IT...will hunt you

Fear. One of our primal instincts. And as crazy as it sounds it help us to survive. Thanks to our fears we can learn how to face them and become stronger, pushing us to develop new skills and face things that slow us down and can break us. We love, we laugh, we cherish, but for every one of  those we need to conquer a new fear, to be broken hearted, to fail, to die. Each one of us through time and our own experiences faces different kind of fears. It also comes by our unique personalities. Some will fear to something specif rather than others fearing something more global. Point is fear is in all of us and we face it every day as soon as we wake up and embrace a new day full of possibilities and challenges. So what if fear will hunt us and feed from us? The more we fear the more a pray we become. And that put a target on all of us, as we walk in life fearing at every single breath, even we are not always conscious about it. But only making it real and by being fully aware of it we can face it and conquer our fears. Who doesn't remember as a kid been afraid of dark? or a ghost or monster under the bed? and then we grew up and realize there's nothing to fear as most of that is not real, but then our fears evolve to other levels, like being afraid of getting sick, or be in an accident, or lose someone we love, and sometimes we carry those fears from childhood to adulthood in a subconscious way like fear of commitment because we grew up in the lack of it, or afraid to fail as we were raised under a strict regimen of perfection and high standards. All of them in different ways are fears that stick with us until we face them but if not can be the cause to bring us down and stay stock in the same place...again that will make us an easy prey for other that can sense that fear and use it in their advantage.

A terrifying idea of the later we can see now in the modern adaptation of one of the most popular novels from popular writer Stephen King, one of the best known authors in recent times yet not a favorite for everyone but one thing that most agreed on, this is one of his best and most popular novels that has become a classic already for the fans and it's genre. The novel in question is "IT", published in 1986, a horror novel that follows seven kids as they are hunted by a being that exploits their fears and phobias of it's victims while hunting them, and usually takes form of a clown to attract it's primal target: kids. The novel moves around two time periods, from the 60's to the 80's, where the same group of kids now as grown ups are pushed to go back to their hometown and face the same monster that terrified them as kids under a promise they made. So the pages take you back and forth to explore the lives of them when young to understand the man and women they've become and while all of them have moved around the world and taste their share of success, they are still haunted by that summer and all what happened to them, their families and the town of Derry, Maine, which becomes another character in the novel, because sometimes is hard to identify who's the real evil in the story, if a monster killing people to feed from their fears or is this troubled people living in this place who are so tormented that are able to feed and maintain a monster like that around. The truth is always put on a test from the readers perspective.

So now, moving forward to 2017, we get the film adaptation of the popular novel: "IT" (2017), as a motion picture has been divided and what we'll see this time is just all the events happening in one period time, now the late 80's, when the lucky seven or self called Losers Club, were just 13 year old kids having the worst summer of their lives. But at the same time, all these events could be the best thing that ever happen to them as it got them together and built a friendship that will be timeless but to get there might cost their lives as each one of them will face these monster while trying to mess with them and kill them. And so we meet and follow Bill, the leader and strongest of all, that is still mourning from the loss of his little brother Georgie after he went out to play in the rain by himself and he cant forgive himself for not going with him.  Eddie is his best friend, but as a frail asthmatic hypochondriac leaving under his over protected mother and fear to any possible disease. Beverly is the only girl and a tomboyish type which all the guys have a secret crush on but is mostly Bill and Ben the ones fighting for her heart and ignoring the rumors about her specially she coming from the poorest area in town and being abused by her father. Ben, the new kid in town, abused because being fat and like to spend his time in the library but also very handy because all his knowledge. Richie, the most lighthearted always making jokes and also known as trash mouth challenging his boredom into hyper-active wisecracking that will help them against IT. Stanley, the most skeptical, a Jewish boy that as a rational person is harder for him to believe that this is real and happening. And last, Mike, the last one to join the club, as an African american boy he feels an outsider and has been persecuted because his race by the troubled kids in town and that's how he met the club, when they came after him to help him.

While all of them try to be just kids and enjoy summer as normal kids playing around, each one of them will face their own fears to be able to survive this thing that seems to be hunting them and the entire town as people keep missing but no one seems to really care. On the contrary, everyone seems to be hiding something and trying just to survive on their own leaving their faith to these group that just found a clue of this mysterious clown that has been around since the town was built, showing up every 27 years and following the same pattern bringing disasters to the town. And they will try to stop it, because they won't let it to keep hurting other kids the way it already has hurt them all, and so they will embark in a search to hunt it before it hunts him. But it will fight back and will bring all their fears to break them apart and only that way kill each one of them one by one. But what it won't count with is the fact that some of them don't fear it anymore, making it weak and not able to feed from them so will have to use other resources like manipulating others to kill them for him. And so the story moves between a fantastic world and a realistic, bringing fears to live as something that can actually kill you, using them to expose our own nature as complex humans, capable of fearing and face it and conquer them to become stronger but at the same time making us vulnerable among others that will try to hurt us in order for them to face their own fears. How can we all leave in harmony if we all have troubles and challenges to face and if we really want to achieve and over come them, going through others might be the only answer?, Is this fair or should we keep finding other ways that might destroy us or work better?

