como una psicóloga y trabajadora social,  pero creció moviéndose por el país debido al trabajo de su padre a lado de su hermana y hermano menores. lo que la forjo como una chica tímida e insegura pero a la larga aprendería a adaptar su comportamiento dependiendo de la ubicación y circunstancias. Mas nunca pensé en la actuación como carrera, ya que fue una buena estudiante y quería aplicar para medicina, pero su gusto por leer la llevo a involucrarse en las obras escolares donde sus maestros la incitaron a seguir las artes, donde se graduó de la Universidad de Boston con el apoyo de sus padres.

Una vez graduada se mudo a New York donde trabajo de mesera hasta colarse en una telenovela que le valió cierto reconocimiento dentro de ese genero pero después de un tiempo opta por dejarlo y enfocarse en teatro, pero eventualmente regresaría a la television via películas para tv. En 1990 mientras trabaja en proyectos de teatro logra su debut cinematográfico con la cinta "Tales from the dark side: the movie", la cual fue un éxito en taquilla e interpretando a una de las víctimas logra la atención de los críticos lo cual le abriría puertas para otros proyectos entre 1992-1993 con pequeños papeles, en cintas como "The fugitive" protagonizada por Harrison Ford, "Body of evidence" protagonizada por la cantante Madonna, "Short Cuts" con un ensamble de actores y músicos. entre otras mas que pasaron desapercibidas en su momento. Siendo hasta 1995 que forma parte de "Nine Months", a lado de Hugh Grant, como su interés romántico en una comedia romántica sobre un joven soltero que ha embarazado a la chica con que sale y como los siguientes 9 meses cambiaran su vida. La cinta fue un éxito en taquilla aunque aplastada por la critica mas eso le valió a la actriz para ponerse en la mira de la industria quien la pondría en otro blockbuster, la cinta de acción "Assassins" (1995), bajo la batuta del experto del genero Richard Donner sobre un par de asesinos a sueldo, interpretados por Sylvester Stallone y Antonio Banderas, contratados para terminar con una hacker que pose información valiosa. La cinta escrita por los hermanos Wachowski careció de originalidad por lo cual paso desapercibida mas no del todo un fracaso.

Buscando forjar una carrera mas apegada al lado artístico logra involucrarse en "Surviving Picasso" (1996), protagonizada por Anthony Hopkins como el famoso pintor, mas la cinta se enfoca solo en una temporada de su vida, y desgraciadamente fue un fracaso en taquilla y critica. Esto no detendría a la actriz para ponerse bajo la mano de Steven Spielberg en "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (1997), una secuela del blockbuster sobre dinosaurios y que nuevamente fue otro éxito poniendo a la actriz de nuevo en la cima como co protagonista de la franquicia. Y mas tarde la veríamos en uno de los éxitos mas sonados de la escena independiente, "Boogie Nights" (1997), un retrato de la industria porno en los 70's y donde la actriz co protagoniza a lado de Mark Wahlberg como un novicio actor porno con un gran talento entre las piernas. La cinta es ya un clásico gracias a la vision del director Paul Thomas-Anderson, lo cual le permitiría relacionarse con los altos talentos de Hollywood, tal el caso de su siguiente proyecto, la nueva cinta de los hermanos Cohen, "The Big Lebowski" (1998), otro clásico de la época, pero un fracaso en su estreno, una comedia de crimen protagonizada por Jeff Bridges, sobre un criminal y amante de boliche que es asaltado al ser confundido con un millonario del mismo nombre por lo cual secuestra a su esposa desatando otra serie de eventos y enredos.

Ahora en su primer remake, "Psycho" (1998), basado en el clásico de Hitchcock ahora bajo el visionario Gus Van Sant, tratando de recrear el thriller que lo llevo a la fama, pero cuyo intento les exploto en la cara, al ser un fracaso en taquilla y critica tratando de recrear el original cuadro por cuadro y con un elenco estelar que ademas de Moore incluye a Anne Hache y Viggo Mortensen. Pero los fracasos no parecieran importarle ya que se enlista junto con un elenco multiestelar que incluye a Glenn Close, Chris O'Donnell, Liv Tyler entre otros en "Cookie's Fortune" (1999) una comedia del director Robert Altman que circulo por la escena indie y varios festivales que le valio el aplauso de la critica sobre una historia sobre la muerte en una excentrica familia.  Continuando su ronda por la cinematografia indie e internacional, aparece a lado de Cate Blanchet, Minnie Driver y Rupert Everett en la cinta "An Ideal Husband" (1999), una produccion britanica basada en la obra homonima de Oscar Wilde y que fue seleccionada para abrir el festival de Cannes mas en America no fue exhibida. Mas tarde la vemos en un drama de mayor presupuesto, "The End of the Affair" (1999), basada en la popular novela, narrando el romance que da titulo a la historia pero que fallo en cautivar a la audiencia generando una tibia recepcion por lo que repite con el director Thomas Anderson, en "Magnolia" (1999), un drama con ensamble multi estelar que va narrando la vida de varios desconocidos que tras ciertas circunstancias terminaran cruzandose. La cinta fue un exito que gano a la audiencia por la originalidad y complejidad de su trama, ademas de su talentoso reparto y donde la actriz interpreta a la esposa de un combaleciente productor de television que la ligara con personajes peculiares alrededor de este.

