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Reviews
Que Horas Ela Volta? (2015)
Feel good, while feeling bad
A realistic view into the ever-present but never-mentioned class barrier, The Second Mother addresses social identity problems through the eyes of a lifetime maid and her renegade teen daughter. Val works tirelessly for almost nothing in return, and at times we can't help but feel sorry for her. The family that she serves is obviously of stature, and at times they seem to treat Val like a part of the family. But it is all the other times that reveal exactly what it is like for someone in the same situation as Val. It only gets worse when her daughter, Jesica, arrives at the house. Dr. Carlos seems to take a liking to her, so she is allowed special privileges in the house that make Val very uncomfortable. Throughout the movie, it is eluded to that Barbara is the head of the household. She gives stern orders to Val, but also shows interest in her life when Val mentions the arrival of her daughter. This is ironic, because it is ultimately Barbara who shuns Jesica out of the house. For me, it is difficult to see someone as hardworking as Val be treated the way that she is, but that is the realization of social classes. I believe at one point in the movie, Val tells Jesica that all of the rules are in place for them because that is just how it is, that is how it has always been. In the end, it is Jesica that serves as motivation for Val to resist the status quo, and ultimately join Jesica on her renegade journey. The two of them together set off to find themselves and perhaps challenge the strangling social norms that have resisted their success in the past.
La teta asustada (2009)
A difficult watch, but a crucial topic
La teta asustada is no action-packed thriller by any stretch of the imagination. But it is an emotional documentation of the saddening story of Fausta, an indigenous Peruvian woman who lives with her mother next to her aunt, uncle, and cousins.
Throughout the movie, Fausta is subjected to a multitude of hardships, beginning with the death of her mother. The film begins with a somber song sung by Fausta mother that recounts her rape and contraception of Fausta during the time of terrorism in the hillcountry of Peru. Because Fausta's mother lived during this time, it was believed by the people in their village that Fausta was contaminated with the disease "la teta asustada," or "the milk of sorrow." The disease affected those who were nursed by women affected by the horrific events during that often-forgotten time in Peruvian history.
While Fausta's believed diagnosis of "la teta asustada" is the cause for a lot discrimination against her, we also see the difference in rich and poor culture when she begins working for wealthy family in the city. Her relationship with the woman for whom she is working is strained and often times uncomfortable, but she finds solace in her relationship with the gardener. A speaker of her native Quechua, the gardener provides a needed sense of home in the bigger city, where she feels very out of place and at many times antagonized. This feeling ultimately culminates in Fausta's boss letting her go on the side of street after they attended a show in Lima where the woman performed one of Fausta's songs.
We ultimately see many intersections of culture in Fausta throughout the movie. Almost all of which resulting in some form of criticism or hardship. This aggregation of misjustice is accentuated by the melancholy tone of the film, as well as the overall theme presented.
Yo, la peor de todas (1990)
The oppression of women in the Catholic church
It is important to first understand the specific historical context of a movie while analyzing the profound ideas illustrated by it. This movie represents a specific image of the oppression against women in the Catholic church in the 17th century. Specifically, in Mexico, the presence of the Catholic church in Mexico is illustrated through Sor Juana de la Cruz, a young nun within the convent who uses poetry to express he radical ideas about life. This expression of ideas becomes appealing to the virreina, so much so that the two share a very special bond, which leads to more criticism and ultimately larger oppression for Sor Juana at the hands of the men of the Catholic church. Throughout the movie, we see the ridiculing and judgment of the men in the church not only at the disposal of Sor Juana, but it is also present in the lives of the other nuns who appear to accept the oppression as the norm. It is the desire for furthering knowledge and a new understanding of life by Sor Juana that threatens the men of the church and causes them to act out in multiple different ways toward Sor Juana. The soft references to a lesbian relationship between Sor Juana and the virreina also serve as recognition of even more control of women by the Church. For me, it was difficult to watch and understand the oppression of Sor Juana by the Church because the church that I know and am a part of today is not like the Church represented in the movie. I understand that it is the historical context that causes this disconnect. Also, it is important to understand, that the ideas that Sor Juana wrote about in the 17th century are ideas that are still present today, which makes her an even more relevant figure in today's culture.
XXY (2007)
A very complicated, but well executed movie
This movie was a very complicated movie. There are many emotions present throughout the whole movie. While watching, spectators are forced inside the very difficult life of Alex, and we all of the emotions of her life alongside her. The topic of hermaphrodism is very complicated, but this film does a great job of expressing the struggles of everyday life.
Alex, the protagonist, is a teenage girl born as a hermaphrodite in Buenos Aires, but her father, Kraken, and mother, Suli, decided to move their family to the coast of Uruguay after much scrutiny and harassment because of Alex's condition. They hoped that by Alex living her life in more solitude, she would grow up and reach puberty and then be able to decide how she wanted to live the rest of her life.
Alex's mother sought council for a respected surgeon, Ramiro, who brought his wife Erika and son Ámiro to live with her and her family. Ramiro is very interested in the possibility of performing surgery on Alex so that she can officially live her life as a woman.
Through very complicated interactions with Álvaro and her friends and family, Alex ultimately decides to give up trying to become a woman.
I believe that this film does a great job of focusing in on the hardships of life for someone like Alex, and uses a very dark and cold cinematography to really capture the feeling surrounding hermaphrodism.