While comparing the source material versus it's adaptations, including a mini series from 1990, that translated the whole book while this new one will do it in two movies, is hard to say which one is better or scarier. While the novel leaves a lot to the readers imagination, it focuses on it's characters exploring their fears and where they come from, while doing this exposing the town and it's people as the source of evil or just a consequence of the evil around them. We get to immerse into each character from his childhood to modern times to see how they over come their past and became successful yet haven't moved on from that curse that stands next to each one of them and this shape shiftier exposes the true nature of fear as a condiment to it's meal to feed from people to survive through a 27 year hibernation and bring out our own fears. The movie forgets about that suspense and trying to please modern audiences shows more than expected turning this creepy clown into a more cartoonish character that as the movie goes on, becomes less scary and more enjoyable as mystery to solve forgetting that is fear what we are talking about and what they are facing is an entity that might kill you rather than entertain you, and while this new adaptation has heart and works well with the characters making you want to spend more time with this club, is the reason why the film works better as a movie from the 80's where a group of kids face some challenges and get involve in some sort of adventures like movies as "E.T." (1982) and "The Goonies" (1985), rather than a new entry standing by it's own uniqueness and embracing itself a horror entry supposed to be scary and terrify you as you witness these events and takes you back to your childhood and all those fears that kept you wake all night, but at the end there is hope that you can do better and what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger as you'll notice as you walk out of the theater, if you dare to watch it.

Because every family has a story...THIS IS US

The big buzz around this month are the Emmy's. And one of the last season surprises was a tv show that goes back to the traditional tv drama series. Far from big novel adaptations or sci fi, but focusing only in the story of it's characters. "This is us" (2016- current), is a hit and ow a multi nominated tv show that left all the country in tears after immerse us in the story of a traditional middle class family that could be anyone's or from anywhere. And that's the heart of the story. We become so founded into this characters and their story that only can thing about our own lives and the story that everyone has to tell. Every episode we get to experience a new episode in this family lives and learn in the process more about our own. And that is exactly what makes this new series so special, because anyone can relate to it, and their struggles are real. They face the same kind of situations that any person can go through while living with their family or was raised by one. And it will hit you, when come to realize that we might share more in common with the rest of us than we though. No matter where we grew up or under what kind of education or religion, all families as a structure lead with the same kind of situations and to each one of their members will affect in similar ways and even the consequences will be different for anyone under each one's circumstances, we all share that feeling of happiness and  love but struggle and frustration that comes with that baggage call family.  And that is why the magic of a tv show that takes one of this families to expose them and prove this theory makes it so special by presenting them self as "hey world, this is us".

The show moves in between two period times, the one in past, not working as a flashback but as a complementary and different line when all the characters were living together as a family back in the 80's-90's and the present time when the kids are now grown ups and are struggling with the afterwards of become an adult and all the baggage they carry from their childhood. So we met Jake, the father, a young man coming from a dysfunctional family, with an abusive father, where he grew up closer to his mom that encourage him to be better than his dad and pursue the family we couldn't have. Growing in a low class environment, he seems forced to work harder to make his living and help his mom to leave his father. Reason why when he cross paths and meet Beth he can't but fall for her as the strong independent woman for her time she is trying to be, moving away from the shadow of her controlling mother that while trying to help her and looking after the best for her, has only been bringing her confidence down. So when these two find each other and chemistry feels right, they feel motivated for the other motives and engage in something casual that moves to something serious ending in marriage as an impulsive move from two young lovers that want to build a new life and escape from their past but as young as they are, they're full of ideals and goals so kids and settle doesn't seem the right thing plus they need to explore marriage and their relationship first, because at least this couple, are in love and are together for the right reasons, so as they try to do the right thing, every move has to be planned and avoid mistakes that can take their relationship down.

But eventually kids will come to the table, just by how things happen, life surprise them with triplets, and by the end of her pregnancy, she feels like going to explode, carrying three babies inside her, has turned her into a big woman and her husband can't even recognize her for the mood she has every day, after having so much fun during early stages of her pregnancy, when all the excitement and changes were a very welcome surprise but now just feels like too much. Sadly when the moment comes, they lose one of the babies, remaining with two, a girl and a boy. But again destiny plays a factor in their story, bringing them the opportunity to adopt a black baby boy that has been abandoned at the local fire station and now is  waiting at the hospital to see what life awaits for him. That's how we meet Kevin a successful and handsome actor that is having a middle life crisis at his 30's after being at a popular sit com, he wants a change, to prove he is a serious actor, reason why he publicly quits and moves to NY in order to pursue a career in theater by producing a play that could place him as the next Broadway star. But as we see him when a kid, we can realize how all these make sense, and was just matter of time, because since little he was craving for attention, always trying to be the center of everything and being dramatic about everything and everywhere, stealing every second from his siblings and because he turned to be the a good looking boy, never had any trouble for that, but he suffered the curse of be an attractive face once that he can get away with everything making him fail in his relationships, with girls and his own family, pushing him to become more a loner just for his sister Kate who has the patience to listen to him and enjoying living through his experiences.

And that's the sad face we get to see from Kate, a woman that has always suffer for her overweight. First as a kid, being bullied by the other girls and lacking of attention from the boys,  making her an insecure and sad person that can't fully enjoy life other than those moments when her dad tried to make her happy and show her how beautiful of a person and a woman she is besides her looking. And in fact she is, a very pretty woman, just overshadow by her weight and obsession to lose it and look like all the skinny girls in town or the magazines. That's why she devotes all her time to try any option to lose weight, until meeting a guy that is in the same place but in difference as her, he makes fun of his situation and refuses to feel miserable by the circumstances bringing a new joy and fun to her life, but mostly offering what she's been hoping for: love. Unfortunately life is not a fairy tale and she can't just fall in love with him or anyone else because she doesn't love her self first and because of that she is incapable to love others and turn off her obsession to become someone that she is not. And sadly we live in a society that judge us by the cover so she also needs to build her confidence to shut out all the judgement from others and accept who she is. But how many times do we see things like this?  How many people do we know or are out there feeling miserable because they are not who they want to be or because they were told that be that way is wrong? Who  are we to decide that for others, specially when they are good people? We try to build a prefect society that will look perfect in the outside but once we look deeper will be all messed up and damage because we value more the appearances that the real soul and essence of anyone.