Regresando a las producciones de grandes estudios, se apunta para la secuela de uno de los clásicos thriller de la época moderna, "Hannibal" (2001), esta vez centrandose completamente en el personaje de Hannibal Lecter, y la actriz interpretando el personaje que originalmente interpreto la actriz Jodie Foster, ahora bajo la dirección del talentoso Ridley Scott y aunque la cinta no logro el impacto y status de su predecesora, fue un éxito global en todos los aspectos poniendo a estas alturas a la actriz en la mira de la industria y del publico que empieza a reconocer su talento. Razón por la cual la vemos en la cinta "Evolution" (2001), una comedia que quizo emular lo que en su tiempo los Cazafantasmas logro pero ahora con un grupo de científicos lidiando con el descubrimiento de una especie extra terrestre. Desgraciadamente la cinta no funciono al no poder definirse como comedia, careciendo de humor, o ciencia ficción, cayendo en cliches del genero. Tal vez es la hizo egresar al drama con "The Shipping news" (2001), basada en la novela homonima ganadora del premio Pulitzer sobre la hitoria de un solitario hombre viviendo en un pequeno poblado y que tras ser abandonado por su esposa trata de reconstruir su vida cuando conoce a una viuda que talvez lo ayude a redireccionar su vida. Desgraciadamente el pedigree involucrado, Kevin Spacey, Cate Blanchet, solo atrajo un éxito moderado y pase al olvido. Pero en 2002, las cosas cambiarían al finalmente lograr un protagónico en "Far from Heaven", un drama ubicado en los 50's sobre una mujer que se encuentra teniendo un affair con su jardinero afro americano mientras su esposo parece tener otra case de affairs en el closet. La cinta genero mucha discusion por sus temas de racismo y homosexualidad que le valieron un exito en taquilla y critica asi como multiples nominaciones y premios incluyendo el reconocimiento al trabajo de Moore.

Y continuando la buena racha, la vemos en "The Hours" (2002), un drama sobre un día para tres mujeres en tres diferentes tiempos y con diferentes problemas que de alguna manera se relacionaran, pero que presento potentes interpretaciones de sus protagonistas, Meryl Street, Nicole Kidman y Moore. La cinta fue todo un exito que la llevo a los mas importantes premios y festivales, reconociendo el talento involucrado. Despues de dos intensas interpretaciones opta por algo mas relajado y asi la vemos en "Laws of Attraction" (2004), una comedia romantica sobre dos abogados especializados en divorcios que han visto lo peor en relaciones sentimantales, por lo que la idea de enamorarse esta lejana para ellos, hasta que sus caminos se cruzan, pero a pesar del potencial de la historia y sus protagonistas, co protagoniza a lado de Pierce Brosnan, la cinta fallo en encontrar romance y explorar mas sus personajes, ganandole pesimas criticas. Despues protagoniza "The Forgotten" (2004), un thriller sobre una madre que ha perdido a su hijo en un accidente areo, mas ella esta convencida de que su hijo aun vive y ha sido secuestrado llevandola a descubrir una terrible verdad. La cinta gozo de malas criticas pero fue un total exito en taquilla, probando el iman taquillero de la actriz. Pero sin dejar a un lado su preferencia por el cine de arte la vemos en la comedia romantica de bajo presupuesto "Trust the Man" (2005), compartiendo creditos con David Duchovny y Maggie Gyllenhaal, en una historia centrada en tres diferentesparejas y el enfoque en la importancia de sus relaciones. Mas la historia fallo en cierto punto decepcionando en taquilla y critica.

Esto no la detuvo para protagonizar la cinta independiente "The prize winner of Defience, Ohio" (2005) cinta autobiográfica, donde interpreta a una esposa que tratando de ayudar a su esposo a mantener 10 hijos se enfoca en ganar un premio de escritura de pequeñas canciones, que no llamo la atención a pesar de su limitada exhibición y con tibias criticas no ayudo a despegar. Y lo que pareciera un reto mas que un proyecto de carrera, continua apuntandose en proyectos con potentes roles femeninos sin importar la historia y asi la vemos en "Freedomland" (2006), co protagonizando a lado de Samuel L. Jackson en un drama de misterio sobre una mujer que se presenta con heridas en una sala de urgencias  de un proyecto para afro americanos lo cual desatara un caso para el sheriff del area y la familia de esta mujer blanca. Aunque basada en la popular novela homónima y profundizando en temas del racismo, no logro llamar la atención y paso desapercibida. No así, su siguiente proyecto, correria con mejor suerte "Children of Men" (2006), del director mexicano Alfonso Cuaron, en una historia post apocalíptica sobre la ultima mujer fértil en la tierra y un grupo de individuos, lidereados por el personaje interpretado por la Moore, luchando por protegerla hasta que logre parir a su bebe, se convirtió en éxito de critica y que le fue ganando audiencia con las recomendaciones de boca en boca. Y asi regresa a los blockbusters con "Next" (2007), a lado de Nicolas Cage, una cinta de ciencia ficcion basada en la novela de Phillip K. Dick sobre un mago que puede ver el futuro inmediato por unos breves segundos, pero esto lo podra en la mira del FBI encanezado por una agente interpretada por la actriz y que ha descubierto la peculiar hailidad de este hombre y lo necesita para detener una bomba. Con mals criticas en su contra la cinta apenas recupero su presupuesto y paso a ser una mas del monton del genero.

