Alanis

The movie it's good but where is the ending? Since like there have a part 2 or what?

Not nearly everyone will like this film. Some people will find it to be a very powerful film, while others will find it little more than a complete bore. There is a story/plot, but not much of one really. It's basically just a consecutive observation of a person trying to survive on her own terms over a few days. This is an extreme realist character study, and in all truth, it's probably the most realistic character study I've ever seen, and I've seen literally thousands of films. The lead actress uses her real one and a half year old son as her character's son in the film, and this is truly marvelous to a film lover like myself. Of course this made these scenes between the two ultra authentic, and these scenes are undeniably beautiful. What is captured here to me was so powerful. The film really is about Alanis and her son, at least to me it is pretty much entirely. Even apart from the scenes between Alanis and her son, the lead actress is phenomenal here. She's been acting for over 10 years before this film and won awards, including now the Argentinean Academy Award for Best Actress for this very film, and the Argentinian Critics Choice Award as well.

People may notice in my reviews and lists that I'm a huge fan of realist film, and this one really grabbed me. I honestly feel that Alanis, as imperfect of a character as she is, she is still somehow among the most inspiring female characters I've ever seen, or read, or even heard of. I'm not sure that many people would feel this way however, I'm fairly sure I'm in the extreme minority in this. Nevertheless, I loved the film, and I found the film and character to be very inspiring. To me, films like these make most Hollywood films seem painfully boring, predictable and horribly overdramatic. Films like these also thankfully keep inspiring me to embrace real life and the real world, which I think is so important in these modern times. So many people become detached from reality in ways simply because they've lost sight of the beauty that is in it, and the amazing miracle that it is. Yes, our world is ugly, ugly as hell in a sense, but there is an entirely other beautiful side as well. To loose sight of this is to find your own personal sort of hell, as was described by Milton. Paradise Lost.

**If you have yet to see the film. I would caution you not to read this last paragraph of my review.**

The film does not tell us everything about Alanis and why she does what she does exactly. However I personally found that this is the best way to present this story/film, brilliant really. To me the film becomes somewhat profound because even though it's impossible from what we know to entirely like Alanis and agree with her, it also seemed at least for me, impossible to root against her. Why is it hard to root against her? Simply because it is impossible not to see that she genuinely loves her child...and the child loves her too of course. In this sense, the film is incredibly powerful and inspiring. However, most viewers may not even see this at all. The thing there is, if we did know her entire story and understood all of her motivations, would we not want something else for her here? Probably! The more we know, the more questions we'd have of why she didn't do something else. That's part of the magic of the way this story is told. We can't fairly judge her entirely, so we don't question so much why she does what she does. We just hope for her and the boy to find a safe place to land.

8/10.

A few days in the life of a Buenos Aires mother, struggling to balance her work as a local prostitute, with making ends meet. It's well acted, shot, and for me, a realistic 'slice of life' modern day drama.

In Buenos Aries, Alanis is a prostitute (Sofia Gala Castiglione) kicked out of her apartment for soliciting and moves into her nearby aunt's (Dana Basso) with her 1 year-old son. She continues to struggle to get by and is drawn back into prostitution.

Anahi Berneri's film observes the events as a voyeur that makes no judgements and displays the survival of someone who lives under the radar on the margins of society. Yet, all the way through she still tries to cling on to having agency of her own decisions, despite what others think or what society tells her.

Sunlight and fresh air streaming through a little window, clinging to the back of a motorcycle as it threads the city streets and the laughter of her baby boy; little things that bring Alanis such joy. She sorely needs it. Inconsistent and unbalanced prostitution laws and predatory law enforcers punish the very people they should help. The camera follows Alanis and her son Dante as they are forced to the street, seek shelter with a kind yet preachy relative, try to find a little space for themselves in territory jealously guarded by others in the same line of work, and suffer other indignities. Alanis is a determined survivor though, she treasures the light when it comes and if anyone can get through such times, it is her.

The film provides a valuable and intriguing glimpse into the underworld of Buenos Aires where immigrants are lured with false promises, bad laws and law enforcers rule, and vulnerable people such as Alanis have few and dismal choices available. Dante is the real-life son of the film's main actor. This relationship brings authenticity and magic to each scene between mother and son. While there could be more depth to the dialogue and certain scenes should be expanded upon, Alanis is a wonderful, genuine and insightful film. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.