chrismichaelsmith85
Joined Aug 2012
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chrismichaelsmith85's rating
Jorge Xolalpa's Lolita follows Jesus, on parole after serving time in prison, who just wants to see his daughter - who is in the care of his estranged step-brother and sister-in-law. Tensions are high in this family, as Jesus needs to rebuild their trust in order to see his daughter again. Difficulties while trying to find work leads to humiliation, temptation, and unhelpful mandatory therapy sessions where no one seems willing to let him seriously pursue his chance at redemption, giving us a heart-wrenching look at the American justice system and society at large, as it looks down on former convicts and the LGBT+ community.
Alexis Vazquez is tasked with carrying the immense weight of his character, a gay former drug addict/sex-worker with underlying childhood trauma which prevents him from trusting anyone, and succeeds at this. The scene where he opens his heart to his therapist rocked me to the bone. Just a powerful performance, perfectly complemented by a strong supporting cast.
Jorge Xolalpa's steady directorial hand and hard-hitting screenplay, in coordination with Luis Adrian Lara's skillful camera work drive this film home, making it feel real, lived-in, and relatable. Xolalpa's growth as a filmmaker since really shines through, a tremendous raw filmmaking talent who consistently delivers unique and interesting stories that we need more of right now.
Lolita is currently playing the festival circuit, so if you have the chance to see it, I highly recommend checking it out. Support independent film, you'll never know what gems you'll find. This is definitely one of them.
Alexis Vazquez is tasked with carrying the immense weight of his character, a gay former drug addict/sex-worker with underlying childhood trauma which prevents him from trusting anyone, and succeeds at this. The scene where he opens his heart to his therapist rocked me to the bone. Just a powerful performance, perfectly complemented by a strong supporting cast.
Jorge Xolalpa's steady directorial hand and hard-hitting screenplay, in coordination with Luis Adrian Lara's skillful camera work drive this film home, making it feel real, lived-in, and relatable. Xolalpa's growth as a filmmaker since really shines through, a tremendous raw filmmaking talent who consistently delivers unique and interesting stories that we need more of right now.
Lolita is currently playing the festival circuit, so if you have the chance to see it, I highly recommend checking it out. Support independent film, you'll never know what gems you'll find. This is definitely one of them.
Watching LGBT+ films and television over the past decade has invited a lot of praise as well as criticism, and worse, discourse. The difficulty in finding a story that ticks all the boxes in the wildly diverse LGBT+ experience is an impossible task, and not everyone is going to connect with every story or feel represented.
Strangelove likely won't be able to tick all those boxes either (once again, an impossible task), but in its first few episodes, it does tick a lot of them. By focusing on a group of friends with different needs and different personalities, the opportunity to explore a wide variety of stories presents itself, and Xolalpa's thoughtful writing really steps up in this department.
It isn't just that these characters have very different lives, but because each character represents a unique and relatable experience. On top of the very gay-specific storylines, this crux of the series is four Millennial adults trying to make ends meet, something that everyone can relate with, and it holds nothing back.
Strangelove features Xolalpa's signature writing style of real, lived-in characters and candid human drama. The serial format serves his style very well, allowing his characters to grow and breathe more organically than ever. These characters are brought to life by terrific performances from a strong ensemble.
Alexis Vazquez, Brandon Baez, Eduardo Segura, and Raury Rolander are all given ample time to shine individually, but also have tremendous chemistry with one another. These four friends are brutal and sassy with each other in ways reminiscent of the Golden Girls, but at heart there's an underlying bond between them that is truly beautiful. You can tell that beyond their own lives, desires, stress and interpersonal relationships, these four deeply care about each other. These first few episodes give us a strong sense of chosen family that is truly beautiful.
But it isn't just the hard-hitting drama that makes Strangelove so special (though it does have that), this show is funny! The naturalistic humor that comes out of these conversations brings on a much welcome levity that beautifully balances out the heavier moments, and even makes it feel more honest.
The LGBT+ experience is not a monolith, and no film or series or book or any other piece of artwork is going to fully represent the entire community. But there is something so special about a series that in its first few episodes delivers on a carefully-woven tapestry that effectively captures the joy, the sadness, the pain, the awkward, the love, and just the right amount of tea and shade that impacts so many of our lives. Seeing all of that packed into the first few episodes like it's easy leaves me very hopeful for the potential that Strangelove has.
Strangelove likely won't be able to tick all those boxes either (once again, an impossible task), but in its first few episodes, it does tick a lot of them. By focusing on a group of friends with different needs and different personalities, the opportunity to explore a wide variety of stories presents itself, and Xolalpa's thoughtful writing really steps up in this department.
It isn't just that these characters have very different lives, but because each character represents a unique and relatable experience. On top of the very gay-specific storylines, this crux of the series is four Millennial adults trying to make ends meet, something that everyone can relate with, and it holds nothing back.
