Una Great Movie

I'm sorry. I'll give three stars for effort at least. As usual, the stupidlly high ratings are probably from production and lackeys. Of course if you're just the regular movie goer looking for something to watch, ymmv.. What follows is just my opinion.

I get indie filmmakers pour their hearts and souls into these things. Unlike a songwriter or painter who can produce art on their own for virtually zero expense after even the most minimal layout for gear and materials , making films requires huge amounts of cash, equipment and the reliance on many many others to make it happen. Yet after all that time, money and effort, chances are you've produced a stinker.

I was going to bail five minutes into this.... because that's all I've ever needed to size up film..... but gave it a chance though finally had to quit after about a half hour.

Problem with 98% indie produtions is that they reek of indie production. Big part of it is the awful, stiff, amteurish acting. Then there's that stinko script and directing. Even when photography itself is mechanically competent, the entire feel is off compared to the standard big name studio production. That's this that kind of movie.. Any discussion about the story itself is kind of pointless.

What an original, imaginative piece. Beautifully shot, an homage to a small Mexican village and the people who live there, some wonderful actors and all of it ably crafted by Jennifer Sharp, who brings into focus the many factors that exist in bringing one's dream, in this case a script to fruition on the big screen. There's also a case to be made to follow your truth and be strong enough not to listen to every Tom, Dick, or Harriet's opinions.

Love the movie and the story. Such a fun time and a cleaver way of filmmaking. Sometimes movies surprise you and this one for sure did with the quality of how the story was told and portrayed by the characters. My whole family enjoyed it and can't wait to see more movies from this director. I was particularly surprised by the non-actors, they did an amazing job. The back-and-forth between the story and the filmmaker was very clever and made me think a lot about how movies are made (super funny also). I encourage everyone to take a look at this film. It is funny!

Congratulations to all cast and crew!

If you're looking for a straight Hollywood movie, go look somewhere else, but if you enjoy a smart story about how smart stories evolve or what gets in their way, you've come to the right place.

Writer/Director Jennifer Sharp takes us on two different journeys: One of her protagonist to Mexico in search of new purpose and direction and one of a writer in, well, search of new purpose and direction who is writing that story and getting a lot of not always quite so helpful comments on the way on how to give her movie a "broader appeal". The result is a sweet story of a woman trying to find her destiny in a beautifully shot but not superficially picturesque Mexico and a writer desperate to successfully navigate through Hollywood's maelstrom without going under.

Is this a great movie? No. But it's an interesting one. First off, I have to say that it's a shame that the writer or whoever else purchased a bunch of fake reviews to put on here. The movie is not bad, and would definitely stand on it's own but these tactics leave a sour taste in my mouth.

When it comes to the movie itself the camera work is shoddy, you can definitely see and feel the indie quality both in the look and the dialog. It's also a little bit racist and paints the casting of white people in a movie as if it caused a loss of artistic merit and value. In spite of this I did not have a bad time with this movie in the first half, but after that point it starts to take itself way too seriously and drags on, it was a challenge to finish it.

Overall, I would still recommend it to people who like off-beat comedies with an unusual premise, but it won't be the best movie you have seen in the month.