Retomando el cine de arte la vemos en "Savage Grace" (2007), un drama sobre una mujer teniendo una incestuosa relación con su hijo. Lamentablemente no fue exhibida comercialmente. Y en 2008 la vemos literalmente en "Blindness" otra cinta post apoliptica sobre una sociedad que padece de ceguera, y su lucha por apoyarse y sobrevivir. Co protagoniza a lado de Mark Ruffalo, como la esposa del doctor encargado de la clinica y que es la unica inmune a esta epidemia por lo que ayuda a cuidar delos pacientes ciegos. Sin embargo en  esta ocasion el resultado no fue tan favorable como se esperaba. Tomando el asiento trasero y solo fungiendo como actriz de reparto en un elenco multiestelar contando la trágica vida de una mujer, aparece en "The private lives of Pippa" (2009), la cual tuvo una corrida limitada y no logro generar ninguna atención, No el caso de "A single Man" (2009), la primer cinta del fashionista Tom Ford, narrando la vida de depresivo profesor gay interpretado por Colin Firth, quien se haría amigo cercano de la actriz y cuya química funciona ya que la cinta fue un éxito para una cinta de bajo presupuesto y con una polémica temática que le valió varios reconocimientos. Lo que le aseguro un boleto en el thriller erotico "Chloe" (2010) del polémico director Atom Egoyan, en una historia sobre la joven del titulo, obsesionada con una mujer casada y que seducirá a su hijo para acercarse a ella. La cinta es la mas taquillera en la filmografia del director mas su recepcion fue moderada al igual que las criticas. Pero esto no la detendria para seguir causando polemica, ahora como una madre lesbiana en "The kids are all Right" (2010), una comedia donde se reune con Mark Ruffalo quien funge como el donador/padre biologico de los hijos de esta pareja, y dado que ellos quieren conocerlo, terminara involucrandose en la dinamica de esta peculiar pareja creando cierto conflicto y exponiendo las relaciones familiares de las familias modernas. La cinta fue un gran exito.

Regresando a las producciones de los estudios, ahora con Warner Bros en la comedia romántica "Crazy, Stupid Love" (2011), la cual resulto en un éxito del verano y un clásico ya del genero, contando la historia una pareja que pasa por el ma trago de enfrentar un posible divorcio mientras su hija mayor ha conocido a un mujeriego que tal vez quiera solo algo casual con ella mientras ella se rehusa a caer en su juego, y por otro lado el hijo menor esta enamorado de su niñera quien a su vez idealiza a este padre de familia. Moore y Steve Carell protagonizan como el matrimonio en crisis, mientras Emma Stone y Ryan Gosling co protagonizan como la joven pareja. En 2012 la vemos en "Being Flynn", una historia sobre un joven escritor que trabaja en el refugio de vagabundos donde su alcoholico padre es un cliente. Otra cinta independiente que no trascendió tras una limitada corrida comercial. En "Don Jon" (2013), la vemos en un rol pequeño en una cinta sobre un joven cuya ordinaria vida incluye ir a misa todos los domingos y pedir perdón por sus pechos, comer con su disfuncional familia, hacer ejercicio y tratar de ligar a la chica mas guapa del bar, hasta que al lograrlo se dará cuenta de que tan diferente su concepto de una relación es. Siendo la actriz, una mujer adulta quien le enseñe el verdadero significado de sexo e intimidad. La cinta fue aplaudida por la critica y la audiencia. Mas tarde la veríamos en otro remake de otro clásico de terror, "Carrie" (2013), basada en la novela de Stephen King sobre una adolescente con poderes telequinesicos que vive con su religiosa madre, interpretada por la actriz, quien empujara a la joven a entrar en crisis y terminar causando caos en su escuela con sus poderes. La cinta no tuvo el impacto esperado, probando nuevamente que tratar de adaptar clásicos no funciona en esta época.

Regresando al genero de acción, co protagoniza a lado de Liam Neeson "Non Stop" (2014), una trepidante cinta donde un hombre es amenazado de un ataque terrorista en el vuelo en que se encuentra y la actriz funge sospechosamente como una agente dispuesta a ayudarlo. La cinta se convierto en un éxito de taquilla que se le atribuyo mas al actor y director que a la actriz. En "Map to the stars" (2014), se pone bajo las manos de otro controversial director, David Cronenberg, que cuenta un drama y sátira que expone la cultura occidental con su industria del entretenimiento bajo los ojos de una olvidada actriz y una actriz infantil. La cinta sin embargo no correo con mucha suerte y pasaría rápido al olvido una vez que "Still Alice" (2014), se estrenara y con una potente interpretación de la actriz como una mujer sufriendo de Alzheimer y el impacto de la enfermedad en su familia, le valdría el reconocimiento que desde tiempo atrás ya se merecía, concluyendo con un premio de la Academia como mejor actriz. una vez probando las mieles del triunfo, la vemos en el blockbuster "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" parte 1 (2014) y parte 2 (2015), basadas en el ultimo libro de la serie que fue dividido en dos por meras intenciones de hacer mas taquilla, pero que afecto en el resultado final y alejo a la audiencia que se había acumulado con las previas entregas de este mundo futurista donde un capitolio gobierna el país y obliga a jóvenes a enfrentarse en un juego de vida o muerte, siendo el rol de la actriz, la lidera de la nueva rebelión en contra de este regimen politico.

