Entre nos

From the trying streets of Queens, New York, Entre Nos, captivates the compassion of an immigrant family struggling to make it in America. The complexity of the modern issues of immigration becomes real, as the lives of mother Mariana and her two children (Gabi and Andrea,) unravel into poverty. Through the use of a strong storyline, directors Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza, create a cold world for the most needing hands.

As the storyline progresses and the role of each character becomes evident, the stunning performances of the actors is heart wrenching. Mariana's conviction to caring for her two children is stunning. At an age where giving up seems to be the easier route, she holds on to them with every ounce of her soul. Through her struggle of dialogue with the world around her, Marian's efforts to find work are nothing short of painful.

The particular ability of Gabi and Andrea to perform such important roles at their age is simply impressive. As the times get worse for their family, their clear a deliverance of emotion entitles them awe. Gabi assuming the job of the man of the family in such a mature manner brings about very heavy emotions. Standing guard over his mother and sister on their first night on the streets, the audience can feel the power of direction.

It is the modern American tale. It is the story of the dream, from the ground up. The truth behind how the world can beat you down and the drive to stand back up again. Offering hope to hold on, Entre Nos is a film deserving of praise.

The film Entre Nos is an amazing portrayal of the love of a real family. In the film Mariana is left by her husband, with her two children after being in America for only a few weeks. The film shows the struggles the family faces, until they are back on their feet. The lighting, music, and camera angles make a large effect on the film. The emotion you feel as an audience and the love of a family are very important aspects of Entre Nos. This film shows the audience a side of life they many have never seen.

Entre Nos is a film with very little dialog, so most of the story is told through emotions. To enhance the emotion, lighting, camera angles, and music are very important. Most of the lighting during the film is dark, indicating how unsafe or unhappy the time is for the family. Throughout the film the camera often zooms into Mariana's face showing the tears welling in or eyes or the sickness coming across her face. The camera often starts in close then zooms out. I think the close camera angles allow you as a viewer to really look at Mariana and make and emotion connection with her. Lastly, the music playing throughout the film is a director indicator of the overlying feeling during a specific scene. These three factors made the movie great and were a main reason the film was successful in connecting with the audience.

The title Entre Nos means between us. The film was written, directed, and starred in by Columbian, Paola Mendoza. I think the "between us" is the relationship between the movie and the audience. I believe the film was created to show Americans the life of illegal citizens trying to make it in America. Mendoza connects with the audience through emotion. With little dialog the audience must pay attention closely to the nonverbal cues the actors make. Mariana does not cry often throughout the film, but you see the anguish on her face and disappointment for letting her family become this way. Mendoza draws her audience in through her wonderful characters.

The greatest part of the film is the love you see from the family. Through all of the struggles and hardships they never give. I believe Mariana shows what a real mother is like and although they are not living the good life, they portray the true love of a family. Never once did Mariana give up hope. I think the affection she shows to her children throughout the whole movie shows that hope is never lost.

Entre Nos is an amazing film that shows the real part of life. Although at times it was almost uncomfortable to watch, the film made me think of issues that have previously never crossed my mind. I loved the emotion it made me feel and the connections I made with the characters. Entre Nos was an unexpected success in my book!

I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2009. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture "…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."

A Latino mother and her two children are stranded in Queens when their philandering, irresponsible father deserts them. There English is almost nil and now they must support themselves asap. First the wife tries selling homemade Espanadas on the street. Then she tries getting day labor by standing on Latino labor street corners. And finally ends up collecting cans for their deposits with her young son and daughter beside her. They are barely making it when they get evicted from their apartment. And then they become homeless and have to sleep outdoors.

What keeps them going under these awful circumstances? Their closeness and love for each other sees them through these difficult times. Also,they are helped by sympathetic strangers who see their heart-wrenching plight.

Through it all they never lose their dignity or morality. They always act honorably and treat others with respect. Their sacrifices and courage and desperate situation make them more appealing as time goes on. The viewer is filled with admiration for what the human spirit can endure and still not be broken.

The story is wonderfully told. It is realistic and understated and believable. You are often moved deeply as the story unfolds.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Overly sentimental, poorly written and acted, an infamous stereotype of a naive poor latina who refuses to learn two words in english and speaks spanish to all the locals, a passive accumulation of misfortunes, a constant soft guitar and piano soundtrack over mechanical and manipulative events, a sudden and detached outcome... mediocre, uninteresting, unbearably soft film-making. It lightly scratches the surface of the human drama and adds absolutely nothing to the issue, other than clichés and common places.

This is a terrible movie, so dreadful that the short running time feels like an eternity. The scarce lifting moments are painfully lame and powerless, as dreadful as everything else. Paola Mendoza´s acting is just bad and the fact she´s turning this script into a novel makes me think the worse. I´d rather watch "El Norte" over and over. This is the worst film about immigration I´ve ever seen. It might even be the only bad one since the nature of the issue is so important it usually allows movies to be relevant on all levels. "Entre Nos" is a complete failure with a shameless presumptuous title.

This movie is low budget, no known actors, no big advertising ...or any for that matter....and it's absolutely great!

yes it's sad, even seemingly tragic. I grew up very poor and it was really tough for me to watch because it made me relive a time of my life when I was a kid that I just rather forget. It's believable because stuff like this actually happens all the time everyday.

You find yourself saying "oh no, don't go there" or " Oh no what are they going to do now?" a lot in this movie. Just when you think things are getting better...something else goes wrong. At times you just find yourself telling the TV ..... "no don't that!"

It really is worth a watch. lucky for me I know Spanish so it makes it a bit better, but even if you don't it's no biggie. If you 're a "real" movie fan, this is a must see.