And last is Randall, the adoptive son that even has been always treated as their own, he can't but feel like an outsider always feeling different from the rest even he has been loved and accepted no matter how he looks or his real background is, and his siblings treat him like one of them, fighting and loving each other every step of the way, and he is in fact different but not in a bad way, he is more private, not as social as his brother Kevin, he loves math and science, he is more organized and focus on perfection, reason why he is successful but also suffers anxiety and tries to rise his own family with the same love he was raised with, even now that has finally found his real father and is spending time with him, to get to know him in a way to get to know himself, because how many times we blame our parents for the person we have become, for all the qualities we don't like or annoyed us just to realize we are like these because of them, maybe are their genes maybe we are just imitating all what we learned when kids. True fact is that family shape us and we are more involved that we'd like in that group that keep following or hunting us for the rest of our lives because no matter how successful you've become those christmas full of traditions and special moments with them will be stuck in your mind and you'll try to bring and share the same happiness to your beloved ones. And if you think your family is special or annoying or crazy of fun, wait to meet your neighbors or any other one at the other side of the world and you'd be surprise how many similarities we share and how amazing is the fact that we all go struggle with the same issues and enjoy the same things, but if need more evidence about what i'm talking about just take a glimpse of this family and you'll be surprise of how similar we all are and how you can relate to others when understanding where they come from.

LOGAN LUCKY... being grateful sometimes helps

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see someone doing something that might seems wrong? Would you judge the situation according to your morals or would you be curious to know what hides behind all the situation? It's easy to blame others for what happens out there but how many times others blame you for it's happening to them? "Logan Lucky" (2017) is a new heist movie that offers something different for a summer popcorn. It's actually a very funny film but delivers all with heart and brain. Just when we think we've seen all about robberies packed of action sequences and bad guys trying to get away with some money and revenge to the wealthy, we get a new vision from director Steven Sodenbergh, back from his retirement from the industry just to deliver another compelling story about the power of love and human conditions that can prove how complex we are and why we shouldn't judge by the cover because behind anyone's simple life exists a complexity of situations that will turn the whole picture into many shades and layers that might look as any Van Gough painting. So what we get instead is the story of three siblings, the Logan's. two brothers and a sister, that with the lack of opportunities in their natal West Virginia state, are just trying to survive their day by day, as a construction worker, bar tender and hair stylist. But as any small town, people like to talk, and see them as a group of losers, doing nothing with their lives, just taking one bad decision after the other . But they are not as stupid as they seem. They are just suffering the consequences of life, one that hasn't been generous to them. With no more family to take care of them they take care of each other. The oldest saw all his dreams fall apart once he was the QB of her football team in high school when his knee got hurt and with no money to treat it, left him out of any option to keep playing and go to college. But after getting married and divorced when he couldn't not provide all the luxurious life his wife wanted running after another guy that will provide what she really needs and wants, he finds his purpose in the eyes of his young daughter. A smart little girl that sees her father as a hero and a role model to her besides all the commodities that her mom is trying to provide . She is not like that and exactly that makes her closer to her dad. Someone that at every one else is a loser.

And his younger brother is not enjoying the best as well after losing his arm and ended working at a bar where he's good at what he does and when you put this two together great things can happen. That's why once life keeps bringing them just bad notes they decide that enough is enough and take any opportunity as might come whatever it takes and no matter what the consequences could be. So even they always talked about robbing a bank the opportunity comes in hands of NASCAR and their first race of the season which will happen in their town. So as any heist movie and actual robbery, it can't be done just by themselves so some help will be needed and for so the share of the profits will happen too. And that's ok, they are aware that getting greedy is not part of the plain but can ruin it. They have a list of steps and rules to follow to succeed and if they are smart enough to put all the plan together they should be to follow it. And the last part will be execute it and as any other movie of the genre this is where they get you rooting for the bad guys to succeed and start realizing that they are not always bad people but just an average person suffering the lack of opportunities like culture and a career or maybe just broken because family issues or bad relationships that had take them to a dark place where they need to get out and most of the time, the exit is not an easy one but the one that  will test them and us to understand and relate to their circumstances before judging their actions as taking some money from the ones that have taken most from them, and not talking only about money but their careers, future , dreams, goals and family. So when you push someone to the corner and they  realize there's no other place to go will feel threatened and their survival instinct will be to do whatever it takes to get out of it even if that seems like a bad option for us standing in better place.

But the fun part of the movie is witnessing all this plan being executed as we have no idea how they are planning to make it and if they will because all sounds impossible and hard to believe coming from simple, ordinary , losers like them. But they are far from losers or stupid, they might not look like your account executive or your financial adviser but they know what they are doing and part of it is for you to believe they are not . So when taking the money from an event where thousands of people are attending and security should be on top to protect them, is actually funny to walker that all what security is concerned about the cars and their drivers and people watching the race so they don't do anything that will affect the race but no one is looking behind the curtain so whatever is happening  under their noses is not a matter of priority while won't affect the race and no one will look at these guys that look like lost in the crowd and far from criminals because those are behind the bars and contained in prison. Or what would you do if one day you realize that everything that you have done is gone? No romantic relationships but a failure one that can provide the best for your children, and no career because life has taken it from you and your job just keeps kicking your ass leavin you jobless and with no money to provide to your family. What if you wake up realizing that you are trapped in this same place where you've been for years and there's no way out other than break the rules and do something different because there are no opportunities knocking at your door anytime soon. And you are just happy and proud living at your home town, a place that you love but at the same time is holding you back, keeping you away from any opportunity as everybody who knows you keeps judging for what you were at some point making it hard for anyone to move forward.

