Maldeamores

This film is a good example of how through media manipulation you can sell a film that is no more than a very unfunny TV sitcom. In Puerto Rico the daily newspaper with the widest circulation has continuously written about the marvels of this film, almost silencing all others. Coincidentally the newspaper with the second largest circulation belongs to the same owners. The weekly CLARIDAD is the only newspaper on the island that has analyzed the film's form and content, and pointed out all its flaws, clichés, and bad writing.

Just because a film makes a portion of the audience laugh with easy and obvious jokes, and because one can recognize actors and scenery, does not make it an acceptable film.

What we have here is a revelation. A dark little comedy from the island nation of Puerto Rico. 'Maldeamores' (or Lovesickness,as it's being called in the U.S.). Maldeamores is a smart little comedy with a dark centre to it. The film is directed by Carlitos Ruiz,and has Benicio Del Toro as it's executive producer (a good sign),and has a cast of familiars from the island (some of which are veterans). It concerns love, and it's effect on those who fall under it's spell. It reminded me a lot of the earthy comedy's from Italy (especially the ones from Lina Wertmuller). A bit of a search may be in order to see this film, as it's being distributed by a rather small U.S. distributor.

To go and say that this movie was a love story is being ethereal to the most delicate degree. This movie was many things as it unfolds with a rich sense of captivity. Taking the viewer on a ride that only a Puerto Rican can plot out (The cast is enriched with Puerto Ricans). It took a few deep breaths to fully digest the amount of dissonant dialogue, by all means it was bearable but at times it was shocking. No one can write this type of storytelling. Obviously Carlito Ruiz Ruiz got it right with precision. The film explores love on it's most obverse levels, by exploring love throughout age, rage, immense tragedy, psychosis, and of course humor. These different palettes create an exuberant amount of depth, body, and twisted sense of the word. It is definitely a family oriented film with so many references to Puerto Rican culture that you just want to throw some 'chanclas' on and hit the 'playa'. The themes of ancestry are doused with gasoline and set ablaze with trepidation. You feel what it's like to a part of the inner circle. The problematic circle is not that love is reciprocal but that the action exists and we cannot coexist if that understanding is discernible. A true gem amongst Latin gems. I hold this film in high accord with Innaritu's masterpieces.

Don't spend your money or your time on this pitiful piece of film in the guise of cinematography.When every third word is devoted to foul language and there is no real plot as well as having a cast of old actors who are still giving the same dated performances from the past and have not evolved in their careers, leaves a lot to be said. I was expecting something better from award winning actor Benicio del Toro. The vision that others may have of Puertorricans will be irreversibly distorted by such trash as Maldeamores. A foul word at a given moment in a film may be used to emphasize a given point of view and may even be funny or sad depending on its context (see the movie Elsa and Fred for example) but it should not permeate the plot. The movie is a total embarrassment and there was absolutely nothing funny or even cute about this film.

It's been a long time since I've seen a Puerto Rican movie that had put a smile on my face. Maldeamores did just that. This is perhaps the best movie made in Puerto Rico since, "Lo que le paso a Santiago." Maldeamores tell three different stories of love in different stages of life. It explores how trivial people can be, how people fail to communicate their feelings, and how some people can become obsessive and dangerous to obtain love. It is filmed "Amores Perros" style, but in this case, neither the stories nor the character ever cross each other.

One story is about a couple on their way to funeral. The wife, eventually finds out that her husband has been cheating her with her own cousin. What makes this story interesting is the way she finds out, merely by accident, when her brother in law tells her and from there things just turn crazy.

The other story, and perhaps the weakest story, is about an unhappy young man that still lives with his annoying mother. He becomes obsessed with a lady bus driver and in desperation; one day takes the entire bus hostage, threatening to kill anyone if she doesn't marries him. This story in occasions is funny, but lacks development of characters.

The other story, which I consider the best of all, is the elderly couple. A woman asks her mother, Flora (played by Silvia Brito) to take care of her sick father, Pellin (played by Miguel Angel Alvarez) which was her first husband and had been divorce for 30 some years. The woman brings the father one day, but the funny part is that Flora still lives with her second husband, Cirilo (played by Chavito Marrero) and they had also been divorce for 12 years. In this story all the actors steal the show, and in my opinion, is hilariously funny but without being too obvious. The elderly men argue constantly and even play pranks on each other trying to gain the favor of Flora or Florita, like Pellin affectingly calls her. It's great!

This movie was well written and the slang is totally Puerto Rican. Even though this is a Puerto Rican movie, it identifies with the overall Latin culture that makes us unique. Although the movie is not perfect, this is an exceptional film, because is the best movie made in Puerto Rico in more than 20 years. I strongly recommend it and I can wait to see more films like this. Maldeamores definitely has brought a smile to my face.