Otro tropiezo vendría de la mano de "Seventh Son" (2015), una cinta de fantasia sobre el séptimo hijo de un séptimo hijo que es el único capaz de derrocar a la bruja que gobierna esta tierra, mas para lograrlo deberá aprender un poco de magia y de sus origines. La cinta fue un rotundo fracaso en taquilla y aplastada por la critica dada la aburrida y repetida historia que cuenta a pesar del talento involucrado que se ve totalmente desperdiciado. Así, es que regresa al cine independiente con "Maggie's plan" (2015), una cinta sobre una joven que inicia una relación con un hombre divorciado para darse cuanta cuan poco lo conoce y ama y de paso aprender una buena lección de amor, paternidad y de si misma. La actriz interpreta a la fría y ambiciosa ex esposa de Ethan Hawke, el hombre en discordia. Continuando su búsqueda por proyectos polémicos y roles de mujeres fuertes, la vemos en "Freeheld", la historia de amor de dos lesbianas y su lucha por la igualdad de derechos para poder casarse y compartir derechos y beneficios como pareja. Desgraciadamente y a pesar de contar con un timing adecuado, la cinta fallo por falta de publicidad adecuada. Finalmente este 2017 la vemos muy ocupada en este otoño, primero con la secuela "Kingsman: The Golden Circle", retomando el comic de este grupo de espías en UK que ahora unirán fuerzas con su contraparte NorteAmericana para vencer a una villana, deliciosamente interpretada por Moore, quien amenaza con usar la tecnología actual para cometer un genocidio. La cinta a diferencia de su predecesora, tuvo una respuesta mas tibia, mas esta lejos de ser un fracaso. Comparte pantalla con su amigo Colin Firth quien la convención de unirse al proyecto. Este mes la vemos por partida doble en "Wonderstruck" una conmovedora historia de dos niños en dos diferentes épocas, ambos sordomudos, y su búsqueda por sus padres. Con excelentes criticas, tiene las miras puestas en la próxima temporada de premios y ojalá logre una mayor distribución que le permita llegar a mas mercados. Y finalmente "Suborbicon" una sátira de la sociedad actual norteAmericana, donde co protagoniza a lado de Matt Damon, y bajo la batuta de George Clooney, en una historia de crimen sobre un hombre enfrentando sus demonios una vez que sufre de una invasion a su propiedad. La critica la ha rechazado así que su futuro en taquilla no luce bien, pero esto sin duda no detendrá a la actriz por continuar una ocupada carrera que mezclara grandes y pequeños presupuestos a la orden de historias polémicas, artísticas y originales sin importar mucho la calidad de ellas, ya que esa vendrá con sus talentosas interpretaciones,

ONLY THE BRAVE...facing your own demons

What easy is to say, you can do it!, or try harder. But while must of us focus our lives to train and learn more, going to school and build a career trying to achieve big goals that will impact others lives through our daily basis routine that we call job, others just train and practice to be better at what they do, and that simple thing turn them into heroes. Yes, heroes are real and they live among us. And no, they don't need capes or super powers. All what they need are skills and be brave to face the struggles of their every day, risking their own lives to save others, to protects us from natural disasters or catastrophes and they don't need to go and fight a war overseas to come back as heroes. Their fight is at home, around us, and the danger is as high and dangerous as any bomb in foreign territory. But we tend to overestimate their help, until we face what they do for living and realize that more than be strong and brave is needed to do that in a regular basis and knowing that every time you get up and go to work could be your last day. That feeling is why most of all boys wen are young dream to become a firefighter when grown ups. The idea of saving others houses and saving lives is our first contact with heroism and bravery. Other options are become a policeman so we can catch the bad guy and save the day. But something happens in between that by the time we get old and can decide what to do with our future we turn for something more intellectual and secure. Pursuing a career at school that will give us the opportunity of doing business or create, or become an employee because that is safe and can provide us a better quality of life, leaving the option to become a real hero to those ones that have no other option or feel attracted t the adrenaline of that kind of job.

So after been creating multiple cinematic universes for all sorts of comic super heroes, it's time to pay tribute to those ones in real life, that day by day work hard and sacrifice their life in order to keep things going on as we know them. And no, they are not soldiers because peace shouldn't be something you need to work out. These are regular people having ordinary lives among us but once their duty calls, they face challenges that while we are sitting at home watching tv, can't even imagine. The movie i'm talking about is "Only the brave" (2017), a perfect title for a story that sum all it's parts in it while exposing the lives of a few that risked their lives in order to save other from natural disasters. This is a drama that bases on the real events from the Granite Mountain Hotshots, the first one to be certified nationwide. A group of brave men that as a sort of firefighters, deal with big fires that happen every season at the wild in the West side of the country. The mix of humidity with the winds start fires up in the mountains where nature is easy to burn up and it gets so fast and intense that they need to find a way to stop it before reaches towns and communities, burning down houses and factories. And as exciting it sounds for a movie plot, in real life is a big risk all these people face by nature, been threaded to lose everything including their loved ones. And for all the rest of us that live under more safety and calm circumstances, knowing about their story is an example of bravery and courage that can inspire anyone to face their own challenges and appreciate a quite comfortable life being protected by others.