The movies moves at a fast pace mixing its time between the planing and execution of the heist while getting to know these characters and their motives and mostly proving to the audience that they can be anyone you know. Your neighbor or some relative that has been through difficult times. These guys have a motivation and not only the siblings but their new team and associates, who had been in prison but also serving time as part of their bad decisions and not entirely because we can catalogue them as bad people trying to hurt others or cause some trouble. They just want a piece of what they feel they deserve to have a decent life. Would you judge someone just for their actions not knowing the background of them or their real motives? Is there something totally right or wrong, that can't be put somewhere in between? It's all about the whole picture and that with stick with you from now on? Even that all this sounds very deep and serious the movie also manages to not take itself too serious. It's definitely not a drama but more a realistic comedy where this people is just ironic when facing their live and the ways that has moved for them, but also serving to expose the rest of us as a judge mental society focusing on being a moral person, successful and ambitious no matter what it takes or if a long the way you can hurt others but not too bad to cause damage that can't be undone.  So if you get lucky you better be smart to manage your luck and opportunities to make the best of it instead of throwing it to the garbage but it happens that you are truth to yourself you can prove others wrong and get away with what you want but always remembering to be grateful to the ones that helped you and using the ones that didn't as a cover for your mistakes and enjoy the ride along with Channing Tatum and Adam Driver playing a southern accent and teaming up with Daniel Craig while avoiding Hilary Swank as an FBI agent that can't buy the whole story and is so sure of what these guys just did, but if you want to figure out while having a good time don't miss this opportunity and a well done heist movie to say goodbye to a very sad and lack of excitement summer.

El crepúsculo de fuego de....ROBERT PATTISON

Algunos actores son reconocidos por su talento, inclusive opacado su físico, llenando con su presencia y talento ya sea la pantalla o el escenario, mientras otros sufren de la maldicion de un físico que los estanca en el lugar de ser reconocidos como una cara bonita, un atractivo físico o un sex appeal que atrae ondas de fans opacando su talento. Tal vez ese sea el caso de Robert Douglas Thomas Pattison, un joven actor que antes de poder mostrar cualquier destello de talento fue lanzado a la fama y estrellato convirtiéndolo en el deseo de millones de adolescentes suspirando por la idea de sus primeros personajes. Pero esa no era su idea cuando todo comenzó para este joven nacido en Londres. Hijo de un importador de carros y una administradora de una agencia de modelaje, criado a lado de sus dos hermanas y atendiendo a la escuela secundaria y preparatoria hasta que se inclina por las artes atendiendo a la escuela de teatro. Mas nada sucede de ahi hasta que comienza audiciones, principalmente para teatro y television, logrando algunas participaciones en filmes para tv e inclusive es despedido de su primer obra de teatro justo antes de su día de estreno.

Mas como dicen, todo pasa por algo y al cerrarse esta puerta, otra se abre, y esta vino de las manos de un blockbuster llamado "Harry Potter y el cáliz de fuego" (2004), la cuarta entrega de la popular serie sobre un joven mago y su desafiante destino en el mundo de magos y una maldicion que lo persigue desde pequeño. Siendo esta cuarta entrega una de las favoritas al presentar un torneo similar a la copa mundial, pero basado en el juego Quidrich del mundo mágico y donde el actor representaría a Cedric Diggory, un popular y atractivo mago que ayudaría al joven protagonista a ganar la mencionada copa y enfrentar a su temido enemigo antes de ser asesinado por el mismo. La cinta fue otro rotundo éxito dentro de la serie y una de las razones que tenia a todos hablando de ella es sobre quien es el nuevo joven actor en ella? Aunque su carácter fue asesinado en esta cinta, apareció en otra entrega de la serie como un cameo, mas la gente aun quería ver mas de el, por ello, la industria y los estudios abriera sus puertas para el joven que empezó a audicionar y recibir llamadas hasta ser ofrecido el protagónico de otra popular serie de novelas que terminaría por ponerlo en la cima del estrellato.

"Twilight"(2008), una historia de romance entre una inocente joven recién mudada a un poblado en Oregon y que se enamora de un misterioso pero popular joven que sucede es vampiro vegetariano que de igual manera cae rendido por la chica y una extraña fuerza que los atrae. La cinta rompió records de taquilla y se convirtió en un éxito de taquilla que dio luz verde al resto de la serie, aunque ninguna de ellas logro reconocimiento de la critica, a las fan no les importo y corrieron cada noviembre a ver la continuación de este romance que añadió hombres lobo y mas vampiros en "Twilight: New Moon" (2009), "Twilight: Eclipse" (2010), "Twilight: Breaking Down Part 1" (2011) y "Twilight: Breaking Down part 2" (2012) y aunque la serie fue perdiendo ritmo, la taquilla continuo rompiendo records y puso a su elenco en los tabloides y la mira de millones de adolescentes que suspiraban por estos jóvenes, incluido el joven Pattison, quien vivía su propio romance a lado de su co protagonista, la actriz Kristen Stewart, quien le pondría los cuernos con el director de una de sus cintas justo antes del estreno de la ultima entrega.

