Hunger

A dark, depressive film about Bobby Sands and other prisoners, going on a hunger strike in Ireland because of the inhumane prison conditions and the fierce battle between the IRA and the British state. The film is incredibly realistic, it's painful, intense and powerful. There are some scenes that are extremely disgusting, violent and agonizing to watch, but all in all a very good artistic film with great cinematography.

Animal Kingdom

An Australian independent drama that tells the story about a teenage boy whose mom dies of a heroin overdose, and is left with his criminal family. 
A film with amazing cinematography and excellent acting on every character, from Josh (teenage boy) to Grandma Smurf. A shocking yet not eyeopening film about the criminal empire in a family that though it is not unique, it's admirable in it's genre.

True Grit

A western film about an alcoholic tough sheriff hired by a determined 14 year old girl to track down her father's killer.  The entire film is a remarkable act, starting off with Jeff Bridges' performance which is superb. No, "superb" doesn't quite cut it. Imagine if "superb" and "magnificent" had a baby and then that baby was filled with steroids, THATS how I would describe Bridges' performance. Jeff Bridges is now my favorite actor. Thank you, True Grit. With a performance like this, makes it such a pleasant and enjoyable American film, and good American films are hard too find. This movie is now going on my iPod, loved it.

Biutiful

Iñárritu's Biutiful is an undeniably moving story about a conflicted father trying to do the right thing before he dies of prostate cancer. Javier Bardem plays out an excellent role, his handsome, expressive face brings out a richly vibrant performance. You will definitely see why he was nominated for an Oscar. You may shed tears more than once, for you will see there is no denying the astonishing power of this film about living, dying and death. The cinematography, goes without saying, is superb. A highly recommended tragic film.

Blue Valentine

An independent drama about a toxic marriage that starts out as a promising relationship and ends up in complete chaos. The performances on behalf of Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams is astounding. Each with they're on different styles giving each part a very realistic yet remarkable touch.
Blue Valentine is truly intelligent film that reminded me of Revolutionary Road, in which they both portray how difficult and unhappy a relationship can be. Highly recommended film.

The Dilemma

A "comedy" directed by Ron Howard about two best friends since college who start a big automotive design project. The plot starts to develop when Ronny (Vince Vaughn) finds out Nick's (Kevin James) wife is cheating on him. The dilemma starts when Ronny doesn't know when to tell Nick because he is already under a lot of pressure because of the project they have to deliver.
This film is not funny at all, it felt like so much work to finish it. And one would think you would at least laugh once, but no, no such thing. The acting on both actors was horrible, but you could tell it was the directing becuse normally I like Kevin James and Vince Vaughn, or maybe they're just getting old. I don't know, but the chemistry was not there. Don't waste your time on this one.

Idiots & Angels

An art contemporary animated film about a guy who is pretty much the scum of the earth. He is an angry abusive alcoholic that only hangs around in his local bar all day. His life takes a different spin when one day, he wakes up and notices little wings are growing from his back. As much as he liked his douche lifestyle, he practically gets dragged into becoming a hero.
The film has no dialogue just the occasional scream and laughter. An excellent pessimistic view on life, violent and sexual, just like real life. Plus, the animation is great. Good film that is definitely not for kiddies.

Encounters At The End Of The World

German Werner Herzog makes a documentary film that studies Antartica. From volcanoes, to seals, to icebergs.

The photography in this film is simply amazing, so peaceful that it seems it is out of this world. The interviews with the people living there, were kind of creepy. It seems all of them were crazy dreamers. Great photographic film.

The Rite

Yes, another exorcism film. Ok, so I read some reviews before watching this and I thought I was in for a crappy terror film, but on the contrary, I actually enjoyed it. Yes, you might be surprised, I don't care. It had me thinking all the time "Why does everyone think this is such a bad film?", and then the ending came. That's when I realized what everyone was talking about.
The film is about an skeptic priest-to-be who is an atheist and is proven wrong. He finally believes after 3 exorcisms.
This film made me think a lot about exorcisms. What is up with that!?! The worse part is that some friends of mine have actually been to some! That's just too scary. The priest-to-be is a brave one, I'd be down on my knees with a rosemary on hand after the fist nail that came out of the mouth of the first exorcism.
This movie is what it is. A film about priests and exorcisms. If you are an atheist, don't even bother to watch it, you'll think it's stupid. Meh, for me it was entertaining... Except at the end, cheesy ending.

