Proud LAtino (he/him) motivated to make the world a better place, one word and one visual at a time. Producer/Interviewer/Writer – Owner of Visual Grammar, Inc.
Icon. Pioneer. Betty White remains a golden beacon of life, love, and laughter for the world. I’ll never forget escorting her down the international press line for “Lake Placid” in 1999 while working as a publicist for 20th Century Fox.
Playing raucously against type in the David E. Kelley-penned comedy/horror film proved revealing in many ways. Ms. White was no Rose Nylund or thirsty mantrap Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” She was ALL those people and more in her inimitable way.
After speaking for a few minutes upon our introduction, Ms. White took my arm as if we were good friends as we made our way to the gathered media. Watching and listening to her is a memory I will cherish forever.
Her legacy of work on streaming now is why many of us got through these pandemic times. What an actor of power and humanity. What a life well-lived of philanthropy and goodness. I firmly believe her life lesson is to thank our friends more and offer fewer “F-You’s” to the world. RIP Ms. White, forever our golden soul.
You hear things. You see things. You ignore them all and abuse is normalized because so many victims fear reprisals. And the others who stay silent can only wag their fingers and say, “I told you so.”
In this era of self-confession, when do we see real compassion and progress in an industry that promotes itself as a Dream Factory? Especially when we know it is a nightmare of false promises, mixed messages, and half truths crafted by too many power players without a moral compass.
The superb duo of Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler lead the impeccable cast of “West Side Story,” now in theaters.
I’ve been stalling in writing a post-mortem on Steven Spielberg’s emotionally resonant and superbly crafted adaptation of West Side Story. Not only is it Spielberg’s best film in years, but it is also exactly the kind of moviegoing experience that deserves to be championed. Yes, it is THAT good.
It seems trite in the face of the pandemic news cycle and the growing storm clouds of war in Ukraine to offer any analysis. Yet, I’m oddly compelled to weigh in anyway because it is hard not to feel that audiences and studio culture let this movie down.
Revivals on Broadway remain part of its lifeblood in art and commerce. When they connect, they can usher in new generations of theater fans. Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall’s 1993 production of Cabaret remains a marvel of reinterpretation. Susan Stroman’s take on The Music Man in 2000 and Jerry Zaks’s 2017 production of Hello, Dolly! brought out new colors and injected vivid spirit with its star power and inventive theatricality blend. This year, Marianne Elliott’s gender-switched production of Stephen Sondheim’s seminal Company earned love letters from a theatrical community eager to return to the business of entertaining audiences. So why can’t this phenomenon happen for film versions? More, why didn’t it happen for West Side Story?
Were adults afraid to return to cinemas in a pandemic? Sure. But that didn’t stop the recent spate of Marvel films, Dune,No Time to Die, and House of Gucci, from filling seats, which included many adults in the demo mix. Did the post-Glee generation lose interest in musical film? Maybe. Despite its being explicitly marketed to them, audiences avoided Dear Evan Hansen, but that didn’t dissuade releasing studio Universal from greenlighting the international juggernaut Wicked for the screen. Is it a dying or dead genre? Explain that to Bill Condon’s sparkling take on Dreamgirls, or Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables, the Mamma Mia! franchise, and The Greatest Showman, all of which were fueled by big names and turned out to be major box office in a world before the lockdowns shuttered cinemas brought the moviegoing cultural experience into an uncertain future.
Looking at the recent soft openings of Jon Chu’s stellar adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda & Quiara Alegría Hudes’s Tony-winning hit In the Heights and Spielberg’s West Side Story is perplexing as both films earned some of the year’s best reviews. Neither lived on as museum exhibits, something that plagued Clint Eastwood’s disappointing treatment of Jersey Boys in 2014. Heights and WSS both possess a vitality and freshness that makes going to the movies an absolute joy again, transcending their theatrical roots but not abandoning them. More, seeing real people express themselves beyond the blasts of special effects and neo-classic heroism is true magic. The expert craftsmanship fills every inch of the big screen along with casts, dance teams, design aesthetics, and musical scores overflowing with enthusiasm and possessing an even greater cultural purpose. However, here’s where things get a little complicated, though. Is spotlighting the effort to embrace cultural authenticity and diversity in the filmed arts turning off audiences on both sides?
Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, and Corey Hawkins in “In the Heights.”
As a Latino, it did my heart good to see the talent, sounds, and complex cultural realities of what it is to be from all parts of Latin America. We cannot always see such shows on the stage thanks to economics and the appearance of these works being solely made by and for “gringos” and “wannabe white” gente. That is not a gross generalization, either. While Fiddler on the Roof can pack them in regardless of the year of the production, Latinos are hard-pressed to partake in the Broadway or touring productions of shows that focus on their narratives. The reality is shows like West Side Story and In the Heights will endure in schools, colleges, and amateur productions for a very long time. Yet, you can’t deny that they still feel like niche audience caviar when blown up for the silver screen. Worse, they are now targets for the woke political machine seeking to eradicate the “whitewash” in terms of representation.
The colorism debate that side-swiped In the Heights was devastating and demoralizing to watch happen in the weeks leading to its release last June, a situation made worse by apologies from its creators and supporters for not trying hard enough. They had no reason to apologize. The works speak positive volumes that cannot and should not be ignored or diminished.
Months later, notice the campaign mounted for West Side Story, which opted to render the entire cast with the same beige skin tone with an artfully placed red, white, blue, and star flag. Subtle politicking from the liberal elite? Perhaps. But telegraphing “We are making a HUGE effort to tell ALL stories” is not the same as just letting the stories speak for themselves or weaving their cinematic spells without seeking approval or validation for promoting positive cultural representation.
Watching the studios patting their backs for their efforts is insulting enough. Knowing the executive suites do not include our voices in their mix is worse. How can they even begin to gauge how Latino audiences will react without someone from the community in their team to highlight the sensitivity minefields? More, what happens when you take the time to cull materials in Spanish, only to see the footage languish in the can, utterly ignored? This is something that I’ve experienced as a content producer several times, a symptom of tone-deafness that still permeates the marketing offices in Hollywood.
Heights and WSS feature extraordinary Latino talent in front of and behind the cameras. The sights and sounds ring true because we see and hear them from the people who look like and sound like us. Is it a perfect rendering? No. Is it a crime they should exist? Hell no. It is easier for some to process a Coco, for example. Yet, why did Encanto have a more challenging time reaching the same heights, despite its reviews and being a beautiful film for all audiences? Did it play its cultural card too hard? Or maybe its message was too foreign compared to the celebratory nature of Coco? The grey areas are endless here.
What saddens me most about the problems faced at the box office by In the Heights and West Side Story is that the appearance of failure of these high-profile titles will make it harder for other Latino-focused stories to be made or given the big-screen treatment. Director Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot, due in 2022, will be yet another litmus test to raise these issues all over again, adding further pressure to la causa.
It is a curious thing. Thanks to streaming, Latin America is exploding with talent and fresh inspiration, with such boundary-smashing series and films as La Casa de la Flores, El Baile de Los 41, El Juego de las Llaves, Luis Miguel: La Serie, Acapulco, and the upcoming Señorita 89. Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín’s company Fabula and Pantaya, Apple, and Amazon Prime Video are crafting slates of original films and series that rival the best of what the American studios and streamers are offering. Why can’t some of these stories make their way up to el norte, too? We have the talent and the narratives that go way beyond dead rock stars and cholos. We need more faith in their realization and trust from the community beyond The Fast and the Furious-type IP.
Perhaps the disconnect between audiences and critics is the real culprit, a chasm that is as wide as it’s ever been and growing. Maybe the marketing efforts of leaning into diversity and inclusivity feel too much like moralizing, prompting audiences to ignore the “message” titles to just be “entertained.”
Reasons exist why the Marvel tent poles play to all demos. We know what they are before we take our seats in the cinema. Maybe it is time to stop leading the audience with the obvious or safe messages and let the intrinsic quality of a good story and singular artistry lead the way again. One way or another, audiences will find a reason to watch again in a way that makes them comfortable, secure, and inspired by what remains the greatest of art forms.