Con la fama de su lado, el joven actor busco impulsar su carrera fuera de la serie y enfocándose en proyectos mas serios e independientes, alejado de los blockbusters y la fantasia. Así protagoniza "Little Ashes" (2009), un drama ubicado en España de los 20' y 30's y con la relación de talentos como la amistad entre Garcia Lorca, Buñuel y Dali. La cinta tuvo criticas mezcladas y una taquilla pobre al contar con una limitada corrida a pesar de contar con el joven actor quien al parecer estará encasillado en su papel de joven vampiro que tanto enloquece a las jóvenes. Mas esto no lo detendría y menos al contar con el respaldo de la industria que tras ver su éxito en taquilla con la popular serie le seguirá dando oportunidades fuera de ella. Así lo vemos en "Remember me" (2010), una tragicomedia mas del estilo Hollywoodense sobre dos jóvenes en NYC que vienen cargando con issues de su pasado pero aun así logran enamorarse y llevar una tormentosa relación que de alguna menear los ayudaría a sobre llevar esos issues. La cinta fue un éxito en taquilla y desgraciadamente comprobaría que el publico quiere ver al actor como galán de comedia y romance, aunque en esta ocasión la critica aplaudió esta propuesta.

Mas el actor convencido que puede dar mas que ese estereotipo regresa a otra propuesta independiente con "Love & Distrust" (2010), una serie de cortos sobre diferentes parejas y relaciones, nuevamente ubicadas en NYC y que cada una representa algunos sentimiento del amor y la sospecha, siendo el del actor la obsesión. La cinta a pesar de contar con un atractivo elenco multi estelar no vio la luz mas allá de una muy limitada exhibición. Pero mas tarde regresaría con un proyecto mas grande, "Water for elephants" (2010), otra adaptación de una popular novela, basada nuevamente en el romance de dos jóvenes, que trabajan en un circo para ser marginados por el dueño de este. La cinta tuvo una tibia recepción a pesar de tener talentos como Reese Witherspoon y Christopher waltz involucrados pero el tema de romance prohibido no supo igual del libro a la pantalla. Mas tarde regresaría a la escena independiente con "Bel Ami" (2012), un drama de época que reúne talentos como Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, para contar la historia de un joven soldado que se refugia en Francia para ser acogido por un millonaria que le ayudaría a publicar sus anécdotas de guerra mientras este aprovecha la relación para seducir mujeres y escalar socialmente, logrando ser aplastada por la critica y de paso apenas recobrar su presupuesto en taquilla.

Pero el actor no se detendría en su búsqueda y logra protagonizar el siguiente proyecto del aclamado director David Cronenberg, "Cosmopolis" (2012), un thriller muy al estilo del director sobre un joven billionaire y sus negocios en su lujosa limosina que ponen sobre la mesa temas como la trivialidad y el significado de la vida. Estrenada en el festival de Cannes condo con criticadas mezcladas y una taquilla decente para el cine independiente, siendo un paso adelante en la carrera del joven actor que no se detendría en esta nueva faceta una vez dejada atrás su faceta como vampiro adolescente y buscando papeles mas adultos, como en "The Rover" (2014), un drama futurista que sirve como un estilo de western ubicado en Australia una década después de la caída económica y donde solo existen sobrevivientes en un mundo destruido ecológicamente y donde el actor busca rescatar a su hermano, otro joven ladrón que se ha topado con un solitario sobreviviente interpretado por el talentoso Guy Pierce, quien podría ser su única salvación o perdición. La cinta contó con excelentes criticas y una decente taquilla para un filme independiente y de su genero, mostrando de paso una nueva faceta mas madera y con mayor potencial para Pattison como un actor madura capaz de actuar.

Por tal razón, regresaría  a las manos del director Cronenberg en su siguiente proyecto "Maps to the stars" (2014), esta vez un drama que sirve como sátira ara exponer la industria del entretenimiento y su influencia en la cultura Americana. Co protagonizan actores de la talla de Julianne Moore y John Cusack teniendo una recepción muy tibia por parte de la critica a pesar de su pedigree y corrida por los festivales mas importantes, llevándola a una pobre taquilla. Después lo veríamos en "Life" (2015), una drama autobiográfico sobre un reportero de la revista Life, interpretado por Pattison, y su entrevista con el actor James Dean, en pleno ascenso a la fama, y que pasaría a la historia como una entrevista que dejaría ver un perfil mas realista del joven detrás del actor y la relación que los dos entablarían convirtiéndose en un momento histórico en la cultura popular  y que tras el imprevisto fallecimiento de la celebridad pasaría a la historia como uno de los archivos mas acertados del mismo.

Finalmente este mes lo veremos en dos diferentes proyectos: el primero la cinta independiente "Queen of the Desert" (2017), a principios de mes, un drama biográfico dirigido por el clamado director Warner Herzog, que sigue la vida de la exploradora, arqueóloga, escritora y activista política, Gertrude Bell, interpretada por la actriz Nicole Kidman, y que se estreno en el festival de Berlin para lograr malas criticas y una pobre taquilla que la mandaría a video de inmediato. Y el segundo, que podemos ver en las salas de cine ahora, "The Lost city of Z" (2017), una cinta con tintes de aventura que figura mas como drama, sobre la historia verídica de otro explorador, Percy Fawcett, también británico, que tras asistir al Amazonas como una misión para mapear la zona a principios de siglo XX, se obsesiona con la idea de encontrar una civilización perdida tras encontrar vestigios de esta en medio de la selva, convirtiéndose en su proyecto de vida. La cinta a pesar de contar con tintes de aventura, se centra mas en la vida y vision del militar y explorador quien para su época goza con una mente abierta y por ende busca iluminar al mundo con mas opciones mas allá de las pocas limitas que se contaban entonces y cuya experiencia transformaría su vida y la de su familia. Una cinta que ha gozado de excelentes criticas y poco a poco va abriéndose camino en la taquilla y donde el actor interpreta al amigo y segunda mano del protagonista, en un rol en el cual luce y se siente completamente diferente a cualquiera de los que le hayamos visto antes, al igual que lo vemos este mes en "Good time" (2017), otra cinta independiente y visualmente innovadora sobre la jornada desesperada de un joven buscando la manera de sacar a su hermano de la carcel tras un intento de robo mal fallido y que confirma la interesante selección de proyectos del actor al igual que promete un futuro interesante y que vale la pena seguir de cerca para corroborar si estamos ante un talento opacado por una cara bonita y un estereotipado personaje o viceversa y a su vez probar que los actores adolescentes provenientes de una serie de blockbusters tienen futuro como actores de renombre mas allá de ser celebridades del momento.....(continuara)