The Yes Men Fix The World

Two activists try to fix the world by infiltrating corporate events with fake websites, cheap suits and a few props. They attempt to represent a change of heart on behalf of the companies that are guilty of massive crimes, like the Bhopal incident. A good documentary that shows a different approach and unlike other globally situated documentaries, this one displays some optimism for the future.

Rabbit Hole

Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) lose their 4 year old child in terrible accident. This tragic loss has taken them down the rabbit hole, and both parents try to cope with this emotional chaos.
Nicole Kidman gives a stunning performance; a wreck who grows more distant by the day, and snaps at her mother and sister every single time she can because SHE CAN. It shows how a grieving process can be really messy and isolating. Excellent film.

The Next Three Days

A professor in Pittsburgh finds a way to get his wife to escape out of jail, for she has been convicted of the murder of her boss.
This movie is what I would call a "Sunday movie". It's just what you expect it to be although it does keep you on your toes. Typical American film in which it's all action and keeps you on your toes, even though you know it's all pretty much unachievable. Like the fact, that he got everything right, to the last thing but he missed the fact that his son wasn't at the house where the birthday party was at. That's kind of a big deal! But I guess it's all part of it being a fiction thriller movie...
Great to watch on a Sunday night.

Espejitos De Colores

There is over 600 mining proyects in the Andes Mountains range. This documentary film talks about all the damage a single mining proyect can do. The amount of harm this does to our planet is mind-boggling, and the statistics are terrifying. This is definitely one of today's most talked about subjects, global warming. A good topic. But the movie was just to boring, it's missing something and I quite can't put my finger on what it is. I wouldn't recommend this movie, there are other far more better ones on the same subject, like Home. 

Happy Tears

Two very different daughters have to take care of their father which suffers from old age dementia.
Okay, this movie is just weird in my opinion. For example, the meltdown of the husband of one of the sister's doesn't really fit into the story. I guess it's supposed to be a tragicomedy but some scenes are just plain flat and awkward. The fantasies of the irresponsible sister aren't really clear, and sometimes you can't really tell if they are flashbacks or just fantasies. I liked Demi Moore but I wish there had been more of her.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Two young American BFFs, Vicky and Cristina, spend a summer in Barcelona. They meet a daring painter, Juan Antonio, who proposes they fly with him to Oviedo, for the weekend.
I absolutely LOVED this movie. I thought the casting was perfect, it was sensual, dreamy and classy. Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz played amazing roles. And the fact that it was narrated, well, that to me, was the icing on the cake.
I just can't believe I didn't watch it before... What's wrong with me? Brilliant film.

The Way Back

An inspiring true story about a group of multinationals escaping from Stalin's reign, travelling through snow storms in Siberia and waterless deserts in Mongolia, on their way to India and freedom.
With this being said, you know this is going to be an epic, moving film. I thought the film to be an interesting combination of inspiration and tediousness. Inspiring, cause of all they endured. I would have probably died first along with the blind fella. But, some scenes can get to be tedious, like the ones in the desert, they are just way too long and you already get the point that it was a loooooong journey, but seriously, don't put us through that.
Either way, it wasn't all that bad, it made me want to get off my lazy butt and do something...

Whatever Works

An excellent Woody Allen film which delivers amusing dialogue and on the surprising side, an optimistic ending.
An intellectual, narcissistic, Jewish genius falls for a genuinely innocent, southern girl.
This movie has Allen's signature written all over it. Definitely loved the sarcastic yet charming script. And the humour of it all was great, I had my good amount of fair laughs. I highly recommend this film; it put me in a good mood and hopefully it'll do the same for you.

Cherrybomb

A pair of mates whose friendship is tested by the new girl in town.
Why I finished watching this movie is beyond me. The whole movie suggests something terribly wrong is about to happen but it never does. Free spirited teenagers with troubled families trying to be rebellious but they really aren't that bad, all the aggressive scenes are half-way there, the characters are all unlikeable, the make-up
It's just a bad, bad, bad movie.

