First of all: some reviewers say that this movie is badly translated. We watched it the original language and loved it, but the English subtitles were broken and didn't follow the the scene very well at times, so I can see why viewers outside of Spanish language would feel lost in translation. (Yes, pun intended).
Second of all: if you go into this film expecting it to reflect American or European acting styles and modern political views, you will also be disappointed. If you're expecting depth and complexity from this film, you will be massively disappointed. It is simple, top-level, and innocent; but it also sweet, enjoyable, and refreshing.
The actress that plays the "transformed" character is Silvia Navarro. She is so talented, I love any movie or series with her in it, and she carries the plot of her character well: the widowed mother of a rebellious and obstinate preteen. The man in the movie is Juan Pablo Medina. I honestly appreciated what he brought to this role: a grieving father and self-renounced actor with a broke bank and broken heart. A third adult actress is Aleyda Gallardo. If you're not familiar with Mexican culture, Mari portrays the domestic worker of the home, a common role found in any Mexican film that reflects the wealth of the family. And in this movie, mom is rich and Mari works for her.
But this movie isn't about the adults. This is about a preteen who hates her mother because she blames her for her dad's death, and is trying desperately to cling to the one thing that ties her to her dad's memory: BMX. The entire movie is from the viewpoint of this preteen, and her over-exxagerated and desperate attempts to manipulate the adults in her life to get what she wants.
My only let-down was the "climax", which really wasn't that great. The BMX "race" was so staged that it felt unreal. I would have appreciated more focus on that. I think this massive let-down is a pain-point for the audience, especially since the adults don't get together and no massive reconciliation happens between any of the characters. A great build-up leads to a mediocre ending, and that's going to disappoint a lot of viewers. However, if you can appreciate the movie for its acting, and not for the poor direction, you may find some new actors to follow in some of their other works, because I assure you, these actors were much better than the storyline they followed.
Second of all: if you go into this film expecting it to reflect American or European acting styles and modern political views, you will also be disappointed. If you're expecting depth and complexity from this film, you will be massively disappointed. It is simple, top-level, and innocent; but it also sweet, enjoyable, and refreshing.
The actress that plays the "transformed" character is Silvia Navarro. She is so talented, I love any movie or series with her in it, and she carries the plot of her character well: the widowed mother of a rebellious and obstinate preteen. The man in the movie is Juan Pablo Medina. I honestly appreciated what he brought to this role: a grieving father and self-renounced actor with a broke bank and broken heart. A third adult actress is Aleyda Gallardo. If you're not familiar with Mexican culture, Mari portrays the domestic worker of the home, a common role found in any Mexican film that reflects the wealth of the family. And in this movie, mom is rich and Mari works for her.
But this movie isn't about the adults. This is about a preteen who hates her mother because she blames her for her dad's death, and is trying desperately to cling to the one thing that ties her to her dad's memory: BMX. The entire movie is from the viewpoint of this preteen, and her over-exxagerated and desperate attempts to manipulate the adults in her life to get what she wants.
My only let-down was the "climax", which really wasn't that great. The BMX "race" was so staged that it felt unreal. I would have appreciated more focus on that. I think this massive let-down is a pain-point for the audience, especially since the adults don't get together and no massive reconciliation happens between any of the characters. A great build-up leads to a mediocre ending, and that's going to disappoint a lot of viewers. However, if you can appreciate the movie for its acting, and not for the poor direction, you may find some new actors to follow in some of their other works, because I assure you, these actors were much better than the storyline they followed.