WIND RIVER gives you a BODYGUARD

A thriller, a comedy, an action movie. What would all these could possibly have something in common? Well the fact that they are two of the offers for this slow end of summer season at the movies. A season that now will be part as one of the slowest and less exciting seasons in years for Hollywood. But that is another story to tell. For now what matters is to look at these options that might sounds different and they are in context and visually but they share a theme in them that is what brings us here this time. Survival and the decisions we make to survive. Sounds intense but even we don't notice it, these are part of our daily lives. Every move we make is based on our survival instinct and our circumstances. Because won't be the same to think about how to make it through a city, avoiding to be hit by a bus, surf a crowd in the streets, struggle with competitiveness for a high demand job, while in the country you might the learn how to hunt and face the wild to make it home, or learn how to depend and cooperate with others to get all the supplies you need to make it through winter. There are many things we face every day but we are so use to them that we don't notice them anymore. We go out and live our Ives experiencing what might come but do we have the strength to face the challenges or make the best decisions for us or the ones we love? Are we just moving through the life as we it comes, letting it to takes where should be or donwe take control and plan and act accordingly the situation?

"Wind River" (2017) is a thriller that is more character driven than the usual and takes its time to set up the environment where is happening so you, as the viewer, get the sense and get immersed in that world. Telling the story of a rockie FBI agent that is sent to solve the case of a just founded dead girl body in the middle of nowhere and a local hunter that will help her to solve the case by following the clues that are out there instead of following the technical procedure she is used to back in the city. This is a wild place . Mountains covered by snow and local habitats separated by miles. Here Times goes by slowly which turns everyone into desperation looking for more, that's why most of them get caught where they shouldn't , all kinds of addictions, just to make it through their daily lives. It's all about survival. When there's nothing to do but survive you might get too close into it. So when a local girl is founded dead in the middle of nowhere the motives are hard to pin point. What was she doing there? how or why she ended there? Seems like she was a nice girl. Just a teeneger with a bright future ahead but somewhere she made a bad decision. But don't we all? Only that sometimes or at some places those key moments might cost your life or you are not as strong to face the consequences of those actions when facing others. 

So this FBI agent is trying to figure out all options but things work differently here, far from what we know as civilization.  The rules of life are different and so the people struggling with them. And soon she'll notice in the face of her local companion, a troubled local hunter that faced a tragedy in his past and and even he knows the rules in need to move on and keep fighting for what is left, the pain of what he couldn't do to protect them hunts him harder than how he can run . He has learned how to survive in the there and he lets to kee those memories alive but he can't get trapped in there. Has to be stronger to avoid a fall again. And so he proves once the mystery shows signs of resolution. He acts fast and cold the way is needed, taking his time to observe and make the first move. Has to be faster than the rest because knows the consequences of he doesn't. You can't blink and lose sight of the ones you love because you can lose them in a second, but also we all need to realize that we can't overprotect them and make them weak. Everyone when becomes an adult is able to make their own decisions and will have to face their consequences and so they will in order to solve this case of power of the strongest and a way of survival in a wild land where not just a gun can kill you.

But also guns are a powerful weapon as we learned from "The Hitman's Bodyguard" (2017), an action comedy that delivered exactly the kind of entertainment for a late summer  flick, a well mixed pack of laughs and philosophical moments about live and love and the decisions that we make that keeps the audience laughing, giving it a though, all while enjoying some very old fashion action sequences around Europe that won't become a classic but deliver in times where sci fiction and FX dominate the screen. All by telling the story of a security guy that used to work for an elite security company, in charge of making sure that very important people make it safe through their visits in the U.K.  And protecting them from any danger by being one step ahead and plan every second of the situation. But life happens and you can't plan it all, until one day things don't go the way you expected and all what you know can fall apart. You can't blink when you are dealing with hunters remember ? , so know this guy after years of frustration, unable to move on from what he lost keeps doing sporadic jobs tasting the glory of what he used to be, just that he hasn't realized what he still is. Until he will meet a most wanted hitman, one that actually has faced multiple times in the past, avoiding him to finish his job by doing the best of his. 

