Here and There

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Audience Member Unfortunately I don't have time to write full reviews right now, but I have to jot down capsule reviews of two movies I saw a week ago before I forget them. So: Aqui y Alla, or Here and There, is basically a low-key Mexican neorealist film about a man who returns to his family in Mexico after having been away working in New York for a few years. The film is extremely slow and naturalistic, without any heightened drama or stylistic flourishes. There's quite a lot of silence and long, still takes. It works okay, but I have to admit I'm starting to suspect that such films are starting to take on this critic-proof aura: if you depict people, especially non-Americans, in slow, realistic, undramatic ways, everyone will think you automatically have a masterpiece. Other films that come to mind in this vein are Silent Light, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (a film that remained mostly mundane even with its supernatural plot elements), Shame, Amour, and The White Ribbon. At their best, these slow, undemonstrative films can be truly enchanting and touching, as in the case of the truly wonderful Israeli film Jellyfish. Often, though, they run the risk of being simply boring and unenlightening; and while I wouldn't say this film totally fell into that trap, it didn't completely escape it, either. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Shin Y ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/13 Full Review Audience Member Quick Review: For the humanistic viewer this is a great film for looking into the lives of the illegal mexican immigrant. This is a slice of life film that follows a father returning to mexico and his family in the hopes that he can start a band with the money he earned in New York. From the beginning of the film you can see the scars that his absence has left of the family. To the wife that believes he's been unfaithful to the older daughter who distances herself from him and doesn't care about school. This is a slow heart wrenching film about a family that tries to stay together under the hardships of a poor 3rd world country. Everything about this film feels authentic and although it doesn't really follow the stereotypic rise and fall of plot points, Aqui Y Alla is rare film that tells the true story of the torn immigrant families. The ending is a bit sudden but I think that's what the director had in mind. One day he's here and you think everything is going right, but underneath the surface your parents are hiding heavy responsibilities that are impossible to communicate to a child. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Not recommended for lovers of fast-action movies. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member Read and comment on my review at http://bit.ly/UzSPZM Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Here and There

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