Los Abrazos Rotos

A dangerous love story between a blind screenwriter and the mistress of a millionaire.
Another fascinating Almodóvar classic and definitely one of my favorite movies of 2009. I overcame with great joy with this film, watching this, my time felt amazingly fulfilled. The last scene was my favorite, just the conversation between the two leading ladies in Girls and Suitcases is gorgeous to look at. A genuine element of a tragic film. Brilliant film, watch Los Abrazos Rotos, twice.

I Love You Phillip Norris

Based on a true story, Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell, a charismatic con-man who is sent to prison. While in prison, he meets his gay lover, Phillip Norris, which is delicately portrayed by Ewan McGregor. The performances on both ends are exquisite; Carrey, the eccentric, funny trouble-maker and McGregor, the sweet, pleasing southerner. A witty comedy that I very much enjoyed.

El Infierno

Benny, a Mexican emigrant, returns to his country 20 years after, and just like a time traveler, he finds himself with a worse Mexico than when he left.  A Mexico that has lost it's innocence and is now controlled by 'narcos'. 

Although this is a dark comedy, I found it kind of sad, because this is the reality of the Mexican society. The way a 'narco' corrupts everything he touches is finely portrayed.

An excellent film in which you will have some laughs and also become more aware of what life is like in most places in Mexico. 

Oceans

Oceans is a Disney nature documentary film that explores all Earth's oceans. Truly majestic and beautiful, the cinematography is stunning. I saw animals I didn't even know existed!! Like the "dugong", that was the weirdest one for me. The shots are amazing, all I kept thinking was "How did they get that?". Astonishing film.

Los Invisibles

Each year thousands of migrants are kidnapped, raped and murdered by the Mexican authority or local gangs throughout their journey in Mexico to get to the U.S. This heartbreaking documentary reveals stories of one of the most dangerous journeys in the world. The torture these people go through is no new thing but watching the interviews gives us a profound touch of reality. The figures are distressing, in a period of 6 months, 10,000 people have been found dead, 9 out of 10 come from Central America, and 6 out of 10 people are sexually abused. Hopefully, the Mexican government will do more to protect the migrants because to not do so, is inhuman. 
A must-see short film.

Little Fockers

Jack Byrnes suffers from a mild heart attack, realizes his time is almost up and eagerly wants to name his successor, Gay Focker. 
The third movie of the "Focker" trilogy. Why they made a third one, is beyond me. This film was dead in so many ways. One of the first scenes was just terribly gross and from then on, it just gets worse and worse. I didn't believe any of the roles, and to watch De Niro, Keitel & Hoffman was just disgraceful. This is exactly the movie in which we see what Ben Stiller's acting is really like, because to me he was just lucky with the rest of his hit films. Fake, exaggerated, lazy, just a plain awful.movie.

Waiting For 'Superman'

An excellent documentary about the public schooling system in the United States.
This film made me sad. The problems presented in the film seemed that much scarier because the U. S. is supposedly the country that should have a better public educational system than all the other countries in America. If this is what really happens in a country, which was once the prime power of the world, I don't even want to think about how the system in poorer countries is managed. The fact that a child's future is already partly predicted is simply horrifying. A dream-shattering film that you have to watch.

Events of cultural interest (GUADALAJARA, JAL, MX)

A great website that encourages you to assist to the hottest, artsy events in Guadalajara. Everything from galleries to film festivals to fairs. This is a great chance for you to awake your cultural roots.

Check it out, it will definitely be of great use to you...

http://abarroteramexicana.wordpress.com/

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is a powerful documentary film based on the overthrow attempt of President Hugo Chávez in 2002. It was quite a shocking revelation to actually see what when on in Venezuela from the inside. I'm used to watching news on U.S. channels, so I always understood Hugo Chávez was a mean dictator. But for me this was an excellent eye-opening film. The love the Venezuelan people have for him is so electric and captivating that it actually gave me chills. Through conspiracy, once again, it all points to the U.S. trying to take advantage of one of the world's leading exporters of oil. An insider movie which is worth watching, so you can clearly see how the evidence speaks for itself.