So when circumstances put ten together and will have to take care of each other as now the killer is a key piece to catch a bigger fish. But in order to do that, he has to keep him safe. And this is one of the big flaws of the movie. How come a hitman can be so charismatic and funny and full of wisdom, able to guide our troubled and confused young bodyguard. They clash as two different personalities bringing interesting perspectives to the table. One as in charge to protect and deliver, plans everything, pretends to live as a checkbook where every detail has to be taken care of. Every move he makes has been analyzed and approved, but you can't take control of every second of any situation. Life happens and part of be good at it is learninghow to solve and deal with these unexpected situations. Where's the fun about living under a series full of rules when at the end things still will happen and are out of our control. And that's a hitman's mojo. Living by the moment. Be spontaneous, because that way no one will see you coming. Acting fast and taking control of the situation by breaking the rules and making others uncomfortable and out of comfort is what success for him. He feels like a savor trying to help those that need to get riddle of someone that is causing trouble and not letting them be. So at the end, who's right or wrong? Who has more control? Is it some truth about their own way of living and how they face their situations and choices ? Again, it's all about survival and everyone has a different perspective of it and we all have different needs even we share same basics but our motivations will evolve into a unique mix that others might understand or not so we'll need to plan out next move in order to achieve them or protect them from others. When they say it's a jungle out there, that phrase takes a different meaning, but applies perfectly as we all are hunters and prayers for others, we just need to realize their intentions before they get us and be faster to do what it takes to make our own and stand out but always will be someone weaker and someone stronger, now how faster can you become from one to the other and avoid being one more in the statistics of missing persons?

DETROIT....fighting back

Feels good to have the power right? It's hard to denied when we are at that position where we can do what ever we want and get away with it. The idea of feeling better than others gives you some kind of power among others, but does that really makes you better? Or makes you the best at it? It's easy to assume the challenge of over come others just by a privileged position but what makes you superior than any? This has been the kingdom of white race. And not all white but male white men. Coming from a background where they were conquering around the world and dominating the old continent. But they didn't always win. But they learned how to over come those with more potential by submitting them and keeping them under control by selling them the idea of a helpful treat that will turn into what we now know as politics where negotiations and lies rule among the better at it with the right connections and being in the right position to make things happen. Money will help. Connections with the right people and skills to lead them will win among others.

But nothing lasts forever . The time will come that those that have been marginalized and kept under control suffering from physical and psychological abuse would stand up and say no more. Along history we've seen this sevaral times but also as we already know we don't learn from our mistakes . There's always someone trying to prove can do it better so here we go again. In recent times there was a moment and a place that this events happened but was totally manipulated by the government and authorities turning it into a facade but with the actual momentum of a new rise of a fight for civil rights and a re born or racism, a reminder comes handy by a powerful film that should be a must see to everyone, Americans or not, anyone can relate to the story in different settings and timings, but we are not different than what happened in "Detroit" (2017). Under the talented vision of director Kathryn Bigelow, an Academy winner that already prove her talent with other two powerful and resonant stories , now taking control of the current situation of her country where freedom has taken a different meaning and when society struggles for a divided perspective of what the American culture is and should be. 

All based in this big idea of some people, for not to say, races, are better than others. And coming from a culture and society than was build by the understanding and respect for immigrants coming from different regions m, but unfortunately all under the same color, it's shocking to find that the struggle is still real and stronger as it was a century ago. So for those with no idea of the events presented in the movie, all takes place in the city that gives the name to the movie, back in the summer of 1967, when white people moved out of the city to the suburbs as a better plan to raise their families leaving all the others at the city to take care of business . So police must have to take control of the situation trying to keep all this misfits under their wing, not because they were causing trouble but because they need them to be in control, meaning all their rights limited to avoid any thought of liberty and entitlement. Until one night after police abusing their power by trying to shut a party down for no reason other than enough is enough , people stand up for their rights and after watching their friends and family being mistreated like animals and with no rights or opportunities, fighting back and rebelling against their city and authorities.

What all started as a civil movement became chaos and turned the city into a no man's land and just being outside put you in danger. But life must go on. And so some people tried to. That's why one night at a hotel a few individuals, all by different circumstances were under the same roof, and what seemed to be a fun night hanging with friends and strangers turned into everyone's nightmare. All because a stupid joke by drunk people tired of leaving under these circumstances and screaming for a better resolution of events, just messing things up. So who would be to blame? Then for reacting after being living as nothing closer to a citizen or is for pushing them into that limit ? Is this the life you'd want for your friends and family? What would you do if you feeling like you are no one in this place and whatever you have can be taken from you, including your freedom and rights to just be and go out? Why would someone would pretend and act like is better than you, when you are smart, decent, genuine enough to become someone better and assume power and take charge of things if need so or that right is given to you .

Well just left to say that things went south when police arrived . Trying to find what is not there, again abuse of power was taken and all this people, guests of a hotel, were treated like terrorist, leaving three dead, killed by police man that didn't know how to take control of things and shooting at them like an animal hunt. While the remaining where bullied and harassed, at the end, even with the confession of two of the three policeman, when things went to court, lawyers did whatever it took to mislead and undertake any testimony from the victims just because their race and their background, shadowing their acts of killing and abuse of power just by their privilege of being white. So race is an issue that overtakes societies and countries. Yes, all are different but no one is less or better than other. Why can you judge an entire community by their looks when their acts are the consequences of slavery and poverty. At the lack of culture and knowledge anyone acts by instinct but also when educated they can achieve great things. Just happens that some are more selfish than others to date that piece of cake and lose their power because it can be addictive and as we can see, that are willing to do what it takes to keep it as a privilege of a few, questions is what group will be the next to save it for their own? 

Life is a masquerade....LITTLE BIG LIES

Lying...is it right or wrong? why do we have the tendency or need to do it? Such a moral issue. But things have come to a point where it's not about telling a lie but turning our lives into a big lie. With social media being part of our lives every minute and societies turning into it to get a glimpse of what everyone is and it's doing, pressure is on and we can't stop but trying to be a better self, no matter if only it is as a facade but what really cares is what others will see. We finally got the opportunity of turning our lives into what we'd like them to be. Even at the end it is not true. But what would happen when all this creation, fades out and people get to see the reality? How about us, when at night we face the truth, and that might bring us down? Are we happier with the illusion we have created or we cherish what we got? Are we really genuine or we only expose things through a filter. And since society was created, it's been proved how we, as individuals, love to get our noses into others life. Always checking up on things happening around us:, what are my friends doing, who are they dating or hang out with?, whom from my family got married and whom got divorced? what's my neighbor up to?. All sort of things but our own issues. Those are the ones that matter, but also the ones that hurt to look close at, specially if they are far from what we wanted or even if we do get what we want, we'll always compare them to others and we might not like it anymore.