Strangelove features Xolalpa's signature writing style of real, lived-in characters and candid human drama. The serial format serves his style very well, allowing his characters to grow and breathe more organically than ever. These characters are brought to life by terrific performances from a strong ensemble.
Alexis Vazquez, Brandon Baez, Eduardo Segura, and Raury Rolander are all given ample time to shine individually, but also have tremendous chemistry with one another. These four friends are brutal and sassy with each other in ways reminiscent of the Golden Girls, but at heart there's an underlying bond between them that is truly beautiful. You can tell that beyond their own lives, desires, stress and interpersonal relationships, these four deeply care about each other. These first few episodes give us a strong sense of chosen family that is truly beautiful.
But it isn't just the hard-hitting drama that makes Strangelove so special (though it does have that), this show is funny! The naturalistic humor that comes out of these conversations brings on a much welcome levity that beautifully balances out the heavier moments, and even makes it feel more honest.
The LGBT+ experience is not a monolith, and no film or series or book or any other piece of artwork is going to fully represent the entire community. But there is something so special about a series that in its first few episodes delivers on a carefully-woven tapestry that effectively captures the joy, the sadness, the pain, the awkward, the love, and just the right amount of tea and shade that impacts so many of our lives. Seeing all of that packed into the first few episodes like it's easy leaves me very hopeful for the potential that Strangelove has.
A selection at the Florida Film Festival, Your Iron Lady tells the story of Teresa (Victoria del Rosal), a single mother navigating her recent move to the United States while raising her children the best way she can.
Writer/Director Jorge Xolalpa Jr. based this film off of an autobiographical short story written by his mother, Teresa Ramirez Galan. The film sets its tone perfectly right at the beginning, opening up with a static wide shot (Xolalpa's decision to film in Academy Ratio also helps establish a more intimate experience). A peaceful interaction involving numerous members of the family suddenly erupts into a vicious dispute.
The action within that scene unfolds naturally, which makes the conflict feel real. This is a credit to the performers who made this work, and also Jorge Xolalpa Jr., who keeps this realism going for the entire film, in a style reminiscent of Robert Altman.
Victoria del Rosal shines as Teresa. She can deliver her lines with real emotion and immediacy, but can also speak a thousand words with a single look.
The narrative of the film centers around a specific portion of Teresa's life, as we see her in a turbulent living situation with her sister, dealing with her estranged husband, and ultimately being forced to find her own way and establish a better life for herself and her children.
Some of Teresa's most emotional scenes are when she interacts with her children. Keeping her daughter Jazmin (played wonderfully by Alondra Lara) while she has her own internal struggle between her own rebellious adolescence and not wanting to disappoint her mother. There's a harsh honesty between the two of them, but at no point is Teresa's love for her daughter in doubt. The scene she has with her son as she walks him to school, after finding out other kids were calling him homophobic slurs is touching. On the surface, we see her reassuring her son after he was bullied, but there's an even more powerful subtext - that she'll love him, no matter what.
Your Iron Lady is an example of a simple slice-of-life story told effectively well, from deliberate and strategic camera work, an intimate aspect ratio, to a strong cast who were able to deliver real, natural performances. The talent on display in this film is phenomenal. It's currently circulating on the Festival circuit, and given changes made this year due to COVID-19, it's an easy film to seek out and watch from home.
Writer/Director Jorge Xolalpa Jr. based this film off of an autobiographical short story written by his mother, Teresa Ramirez Galan. The film sets its tone perfectly right at the beginning, opening up with a static wide shot (Xolalpa's decision to film in Academy Ratio also helps establish a more intimate experience). A peaceful interaction involving numerous members of the family suddenly erupts into a vicious dispute.
The action within that scene unfolds naturally, which makes the conflict feel real. This is a credit to the performers who made this work, and also Jorge Xolalpa Jr., who keeps this realism going for the entire film, in a style reminiscent of Robert Altman.
Victoria del Rosal shines as Teresa. She can deliver her lines with real emotion and immediacy, but can also speak a thousand words with a single look.
The narrative of the film centers around a specific portion of Teresa's life, as we see her in a turbulent living situation with her sister, dealing with her estranged husband, and ultimately being forced to find her own way and establish a better life for herself and her children.
Some of Teresa's most emotional scenes are when she interacts with her children. Keeping her daughter Jazmin (played wonderfully by Alondra Lara) while she has her own internal struggle between her own rebellious adolescence and not wanting to disappoint her mother. There's a harsh honesty between the two of them, but at no point is Teresa's love for her daughter in doubt. The scene she has with her son as she walks him to school, after finding out other kids were calling him homophobic slurs is touching. On the surface, we see her reassuring her son after he was bullied, but there's an even more powerful subtext - that she'll love him, no matter what.
Your Iron Lady is an example of a simple slice-of-life story told effectively well, from deliberate and strategic camera work, an intimate aspect ratio, to a strong cast who were able to deliver real, natural performances. The talent on display in this film is phenomenal. It's currently circulating on the Festival circuit, and given changes made this year due to COVID-19, it's an easy film to seek out and watch from home.