El Hilo Rojo

I was excited to hear of the remake of El Hilo Rojo (The Red Thread). I really enjoyed the 2016 version starring Eugenia (China) Suarez and Benjamin Vicuna. In fact, I watched it three or four times. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters - who have a brief chance meeting but get separated due to an airport customs snafu. They run into each other several years later - both now married - but the chemistry is still there. Apparently the chemistry between Eugenia and Benjamin was real -- they had a baby together after filming the movie!

So when VIX announced the remake, and I saw Carolina Miranda had the lead female role, I was very excited. Miranda did a great job in Quien Mato a Sara? (Who Killed Sara?) and Perfil Falso ( Fake Profile). She is not afraid to do steamy love scenes! She's great!

And I wasn't disappointed with the VIX production. Carolina Miranda and Michel Brown also showed great chemistry on the set. A bonus -- this production has English subtitles so I picked up a few things I missed in the original. As far as I'm concerned, Carolina Miranda is an A-lister among Mexican actresses. I hope she keeps making films.

There were two minor disappointments. Maya Zapata is a talented actress, but her part was a waste of talent. The character's role wasn't that different from what it was in the original, but I was hoping they would beef it up some to display her talent. Same can be said about Mario Moran's role.

The other minor disappointment was the main love scene between the two lead characters. They are in a hotel room in the daytime, with direct sunlight shining through the large window. The overly bright light makes the love scene unpleasent to watch. And a followup love scene was a distant shot - too distant to characterize intimacy and steaminess. The main love scene in the original with Eugenia and Benjamin was perfect.

All in all, I really enjoyed the film and I hope VIX keeps making films that are a cut above the everyday soap variety on network TV. Premium channels need to step it up if customers are going to pay a subscription fee.

The Red Thread is well acted and beautifully made overall. Sound cinematography and fine music also. It kept me on the tip of my toes. Fantastic rythm, I loved the way the plot developed bit by bit because I never got bored. But this will be too painful to watch if you have experienced betrayal by your significant other. It is mostly about unfaithfulness. About having the hands full with everything someone would wish for in life but then giving it away and run after some deeper yearning. Knowing you will unfairly hurt everyone you care about just choosing to fulfill the desire of the flesh. Might it be destiny? Someone or something tells you that you found the person destined for you but for that to happen maybe you need to become a person you never wanted to be. Still there is a magnetism that kept me mesmerized until the credits. May or may not be a happy ending but a bitter after taste it sure is.