The story centers mostly in just a few members of this elite, and we follow all the events through their eyes while the others just serve as supporting cast to prove the boundary that exists between these men and how they all become a big family. Starting with the leader and head of the group. The captain in charge to lead the group of young fighters and train them properly to survive and get things done correctly. Marsh is a tough man, with a happy life outside of work. Married with a beautiful and lovely woman that supports his career while keeping him with his feet on the ground. Why? well, he is a recovered addict. So has found a way to stay clean focusing in his job, but unfortunately this one has become a new addiction  that keeps him busy but the adrenaline of it, barely lets him have a normal quite life, not even mention the idea of start a family with kids. But because he's aware of where is he coming from, can be an inspirational leader for his team that follows him through the danger and he'll stand up for them and look after the best for each one of them, as his own family. That is the case of the new member, Brendan, a young guy that has reached bottom after being doing drugs and wasting his life doing service and getting high, until he knocked up his girlfriend and that will wake him up to try to find a way to provide to his daughter what he never had and finding this supportive group of men will help him to keep his life in track and only look forward from here and following the same path as his new boss, will find an opportunity where to keep busy, find a meaning in life while be inspired by doing something meaningful.

But we also get to know others like MacKenzie, the alpha male of the group. A rebel by heart that keep everyone entertain by his stories as a womanizer chasing his new lover, making the day for all the married guys that can live through his experiences and get some interesting facts about the local girls that he hooks up with, but also makes him a tough pill to swallow as he won't be very welcoming at beginning with the new ones, because he likes to protect his territory and feels threatened  by others that might be better than him and steal his place in this pack but deep inside of him has a good heart just looking for love and acceptance, reason why he'll do whatever it takes to keep safe his friends and help them. Same thing happens with Jesse, the second aboard or the right hand of Marsh. But he is the soft hand when things get hard and someone need to keep things calm and cool. But his friendship with his boss and experience let him be in the loop for taking the next position as Captain but as difference from Marsh, he is a family man, with lovely kids waiting for him at home and a devoted wife that suffers every time sees him leave for work with the possibility of being the last time she'd ever see him again. And that's basically what happens with the rest of the guys, a total of 20 men were working together, as a group, a family, that trains and risk their lives to keep their families, their community and others, that they might never know, safe. Keeping danger out of reach. Working hard to keep an enemy that comes from nature, fire, a menace that exist around us but when gets unleashed can destroy miles and everything within.

But we know we are not here to meet this brave men. As we spend most of it's two hour long getting to know them and understanding their motives that brought them to that place, we are also witness of their struggles when duty calls and even they had a very successful track, they also faced some difficult circumstances until that they when they faced and battled Yarnell Hill Fire, where some will meet their destiny, for those that have no idea about their story. What is more important is to recognize and pay tribute to them and other hundreds of men and women that day by day put their lives in risk to make this world a better place. Not only by trying to be heroes but by facing challenges that only the brave can, proving that we are as here as a learning experience, as some kind of masterpiece that is a work in progress but in order to meet it's final touch will be struggles and difficulties that not everyone will be able to deal with but only finding a meaning to keep us fighting everyday and looking forward to the next one is what we need to battle the biggest fight of all, ourselves and survive through any challenge that will come to us and even sometimes playing with fire might get us burned is better leaving achieving greatness rather than a long boring and meaningless life and be able to say i did it, so maybe next time that we feel like our lives lack of that spark or something is missing just looking at this examples of fighters that leave among us, will make us root for more than capes and super heroes and only the brave will be able to join them. Perfect timing due to the current natural disasters to go and check it out, we might need more people like them soon.

Bringing joy and romance....THE MINDY PROJECT

If you like or a sucker for rom-coms, tv has some options for those hopeless romantics that enjoy of the journeys of a heart trying to find it's match while navigating through the rough waters of dating, relationships and friendships. The benefits from a tv show rather than a movie is actually the timing because witnessing a love story to happen for an average 90 to 120 minutes sounds more like seeing a comet just pass by, but when you get to be part of your favorite people for a few minutes every week for a couple of years feels more like you are part of this story and can relate to their journey as you mostly going on yours. But in an era where we feel like we've seen everything already, what kind of love story would be a good cliff hanger to keep us coming back every week to be part of it? Well Mindy Kaling has the answer to your priers with "The Mindy Project" (2012-current), which in case you have missed, it's on it's last season right now, so never is to late to jump to the world of another complex but delightful modern woman living in New York City and enjoying all the perks of being a skilled doctor with a successful career, but as any other woman that has achieve success and got to a some point of her young adult life, love becomes a matter of time and the clock keeps ticking just making them wonder when will be the time that prince charming will knock at the door.  And for Mindy, also the title character, an Indian-American woman that grew up watching Hollywood most popular romantic comedies, love is not an option but a goal. So when she realizes that she got to that point in her life, switches for a single, party y casual life in search for commitment and become an eligible bachelorette able to fall in love and become a better self. Hence the project of the title.

During season one, we are introduce into her world, a very familiar one for any one that lives or has been in NYC, or any similar big cities, where standards and expectations are really high. She, as a successful woman, won't settle for less. She has a successful career, live by herself in a decent apartment, always keeping up with fashion, and with a lovely group of friends. This group is the one that will turn her story into a binge worthy event, as she can turn into a needy, spoiled, high maintenance city girl, is this group of people around her that makes the journey more fun and romantic. But as any grown up, your friends end to be your co workers. Spending hours at work, you end relating, caring and hanging with this random people that otherwise you wouldn't cross paths with. So she is the first female associate in this new clinic along with Dr. Reed, a womanizer that will only care about the next party and his new target. And Dr. Danny Costello, the perfect catch for any single woman, as a single, successful, attractive man, that just happens to be as difficult and complicated in his own way, as Mindy. The rest of the gang is included by Nurse Tamra, Male Nurse Morgan, Dr Intern Peter, Assistants Beverly and Betsy. Making of this singular group of people a collage of diversity that will help our Princess to find love in the concrete jungle. But soon we'll learn things are not as easy as we would think. Because as soon as we start getting into the show, we'll see how this woman becomes popular among men but also will suffer from the consequences of dating, falling for the wrong guy that might cheat on her, have some kind of addiction, or has his own issues that won't match with hers ending in a series of complicated events.

