From Prada to Nada

It has 5.5 IMDB rating. If IMDB rating is your major turn on, you better avoid it. However, if you want to watch a light movie that bounds you for fun, you should hit it. It didn't disappoint me. In fact, I enjoyed me evening through midnight.

I am no expert on this genre, but I'd have to say that "From Prada to Nada" is a notch above most of the romantic comedies that are out there This is a witty and realistic romantic comedy waiting for you. I was glad I had a chance to see this film earlier because I'm certain there will be a lot of "naysayers" out there that will dissuade others from seeing it, but to me, this seems like a perfect film for discussion with a circle of good friends.

Unlike other films coming from the genre, this film not only has witty dialog and cleverness without being too sentimental but it takes on the subject of the Hispanic society with just the right touch.

The actors involved, of course, have a lot to do with the making of a good film and overall, the actors are perfect for their roles, each one of them bringing a dose of reality to the screen.

Not everyone is going to get this film but in my opinion, "From Prada to Nada" is a highly enjoyable movie that surprisingly has something for everyone.

I have to admit I have a soft spot for Austen and the many, many (did I mention many?) adaptions. Yes I realize that most are less than stellar but there is something about a classic Austen love story that makes me smile. This is most assuredly a knockoff adaption of Sense and Sensibility, if you know the tale you will not be surprised where this story takes you. As far as adaptions go however, this is a very sweet, abet unoriginal version.

The "twist" to this Austen remake is that the cast is mainly Latino and is set in modern day east LA. I am not Hispanic so I cannot speak to the authenticness (and not stereotypical) of the Mexican/American culture but I enjoyed how they incorporated this aspect into the Austen storyline.

I did not expect much so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. There was a real sense of love and warmth between the family, more so than in many other portrayals. The writers managed to bring the adaption into the modern world and cast the characters well. With the title being what it is I was not expecting the level of acting to be high but I was surprised at how good they depicted their roles. Yes it isn't top notch acting but for the most part they all delivered a solid performance.

In short decent acting, good Austen plot, and warm loving characters made this worth watching at least once.

I enjoyed this movie.It may not have the most amazing acting but I can tell the people in it are having fun. I loved the slices of Mexican/American culture. It is a pretty clean comedy compared to most PG- 13 ones. The expanded rating gives the reasons for the PG-13. It is a unique variation of the Jane Austin movie it is based on. I think the parts in Spanish are much more entertaining if you know Spanish. Although you can still enjoy it even if you do not know Spanish. If you know nothing of LA or some Mexican traditions this is probably not the movie for you. I liked it more for the culture and the moral lessons. I would watch this movie again which is a lot to say since most movies fail to entertain me after one sitting.

Ostensibly a modern retelling of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility", the sisters Nora Dominguez (Camilla Belle) and Mary Dominguez (Alex Vega) are now rich Latinas who grew up rich and ignorant of their culture. When they lose their father and their fortune, they are forced to live with their poor relatives in East L.A.

Jane Austen doesn't always translate completely to modern times. Marriage just doesn't have the same importance as in Jane's times. The culture has changed in 200 years. But if we take the story without the Austen expectations, it works relatively fine.

However not everything is as fine as others. Mary is a little too privileged and ignorant to be likable for my taste. Alex Vega is playing her too much like a stereotype. And the production value is a little bit limited. With good actors available, they needed a more experienced director. Angel Gracia could only give us a made-for-TV level of style. Overall this rom-com is much richer of a story than most. It is definitely better than most of Lifetime or Hallmark romance.