The Yellow Handkerchief

A road trip between three lonely strangers brings them all together, when they are forced to reconnect with their past. LOVED IT! Absolutely loved it. A gentle yet captivating film with beautiful photography. All three leading performances were extremely convincing. This film definitely exceeded my expectations, hopefully it will exceed yours too. I suggest you watch it a.s.a.p.

Morning Glory

A stressed-out morning show producer tries desperately to make her program work but with her anchors bickering at each other incessantly, they make it almost impossible. As predictable as you know it's going to be, the director manages to let it become something more than just another chick flick. It's still a very cheesy movie, but I have to admit I did laugh a couple of times and I enjoyed Harrison Ford's egotistical jerk role. Definitely upped my mood even though I thought I was going to hate this movie. I wouldn't go to the movies to watch it though...

Please Give

Kate and Alex are owners of a modern-kitsch furniture store whose things they get from old people's  apartments that recently died. They get acquainted  with the granddaughters of an elderly woman who lives across the hall from them
Please Give is a series of small moments filled with envy and guilt. An artsy, clever, sentimental, funny movie, in which all of the performances are great. This one will make you smile.

La Ciudad de los Fotografos

Now, I look at the other side of the coin (I just saw I Love Pinochet).
La Ciudad de los Fotografos is a documentary film that covers a daring group of photographers that records brutal Pinochet's dictatorship.The film explores the families of the "desaparecidos" and pays homage to the courage of these activists. The documentary is a lot better than I Love Pinochet not only because it shows what truly happened, but the cinematography and photography is superb. You can truly see, through the testimonies and excellent photographies, how terrifying Pinochet's reign was. 
The only thing that bothered me about this film is that I could barely understand one of the photographer's spanish, for it was way too much of a local slang, and after a while it just gets annoying. But other than that, if you're a photojournalist, this is your kind of movie and if you're not, watch it either way, it's good!!

All Good Things

Based on a partially true story, this films revisits an unsolved mystery, the disappearance of Katie Marks It mostly covers the relationship between Katie (Kirsten Dunst) and David Marks (Ryan Gosling). David becomes creepier and more violent as the movie progresses and I thought Gosling did and exceptional job at it.
Solid performances, intriguing secuences and interesting moments, a pretty good home-watching movie.

I Love Pinochet

I Love Pinochet is a documentary film constructed through envisions that allow us to realize the broad and complex view of Chile's existing phenomenon, pinochetism. The numbers are mind-boggling, apparently 40% of the population still supports Pinochet's economic reforms and actually see them as keys to the nation's "salvation" from a communist government. My mind was simply blown away to see that people still adore him, and quite disgusted with the idea that they await the next "Pinochet". A good eye-opening documentary.

Solitary Man

Michael Douglas performs as another selfish douche. Real innovative, Mr. Koppelman. An aging businessman makes poor decisions regarding his work, family and relationships, leaving him a Solitary Man. This film was thoroughly unpleasant for the entire running time, boring and super predictable. The only thing that I thought wasn't that bad was the last scene, where he doesn't know if he should get in the car with his ex-wife or go after the young woman. That was it. This movie is not worth watching, don't even bother.

Secretariat

Based on a true story, Secretariat is about the greatest U.S. racehorse ever lived.
A conventional yet inspirational film. I was truly expecting a lot less from the film but in the end, I actually liked it, mainly because the ignorant me did not know the true story so it caught me off-guard. I read that when Secretariat died, they performed an autopsy and his heart was 2 and half times bigger than a normal horse's heart should be. Overacting and the dream-killing villain are obviously part of the film, after all, it is a Disney movie. One of the few (very few) good cheesy movies to watch.

Somewhere

Sofia Coppola's fourth film. The actor Johnny Marco is bored with his dull and meaningless life but takes a different turn when his ex-wife leaves their 11 year old daughter, Cleo, for a prolonged visit. Although this movie focuses on Marco, the real star and most resonant part of the film is Cleo. She does an exceptional job.
This film is definitely not for everybody in my opinion. It has prolonged scenes that could eventually bore the viewer. But, all in all, a great film despite all the bad criticism it has gotten. It has Sofia Coppola's signature written all over it, same style as Lost In Translation, which I absolutely adored. Maybe it's just the fact that I'm a big Coppola fan, but I liked it, a lot.