But not all is lost. The soul of this show is based in the lessons that all this summary of experiences will bring to her and her group of friends. Each one will go trough funny moments to embarrassed ones and from love to sadness all in their own journey but always supported by a group of beloved ones. And their story will bring you joy and hope when you sitting at the couch realize that life could be similar in many ways, where we all share the same motivations and suffer from the same anxieties, but as similar and related we can get, we are also as unique and complicated in our own way that we'll need a full season just to realize how capable are we to succeed in life or how much we deserved to fall in love and be loved. Every relationship that we build or cross paths with has a meaning and a lesson for us to learn and as much as we'll be transformed by it, also we'll influence others by our unique perspective of the world. But all we need to keep going when feeling down, is hope, and joy from the people that we love as we will energize us while surrounded by them, because at the end of the day what will count is all those stories that we can sit and talk about while laughing for the pain they caused us back in that time. And the search of  real love, the right person for everyone is as exciting as painful as it can be. As they say, the only way to find the right fit for you is by exploring and kissing some frogs until one feels just right and when that feeling comes, all you need is to hold to it and make it work because relationships are hard work and start getting to know someone worth of a full season of rights and wrongs while loving each other but understanding where each one comes from and breaking any racial, cultural or gender barrier.

So in times like this where violence is the news of the day and relationships are as complicated as any new algorithm, where social media has take over the place and online dating seems like the only way to go, a show that brings some old fashion romance with a simple sense of humor that we used to embrace before the millennium, this shows feels like a fresh air not to mention that along it's run will touch, expose and make fun of some interesting and very actual topics as racism, diversity, equality, respect, sex, love, fashion, career, and more, all of them coming from the hands of a group of young people trying to make it through a city that never sleeps and never stops but always brings something new to the table, and having a first female of color with an indian background that serves to make fun of the cultural barrier between the all american values and traditions when clashing with foreign ones, as a remembrance of all the different shades in the world. And also the fact that this new female role model also breaks the stereotype of the white, skinny, innocent, dumb princess looking for love or trying to be rescued by her prince. This woman is independent and not exactly fit because she loves to have donuts or poundcake for breakfast and she is ok with it and all men around her, seem to not care about it but been drown by her unique personality and strong values and mostly her confidence to put her out and try hard for what she wants and as any hopeless romantic, believe in the power of love. And even her friends can't understand all their motives, they like care and relate to her quest, while they all find themselves suck into different situations and complications while each one trying to make it through love and happiness.

And seems like the all the cliches didn't work out well with the audience, not matter the fact that through it's six seasons, they like have special guests, most of them staying for a while rather than a small cameo, and most of this guests are comedians that are making it big in the industry, either in TV or movies, but bringing their own sense of humor and style to the series, but that wasn't enough for Fox Network that after season 3 was about to cancel the show but fortunately Hulu came to the rescue and kept it going for another three seasons. And now here we are, about to witness the end of her journey and as any woman dream made true see her self battling to decide who is the love of her life after being pursue from some very eligible bachelors but is the essence of the show that makes it unique and different is the personal project that involves a six season run, seen someone evolving from one point, the young, idealist, hopeless, hungry for power and success to a more grown up phase, mature enough to enjoy and take success as it comes but balancing life and realizing there's more than just work and how friends are important and are key to find love and find our own true. And once we find love, then what? well the real adventure begins, because getting to know someone it's a long run and any relationship is a hard work but we all a working progress so fairy tales don't exist, there are only real dreams and ideal fights. No matter how many people we dated we'll always learn something new, and if it's not the right person no matter how hard we try it won't say, things need to move so the one can come unless we are so blinded and weak to let him pass. So now you know a lesson or two about love and life but if this sounds too serious for you just turn your tv on and enjoy one of the most charming, big hearted shows running now and let that romantic inside you to come out and root for a happy ending, because as real as it gets, we all deserve one.

BLADE RUNNER 2049...are humans really evolving?

What makes us humans? What is so valuable to us that differ us a race from any other? Would we be the same if we are just cloned and built? At the end the product will be the same, but is it? How would you feel about it or that would make you different than the ones born naturally? This is the premise of the new sci fi movie "Blade Runner 2049" (2017), a sequel that comes 35 years after it's original back in 1982 and a cult classic for the fans of the genre and loose based on the novel "Do androids dream of electric sheep? from popular writer Phillip K. Dick, and back then the motion picture wasn't any closer to a success. Did poorly in the box office and even reviews were good, people didn't seem attracted to the story, but the fact of been directed by talented Ridley Scott, kept it in everyone's memory until became a classic that would influence the genre in the coming years telling the story of a man than hunts replicants, which in the near future are humans prefabricated, like a clone but born originally not copied from another cell and they are created with the intention of helping in areas like construction where as built with more strength can take over humans and do a better job until governments prohibit them so as any other product in the market they have to be hunted down. But how is that ok? You create another person and just because it’s built not born you have the right to kill it? Until when are we going to keep playing gods and deciding the future of others? We kill animals for pleasure and tonprobe out superiority in nature, now we got bored of them and we create humans and we can kill them just like that? What about their lives and feelings?

