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Reviews
Twist à Popenguine (1994)
A Peephole into Post-colonial Senegal
On the back of the DVD box, the description of this film states that it is "an African equivalent of George Lucas' American Graffitti and Spike Lee's Crooklyn. I do see the resemblance, but I do see a very obvious difference between the two films. American Graffitti is a coming of age film about the shenanigans of a bunch of teens who spend their night driving around in cars and trying to find someone to love for the night. Though Ca Twiste is similar in nature, there are many other factors contributing to the film that makes it more complex than Graffitti. In Ca Twiste, there is the issue of dealing with post-modernism and also post-colonialism.
The way that the kids have their cliques is really funny. I enjoyed watching the Kings and The Inseparables interact. After reading one of the other IMDb reviews, I found that the actors are not trained; therefore, making the actors seem more realistic.
Monsieur Benoit was the character that really stood out for me in this film. He had his faults such as being a belligerent drunk. I like that he is a character who is on a journey considering that he is suffering from colonialism and does not know where he belongs. I liked that he said he had never found "fruit" in a woman since his previous fiancé.
One thing that people may not be accustomed to is the fact that many people in Senegal, and Africa for that matter, are not accustomed to having appliances like TVs around. So it may come as a shock when some who watch this film realize that not all peoples have access to TVs.
I found this film to be very entertaining and enlightening of other cultures, as well as a great commentary of the effects of post-modernism and post-colonialism.
Kirikou et la sorcière (1998)
A Film That Reveals the Lessons on Nature
Kirikou is by far one of the most unique characters I have yet to come across in a film or a book. For one, who ever heard of a baby that decided on his own that he was ready to come out from his mother's womb? In addition, Kirkou has a mind of his own and makes it his goal to get rid of the sorceress. However, I think it was very wise for the writer of this film to ensure that once Kirikou found the reason for the Karaba's agony and sufferings, Kirokou then understood them to be accidental and had to put an end to them.
The graphics were beyond belief beautiful and the personality of each character were spot on. Karaba had a mystical voice which sounded purely evil and her hair was not unlike that of Medusa's. The warthog was also greatly reminiscent of Pumba from the The Lion King. Kirikou's journeys through the ground and around the mountain were nonetheless entertaining. His antics of camouflaging as a bird and constantly asking "but why?" were warming. The illustrations of the different sizes of the women was greatly acknowledged, for it is well known that women come in all shapes and sizes.
The tree that was put into the forest by Karaba was much like the Tree of Good and Evil in the book of Genesis, representing temptation at its finest. I especially enjoyed the lessons put forth in the film, particularly from the grandfather.
If you enjoyed this film, I highly suggest you check out The Secret of Kells. It's an animated fantasy about a boy who discovers the Irish Book of Kells, which does in fact exist.
Como agua para chocolate (1992)
Food, Love, and... Drama!
Tita, a modest and courageous young woman, faces a horrible obstacle: she cannot marry Pedro for she must care for Mama Elena when she is old. Regardless of this, Tita finds a way to consistently show her love for him: by cooking and releasing her emotions into her food so that Pedro can feel them.
The magical realism in this film is overwhelming. The viewer can almost experience all of Tita's emotions without even realizing it. When Tita cries into the fondant, she poisons the cake with the meaning of her tears and everyone who attended the wedding is also poisoned with this as well. It is remarkable that even though Mama Elena refuses to let Tita keep the roses from Pedro, something beautiful still came from the gift: quail in rose petal sauce. This is irony at its best because the gift that was revered as ugly became something enjoyed. So powerful was this pleasure that even Gertrudis experiences this from the food.
It is magical how all other characters in the movie feel the same hardships through the artfully prepared food, so magical that even the reader begins to feel it, too. The recipes are so illustrative in activating one's taste buds that the reader experiences everything the characters have felt: the tears from the cake and the lust from the rose petal sauce. Possibly the reader should also suddenly become sick or burst into flames?
To be honest, I wasn't sure if the love Tita and Pedro had for each other was puppy love or not. Of course, it is understandable that under the pressure from marrying Rosaura and from Mama Elena, desperate measures would be taken; however, I thought they would tire of each other. It seemed that Tita would actually marry Dr. John. He was certainly a sensible man and his love for Tita was endless and passionate. On the other hand, the way the film was dominant of the theme of food and erotic love, Tita would always be Pedro's in the end.
Entre nos (2009)
A Film of Raw Emotion and Real Struggles
For a person who enjoys dramas that evoke the rawest of emotions, this was of course a true example. I appreciate experiencing the emotions of characters of whom deal with the most excruciating circumstances. That is what is so great about watching a real film that contains life's most prominent difficulties: taking care of yourself, keeping a family together, and overcoming obstacles.
Mariana, the mother of Gabriel and Andrea, is an exemplification of what any mother, or parent for that matter, should do for their children. She made sacrifices for her children so that they might still enjoy the pleasures of being a child, even if they were living on the streets. We see Mariana sit on the sidewalk while her kids go see a movie. She sometimes did not eat so that Gabriel and Andrea could instead.
It would have been very easy in this situation for her to abandon the children just as Antonio had; however, she did everything possible in order to care for them. Even though the family suffered financially, there was no lack in the love and support they showed for one another. Gabriel took it upon himself to help collect cans early in the morning. He helped care for Andrea and he shared the emotional despair that his mother felt over losing her husband. Gabriel and Andrea shine throughout the film regardless of the lack of essentials in their lives.
Even though Mariana could no longer trust her husband, and no doubt had trouble trusting other people, she found help in Preet, her landlord in the very cheap building the family rented. Nevertheless, Mariana struggles with being pregnant and yet acts as if nothing is in the way of caring for her kids.
It has been noted that the image of Mariana on the park bench with Gabriel and Andrea in her lap is comparable to the sculpture of The Pieta by Michaelangelo. Of course, Mariana is much like Mary, the mother of Jesus. They even share similar names. She mourns for her children just as Mary did for Jesus' death.
Entre Nos shows the overcoming of an epic struggle against poverty, language barriers, family complications, and so on. At the end of the film, we know that the family has overcome these when we see their faces shining with smiles and their presentable appearances. When Gabriel states on his first day of school that he "spent his first summer in the United States of America," we know that he is content and proud to be there.
This film fulfills many common phrases such as, "you don't know what you have until it's gone" or "appreciate what you have." It is true though. It reminds us that love and strength are most important at the end of the day. It shows that sacrifices are not real unless the ones we love most are thought of more than ourselves.