So why do we fall in his circle, trapped in a bubble? Forcing us to lie, compare, sneak in, gossip, pretend? Well, welcome to Monterey, California, a small suburban town, best known for it's first class and one the best aquariums in the country. And also home of a society that moves more on the high end of incomes, thanks to it's closeness to the Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Here we are about to meet a group of the most popular and social families in town, their successful husbands, half time moms, beautiful children, gorgeous houses at the beach front, that only serves as a setting for gossips or have's and have-not's fractured relationships, pretentious friendships, justifications of family structures and all sorts of social events . And it's here where we start "Little Big Lies " (2017- current) a new tv show or mini series based on the best- selling novel, that feels like a drama but acts more like a dark comedy following the lives of this families through the eyes of three wives but as there seems like has been a murder, we also get the a glimpse of the thoughts from the rest of the town that can't stop to gossip about their neighbors as if they knew all the answers and the fact that we like to read and judge people by the cover doesn't mean that we have all the facts done. Why are they so interesting to keep talking about them when I really have no clue what's happening behind their doors? Is it human nature to feel drawn to others lives as an escape from ours or as point of comparison but who are we to judge by the cover when all comes to morality and who determines what is right or wrong until we are brought into it.

Meet Madeline. An obnoxious woman and housewife that knows everyone in town as the socialite she is, she would be the one to ask for a place to go or what do while in town and tell you all details about life in a small town. But as perfect as she pretends to look at the eyes of everyone else she is living a big lie of her life. She's trapped in this search of perfection and unclosed love to her ex after the end of her first marriage. And since she has to face him and his new beautiful and free spirited wife everyday at school when picking up the kids, she can't but wonder what if and what went wrong with her, even now that she has a perfect marriage, a husband that adores her, a teenager girl that has grown as a strong independent woman, and a kid that might be the smartest kid in the house. But she can't see beyond that. She's so occupied trying to fix others lives that she can't stop to contemplate what she has accomplished and wonder what she's missing instead of what she got. Not helping is the fact that her ex keeps trying to be friends her with his new wife and unite both families just as a remind to her of what she couldn't offer but can do now as an outsider. Reason why she feels the need to help and introduce the new girl in tow, Jane, a young single mom that just moved to town and seems so lots and in desperate help to be introduced to this new life after trying to raise her son, a cute and charismatic young boy that sometimes acts more as her support and companion than as his son. Why single mothers end using their kids as a refuge to their isolation or excuse to hide the rest of their lives behind with no regrets but focusing on them as their only and main goal?

As these two moms start to hang out and get to know themselves are involved in the daily moms drama of elementary school, where everyone is looking after their own kids but more concern about how the others are doing and how that will impact in their beloved ones. Why can't get just get along and let them be kids and realizing that their behavior is a reflection of whatever is happening at home not necessarily outside. And soon they'll find it out, specially Celeste, the third mom in this story that from the outside only looks like having the perfect marriage and been the perfect wife. She is beautiful, had a perfect and successful career that she left to become a full time mom and follow her husband to this town and settle. And her husband seems like a Prince Charming, su attentive and passionate with her, but is he? What happens when the door closes and they share intimacy? Well  they have a lot of sex and would say that keeps a healthy marriage going on but with hides behind that it's darker than what meet the eye. How many times are you forced to act in some ways more as a response than a desire? What would you be able to sacrifice for your family and in order to make thing work out? Is it really a marriage or any relationship something that need to be put on a test and keep it as a hard work in progress or should just feel right and move organically? How many times do words don't match with actions and we are ok with it? The appearance of what happens in public compared with the reality of a bedroom can be shocking and hard to judge by looking but what really matters is which one makes you happy and is the best option for you and your family because not all the time pretend is the solution but why do we like to lie to ourselves and believe things will or might change? Are we also attracted to masochism?

While these three women move along their suburban lives and struggles to keep up with all the package of family and society, we, as witness of the full cycle keep wondering if there was real murder in town and if so, who's the victim? Is anyone of them or are they the ones who committed a crime? And why someone like them would do anything like that? Is this part of the entitlement of being wealthy and privileged? And how all this will, and is already, reflecting in their kids behavior because they are the future and what they are nurturing at home is what builds the person they will become. So why we keep blaming and looking after our neighbors and friends life for an answer of our own problems? Why can we be happy when having a good life instead of looking at the possibilities that are gone but keep bothering and messing with our mind? Why sacrifices have to be done one sided and we still believe in the fantasy of being able to change someone or will they change by the power of love? And is it running away the real solution to face your fears and get a fresh start or is it just an excuse to be hunted in a different place? And most importantly, why all the lying? As if that would be the solution to our problems, taking the easy way out of our reality, instead of fixing what is wrong we prefer to create a new life, an ideal new impression that will do the trick to others but our nightmares will still be there and one little lie after the other will just create a bigger splash, but could it be the answer to a happier, full filling, successful life? Is it necessary and part of growing up to keep the spark in our relationships with others, or is it just a selfish move needed to keep going? No one is perfect so Just lie to me a bit but don't leave me, they say....