Monsters

An indie science fiction film that follows two Americans stationed in Mexico trying to make their way through the infected zone to get to the U.S. The infected zone is the northern half of Mexico filled with squid-like aliens.
Ok, so my first question is: What is up with the scene where they are both sitting on top of a pyramid admiring the U.S. border? Mexican pyramids are on the south of the country, so that was WAY OFF! Is it because everything is fiction? Or is it because the director wants the viewer to see how beautiful Mexico can be? Or is it just a mistake? I don't know...
To me, this was an immigration analogy. So, should I be offended because apparently Mexicans are monsters or feel complemented because at the end they show the human side to the aliens? I'm not really sure what to feel. I'm not really comfortable with the Mexican/alien metaphor, but I guess in the technical side of things it has excellent photography and all the extras were locals, which made the movie more authentic. I admire the fact that is was a well done film with a very small budget but I think it could have been so much better.

Chloe

Hiring a young, beautiful call girl to see if she can seduce your husband, just so you know he's actually cheating on you, is a pretty good idea if you ask me! I thought the movie was very intriguing. At first, I thought it was going to be just another predictable film, but I have to admit it had it's weird erotic twists. Julianne Moore did a superb job with her role. I was hoping to see a little bit more of Liam Neeson, but I read somewhere his wife died while filming this and they shortened his screen time.
I thought it was a riveting provocative flick, although at the end it left me wondering "What the hell just happened?". I have to say if we're talking about infidelity theme movies, "Revolutionary Road" crushes this one!!!!

Leaves of Grass

When I first read what this movie was going to be about I thought I was in for a stoner comedy, but faaaar from it, definitely calling this a drama. The film is about twin brothers who have vastly different personalities, one teaches philosophy in college (Billy) and the other is a very fine marijuana grower (Brady). They have both parted ways and re-encounter in a really strange way. I really think this movie is worth discovering, Edward Norton does a fantastic job playing both brothers and the supporting cast is also really good. Kept my interest going.

The Squid and the Whale

The plot follows a family living in Brooklyn that's dysfunctional in every extent of the word. Both, mother and father are novelists going through a divorce and the sons have different ways of dealing with it. Issue after issue and out-break after out-break,  but overall nothing seems to happen. The acting on Jeff Daniels is amazing with his insecure yet arrogant behavior. I thought, this being a Wes Anderson produced movie, it was going to be a lot wittier and funnier but it just seems to lack spark. To me this movie was just about ruthless, screwed up people with no climax. Ordinary film.

Presumed Guilty

Presumed Guilty is a documentary film about a typical case in Mexico's "justice" system, where a street vendor is charged with a murder he did not commit. It truly shows how old-fashioned and corrupted the legal system can be. After watching this film I felt so outraged, it really is an eye-opener to anyone who is unfamiliar to the way criminals are convicted in Mexico. I find it truly shameful that in my country one is guilty until proven innocent. The documentary, fortunately has a happy ending, but the reality is that not everyone can prove themselves innocent. Excellent film. I highly recommend it.

Angel-A

I have to say, I am a sucker for French films. As you can see the title is in French, I simply adore the language and the photography always seems to be superb. It might be the Parisian streets or the accordion music but I always fall for their elegance. The movie is a romantic comedy between a con-man who owes money to too many people and an angel.  I thought the movie was beautiful in every aspect. It was creative, passionate, simply beautiful, like flipping through an art book. The last 5 minutes were a little bit too much for me, but that's just me, haha!! The rest of the movie was magnificent.

Four Lions

The movie is a political comedy about four Islamic wannabe terrorists trying to engage in a suicide bomb attack. An obscure satire of one of today's most talked about matters. The main characters are all idiots and the director is trying to make the terrorists human with they're incompetence.. I thought it was a brave and quite unique film. Although, reading all the reviews I expected more, a lot more. Everyone said it was a clever, brilliant masterpiece but I truly counted the times I laughed. I didn't think the photography was one of the best either. I'm glad I saw it but I wouldn't watch it again.