Writer’s Note: It is important to disclose that as a content producer, I am part of the team involved with the campaign for “In the Heights” and the upcoming “Flamin’ Hot.”
At the peak of the first pandemic wave lockdown, many of us sought consolation in the filmed arts. I chose to take the time to program my own international film festival of works I’d never seen. Antonioni, Bertolucci, Rossellini, and Wertmüeller became my holy quartet.
Watching Ms. Wertmüeller’s Seven Beauties and Swept Away proved transfixing experiences, viewings that solidified why her artistry, brimming with themes and visuals aimed at stirring the mind and heart, remain so damn compelling and original. Complex and even polarizing with her narratives built on gender and sexual politics, it was a master class I wish I enrolled in sooner.
What a visionary, one for the ages. Rest in power, LW. #movies #independentfilm #artsandentertainment #filmmaking #film
ABC’s new comedy ABBOTT ELEMENTARY deserves strong grades for its pilot. While parents today may bristle at seeing its depiction of in-person teaching as they prepare for more online sessions this holiday season, the humanity and humor of this first episode are undeniably worth the time.
Created by and starring Quinta Brunson of “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” its balance of broad and nuanced humor, as well as social commentary, is what gives ABBOTT ELEMENTARY its pulse. Its ensemble cast of vivid and relatable personalities is a grounding factor in knowing who they are in the real world. Brunson’s writing was a significant plus on “ABLSS.” Her absence was noticeable in the hit HBO comedy’s second season. Knowing that she was striking out on her own for ABBOTT ELEMENTARY makes you cheer its arrival that much more.
For all the optics involved with gender and race in the filmed arts today, ABBOTT ELEMENTARY is an organic and rich offering for an audience eager to broaden their viewing tastes. ABBOTT ELEMENTARY is airing on ABC and Hulu.
I really wish today’s reviewers would stop interjecting (or promoting) their biases in their copy. Is it so wrong to focus on the merits or demerits of a film or series only? Making the critique about yourself first for a huge chunk of this review of AND JUST LIKE THAT feels a bit self-congratulatory and narcissistic. That’s not the point of reviewing nor is it an essay for your journalism class.
As for the show itself, I was pleasantly surprised in a good way. While the series packs on many of today’s isms on gender, sex, sexuality, and race, and not always subtly, it does succeed in bringing these characters into a fascinating reality. Glossy AF, sure. But, these familiar characters are leaning into their being in their 50s with deliciously awkward grace.
I’m curious to see how its ambitions to be “woke” will settle into a smoother rhythm, but AND JUST LIKE THAT caught my attention by having less champagne bubble fizz and replacing it higher emotional stakes of mortality and change. It articulates its mission statement in the first minutes. We can’t always stay who we are forever. Fans who were shaped by the trials and tribulations of Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte, you may find yourself identifying with a different character today. And that’s a wonderful thing. Now streaming on HBOMax.
If anything, sin never goes out of style. Half beach read and half human opera, Ridley Scott’s glossy HOUSE OF GUCCI is divine drama at the movies.
Everything is outsized, from its ageless themes on love, lust, greed, betrayal, and the endless machinations for power to the performances from its glittering cast all across the board. Scott’s picture perfect vision does scale the mountain of camp, but moments of emotional depth keep it from going over the edge at the right moments. Yes, the accents are thick as Ragu sauce, but the film is not a documentary. Rather, it harkens back to an era where such Hollywood treatments of real life felt cinematic and compelling thanks to its star power.
It is a shame that HOUSE OF GUCCI is such an easy trolling target given its pedigree, which you should try to ignore. A wily Adam Driver, an unrecognizable Jared Leto, and the incomparable Al Pacino are in great form. Yet it is Lady Gaga who stands supreme as the key reason the film is so damn watchable in a virtuosic performance that is breathtaking. Although, I can’t help thinking how a director like Oscar-winner Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty) would have treated this material, too.
More, it is a nice relief to be part of a film viewing experience that was about actual people for a change, not a comic book come to life. What a wonderful thing to see spark actual conversations about a film again. And you will have an opinion. A must see for 2021.
Written by Jorge Carreón 