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Reviews
Real Women Have Curves (2002)
A Strong, Enjoyable Film
Real Women Have Curves is a film that gives a voice to issues that do not get enough screen time: fat feminism and the difficulty of having a mixed heritage. It handles the material very well and provides an enjoyable viewing.
Ana Garcia is an American woman from an immigrant family from Mexico. She graduates from high school at the beginning of the film and with the encouragement of one of her teachers, hopes to go to college. Her parents are not pleased with her decision, citing economic problems as well as not wanting to break up the family unit. So Ana starts to work in her sister's sewing shop. Over the course of the summer, Ana learns much about herself, both her American and Mexican sides, and her family.
America Ferrara gives a strong performance, but it is Lupe Ontiveros, as Carmen Garcia, Ana's mother, that steals the show. She breathes life into a character that could have come off as a wicked witch, making her a realistic and sympathetic human being. The entire cast works, the only weak link being Brian Sites as the boyfriend, who does not make his character likable enough for us to believe Ana would really be interested in him.
The script is based on real life experiences and it shows. The whole movie has a very real feel to it, kudos to director Patricia Cardoso. The interesting cultures we see here are fascinating, how they seamlessly switch between English and Spanish, how they are proud of what they do, it is all very interesting to see. As much as the movie is about Mexican American culture, it also is about fat feminism. Ana is overweight, and her mother, who is as overweight too, is very critical of her for it. Fortunately, Ana is strong and confident, and learns to be happy with herself. The message that girls can be happy without looking like a model is a good one, and this film does a great job showing that.
Real Women Have Curves is an enjoyable film with a positive message that I heartily recommend.
Smoke Signals (1998)
A Cultural Journey
I saw Smoke Signals in my American cultures class. Seeing it from that point of view may have heightened my enjoyment of the film, but on its own merits it is still a fine film.
Two young men, Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-the-Fire, who grew up on a reservation together, set out to obtain the cremated ashes of Victor's estranged father, Arnold. These two are very engaging and fun to watch, thanks in no little part to the inspired performances by their actors. Like in any good film, their journey develops into something greater than picking something up. The ride director Chris Eyre takes us on is enjoyable and does not overstay its welcome.
The entire cast and crew of Smoke Signals is Native American, giving it an interesting perspective, similar to movies like Thunderheart and Dances with Wolves. The audience is presented with contemporary life on the reservation, simply as it is. We get not just caricatures, but what feels like real people interacting with each other, living their lives. That alone merits a viewing of this film.
Smoke Signals is a very solid, entertaining film that should be watched by anyone who wants to be aware of cultures in the United States or at the very least entertained.