Well this is a futuristic film so the idea is that they don’t have feeling nor ideas, they are like a robot that was made with a purpose and once this is over they are for no use anymore. But how can any of use be so sure about others feelings and ideas if they can’t prove it? Animals have feelings and just because they are not as rational or civilized as us they deserve to be treated for less and be disposable, and now same thing happen with robots and clones. They are still living creatures and for what we see they have their own way to love and think, why we keep pretending we are the only ones and we deserve the world ? As any futuristic dilemma, the world as we know will collapse. We are running out of natural resources and we can’t care less about it because we keep doing the same. We keep overpopulating the world and destroying it, so when we see this scenarios it feels now more like a horror movie than a sci fiction film, and so in 2049 the world seems like a post apocalyptic area and even cars can fly , people can’t use them and there’s no wood, no lakes, no blue clear skies, and people keep killing each other. Seems like no matter how advance technology is , none is serving to a better purpose other than entertaining, advertising, and  destruction. So this time we get to meet K a replicant, one of the last ones , the latest model, used to hunt and kill his similars following others for a tough woman in the police running the program. But he is more than a machine. He feels empty and that feeling comes from the fact that everybody makes him feel that way, because he might look like a person but he is not. He has no family and no past. Just a bunch of implanted memories that serve to give him a a borrow history but actually doesn’t belong to him. But he knows he can do more, he can be special too, like any human.

K is performed by talented actor Ryan Gosling that joins the franchise to bring a deep performance of a replicant that has been kept just to help humans hunting other replicants that remain hidden, pretending to have ordinary lives as humans because no one has noticed they are pretty much alike their creators. And even this premise we have seen before and recently in movies and tv shows, regarding human kind trying to play god and once we have created machines to serve us and make our lives easier, no we will try to create life, also with the mere purpose of have someone to do all the task we don't want to. Why? Simply because our ego feels more like managing than doing and since our own kind has moved forward to civil rights and far from slavery, we feel the need to have someone to dominate and control, right? otherwise how can be superior if there is no one below us?. So the movie moves in a slow pace. taking it's time to explore and get to know this character K, as he moves from case to other until one turns to have something hiding deeper and that might change things up. A possibility for all replicants to have hope and believe and a threat for human kind. But mostly this will take our main character for a spin in his own believes. Right!, this new creatures think, feel and have personalities of their own, so they are aloud to have emotions like hope, love, joy, sadness, anger. And no it's not a Disney movie, this one is as real as any twelve years of slave where even they are capable of, are always tested to not bring them out and keep them for themselves, because they are not a person, they are a thing used to serve humans.

But how can they love? Well, again the question of the million dollars, how do we possibly know what is different from us? As even between humans, we are different in many ways, and the only way to understand each other is accepting that fact, believing that even what might look unpleasant and making none sense to you will do for others. But is our nature to be afraid of what we can;t explain or understand. But as we see K navigating in this cold new place, trying to solve a case while figuring out his own persona and understanding his origins, he also feels lonely and has a relationship with an hologram, a woman that is basically just a software projecting images of someone that can be, making the physical contact an issue for their relationship, but that doesn't seem to be a deal breaker as they both understand and accept each other the way they are and loving each other in a way that might sounds crazy in paper but once is happening kind of makes sense when they complement each other to give the company and support anyone needs from a partner. So who are we to judge their relationship? Who can point fingers saying that is no true love when most of the time seems like we, us, humans, have no idea what that means anymore. Our relationships are so complicated these days that looking back at the simplicity of that caring and respect for other, no matter if they are a machine, can't be called love. If two rational individuals care about each other and accept, understand and support each other, isn't that what love represents, or is the fact that we keep attributing that feeling and concept to the heart and soul of humans rather than the brain which controls all our emotions, that makes it exclusive for humans and natural born living creatures?

The movie as a whole turns into a little jewel for those fans of the original and the genre as the talented director Denis Villeneuve does it again, delivering a great product that can satisfy even tough critics with a deep story and an intriguing plot that never is what it looks like and keeps the audience guessing and wondering where will this journey take them now. If you looking for a more action pace flick, this might disappoint you, but if you looking for a story that will make you think while enjoying the ride, with a stunning photography that makes the trip to the theater worth it rather than wait to watch it at home. And while the movie moves between a crime flick and a serious sci fi offer, the real deal comes underneath with all these topics to discuss at the dinner table, concerns about the future that we are building on, thinking that all these improvements in technology will save us and make our lives better when as a side effect we are using them to destroy our planet and while we are trying to move forward as a more civilized race with equal rights and respect to others, our human capabilities of love, communication, security are going in a different direction, taking a pattern that is not making our society better but more distant and more robotic, so at the end are we creating robots or clones that emulate humans and are actually more capable to have more human experiences than us that are moving to a robotic side of humanity, becoming colder, controlled, programmed, lack of feelings and commitments and emotional unavailable, so who's moving in the right direction, are we still superior than the rest or that need is just a response to compensate what we miss?.           

