elwinter

Recommended for those who like thoughtful, surprising film fare. To this viewer, it is somewhat reminiscent of Local Hero. Not recommended for adrenalin junkies or those who thrive on sophomoric humor. I gave it a 7, though might change my vote to 8 over time. (I've never given a 10, and very few 9's.)

At the time of this writing, there are 21 votes in the rating. Unweighted average is 8.1, weighted average is 2.9. Two votes are "1", one each for 5 and 6, all others are 7 or over. Three votes by males 18-29 average 1.2, presumably weighted or it would be mathematically impossible (1+1+5)/3 = 2 1/3. I've often wondered about the secret algorithms for weighted averages. By this film, it seems apparent that 2 males 18-29 carry more weight than all other demographics combined (19 votes). Sigh.

This is one of the best depictions of female adolescence, and the intensity of female "best friend"ships I've seen. Good attention to detail. Doesn't pull its punches on sex, drugs & rock'n'roll - neither glamourizing nor moralizing. It might take courage for parents to let their teenagers see it, but it's delusional to think kids don't know about these things. Good to see it handled intelligently.

We can all be grateful that this picture ended up being a Salma Hayek project, rather than a Jennifer Lopez vehicle. I am sure it is the better for this. Julie Taymor was also a brilliant choice as director. A worthwhile telling of this extraordinary and talented woman's life.

An interesting observation: In the USA, Mexico is typically viewed as a country which people want to leave, wanting to come here instead. The depicted cosmopolitan world of Mexico City -- Kahlo's father was a German Jew, Tina Modotti was Italian, Trotsky was of course Russian, and even Hayek's father is a Lebanese immigrant -- is something different and refreshing.