FLATLINERS....dying to feel alive

You might be too younger to remember but back in the 80’s and 90’s there were some movies that didn’t make it to the academy award winner status but were so popular that became fan classics or must see by a generation that even now still watch them with nostalgia, but as time has passed and Hollywood keeps running out of ideas forcing the studios to bring back those options in a way to introduce them to the new generations buy seems like they are missing the  fact of a generation gap that excites a few but not to all and so we get another misfire. This time the case is for the film “Flatliners” (2017), a thriller based on the original film from the 90’s where young stars like Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon and William Baldwin made a jump in their career to celebrity status in a story about a group of medical interns that trying to explore the scientific explanation of what happens when you die. And even just that question could take a lot of different meanings and levels to talk about and explore the movie is made as a suspenseful thriller where all this young guys will die for a few minutes, hence of the title as that’s how they call these group, and then they will bring them back from death following the medical procedure for that. But as you might already expect things won’t go the way they planned and soon all of them will be trapped in a series of unexplained events related to their own past hunting them and trying to kill them.

This time around the movie follows exactly the same plot just this time we get more girls in the team, including the leader, played by actress Ellen Paige, as the one dealing with grieving and a loss that pushes her to try to find an explanation of what happens after death. And because of that she will convince others to join her specially after the first side effects of it are or seems like had awakened a side of their brain that was asleep keeping some old talents hidden and now they had shown up. So at this point there’s nothing new that we haven’t seen before. If you watched and follow the original you basically have seen everything and you know what is about to happen. A change would have been a more character development where we get to know more about this group of doctors and their lives other than just a past experience that will hunt them for the rest of the movie. Plus since we don’t get to know much about them is hard to relate and connect to them making more difficult to the audience to care about them and what will happen to them other than just been all very good looking kids with a very diverse background, an improvement from the new era of Hollywood leaving behind the reign of white people. But things start going down when this past experiences are just simple excuses to create a plot and try to scare the audience without noticing that modern audiences can’t be scared that easily as used to be decades ago. Other than Ellen Paige’s character hunted by her dead little sister, after she died in a car accident by her fault all the others just fall into ridiculousness. A guy hunted by the a girl he was dating and dumped when got pregnant, a girl that made a mistake and killed a patient back in medical school, and another girl hinted by her school mate that she exposed in social media.

All this plots sound more like a better fit for their own movie, and we’ve seen all of them but here they take a turn into a scary thing that hunts you and tries to kill you but at the end it’s your own brain that is messing with you because you have some unsolved issues that you need to face and fix before you die. This is the only silver lining of the movie and what makes it worth it if you already paid for the ticket. They can all die or face the situation and try to fix it or ask for forgiveness. And we all have been there or still we are. Trapped in a situation that might not longer exist but remains back in our mind. Hidden just to pop out when something resembles to it. We think that avoiding things and just moving on to the next step is the way to go but if we don’t give closure to some important facts they will stuck with you for a while or forever. It’s easier to turn our back into things or situations rather than face them and try to find a solution no matter the consequences because that’s the right thing to do. But facing them would mean facing our own fears and stand up for our decisions and mistakes but prefer to live with guilt of it rather than the satisfaction of doing the right thing no matter what. It’s just simple human nature. And that escence is what the movie tries to explore unfortunately unsuccessfully trying Tom set up a scenario where your past or mistakes can hunt you and even kill you . And that in a very radical way because if we take a deep look at it that’s might happen. There are many people out there that have done some terrible mistakes and living with the guilt of them so now their lives have made them miserable persons. Regretting it day by day and unable to make it right in the present.

So now the consequences of those acts become a snow ball that keeps increasing at every step because since you keep dragging the past with you the cycle will repeats and new and more mistakes will be done plus the energy will bring it back to you and you will be scared of that might happen again so will end on you avoiding things to stay away of the consequences and so on until you make it stop and the only way to do it is to face it. Face the consequences of your actions before they get worse or maybe they won't but you'll have to live with it, only you will know what really happened and maybe, if the situation is too bad for others and will affect others life, you'll be responsible of that and you might have moved on and keep living with the idea that everything will be ok, but the reality is you'll never know and your actions affect others and you could change lives for better or worse. How many times have you asked for forgiveness? Or would you forgive someone that really hurt you and changed your life at some point not in a good way? Would you accept full responsibility of your mistakes as part of a learning lesson and face the consequences or would you try to hide it and pretend it never happened? Or could you forgive yourself for some mistakes that we as humans, tend to make understanding that it's ok and learn from it and use it as a breeding point for your future?

Most of the time is easier to forgive others but when comes to the point of forgive ourselves we become our worst judge. We want to pretend we are perfect and we shall never do it wrong, but it's just impossible to think that might happen. In order to learn we need to fail. In order to find perfection or improve any skill we need to make mistakes. Some can be very simple and without repercussions but others my involve others and an action of us facing the consequences is needed, no matter if that might be hard or not for us. And even this movie will be totally forgettable as another try out from Hollywood to make more money with old ideas and proving their lack of originality, but if you haven't seen the original or in the mood to give it a chance or get something scary for the Halloween season, might be worth just for the fact of the real intention of the story, an interesting way to tell a story about your past hunting you, but definitely the first time came better, what went wrong then? maybe the casting? the direction? Or we should say the story is so flat and superficial, forgetting the real motive of the story and turning it into a cartoon or any other good things gone wrong specially when made just for the pure intention of making business and that is something that the studio and everybody involved in this project will have to deal with and hopefully when realize their actions, will be able to take full responsibility of their actions, meaning that will focus in new, more original, well develop projects that will be transformed into great movies, and that will definitely change all our lives, as an audience.