Tag: racism

IMMIGRATION FILMS – #1 – “In the Heights”

Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos) holds up flag;  his shop assistant cousin, Sonny de la Vega (Gregory Diaz IV) is standing behind him.

Trailer:

IN THE HEIGHTS Trailer (2021) – Bing video

 

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

“In the Heights” is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical play about his growing up in New York as an immigrant.  (Miranda is of Puerto Rican descent, along with Mexican from a grandparent. During childhood and his teens, he spent at least one month each year with his grandparents in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.)

A frequent comment that immigrants hear is “why don’t you go back where you came from”, which the main character, Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos), struggles with the idea of returning to the Dominican Republic.

From an immigrant’s viewpoint, we get to examine the pros and cons of doing just that, going back to their country of origin. 

“In the Heights” concludes that they get to choose.  Is being surrounded by poverty, racism, struggle and hate worth the effort of staying?

Leslie Grace, as Nina Rosario, stands out as a daughter of a taxi company owner, who has the grades to make it into Stanford University. 

Nina’s father, played by Jimmy Smits, as Kevin Rosario, does some creative financial moves to get her into Stanford.  But, once there, she is confronted with racial bias from her roommate and other persons at the college.

From Nina’s character, we learn that being smart, having grades and a supportive family is only half the struggle.  Nina was insulated and protected as a youth, because she lived in a section of New York that was a community of other immigrants.

“Abuela” Claudia (Olga Merediz) also stands out as the neighborhood elder, who originated from Cuba, never married or had children, but who adopts the young people in her neighborhood to be her family. 

(Spoiler alert) Abuela turns out to be the lottery ticket winner, whose legacy pays the DACA fees for some young undocumented immigrants.

Abuela means grandmother.

Director Jon M. Chu is not a newbie to musical dance films, because he either directed or produced all of the Step Up films, and most famously, the “Crazy Rich Asians” film.

Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos) dances with Vanessa Morales (Melissa Barrera).

Cast

The film includes cameos by original Broadway cast members Seth Stewart and Javier Muñoz, as well as background vocals by Andréa Burns, Janet Dacal, Mandy Gonzalez, Joshua Henry, Krysta Rodriguez, and Jon Rua.[4][5] Broadway actor Patrick Page appears as Pike Phillips.[6] Miranda’s parents Luis and Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda make cameo appearances during “Breathe”.[7] The Kid Mero provides the voice of the DJ at the start of the film.[8] Valentina appears as a patron of Daniela’s salon.[8] NPR journalist Maria Hinojosa appears as the protest leader at the DACA rally.[8]. The film also features an appearance from Rennie Harris.[9]

Leslie Grace as Nina Rosario and Corey Hawkins as Benny watch the sun go down in New York.

 

Directed by Jon M. Chu
Screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes
Based on In the Heights
by·         Quiara Alegría Hudes &·         Lin-Manuel Miranda
Produced by ·         Lin-Manuel Miranda

·         Quiara Alegría Hudes

·         Scott Sanders

·         Anthony Bregman

·         Mara Jacobs
Starring ·         Anthony Ramos

·         Corey Hawkins

·         Leslie Grace

·         Melissa Barrera

·         Olga Merediz

·         Daphne Rubin-Vega

·         Gregory Diaz IV

·         Jimmy Smits
Cinematography Alice Brooks
Edited by Myron Kerstein
Music by ·         Lin-Manuel Miranda

·         Alex Lacamoire

·         Bill Sherman
Production
companies		 ·         5000 Broadway Productions

·         Barrio Grrrl! Productions

·         Likely Story

·         SGS Pictures

·         Endeavor Content
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date ·         June 4, 2021 (LALIFF)

·         June 10, 2021 (United States)
Running time 143 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $55 million[1]
Box office $39 million[2][3]
 

                                           Leslie Grace as Nina Rosario

Olga Merediz as the neighborhood elder, “Abuela” Claudia.

Jimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario, dances with daughter, Nina.

 

In the Heights Wiki:

In the Heights (film) – Wikipedia

Lin-Manuel Miranda Wiki:

Lin-Manuel Miranda – Wikipedia

Jon M Chu Wiki:

Jon M. Chu – Wikipedia

‘In the Heights’ Interviews with Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera & More!:

‘In the Heights’ Interviews with Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera & More! – Bing video

7/25/2021 # In the Heights

VICTORIA & ABDUL

Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and Ali Fazal as Abdul Karim

VICTORIA & ABDUL

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The true story of Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim is used to illustrate every facet of ageism, racism and sexism as it existed in Victorian England.

In 1887, Karim meets Queen Victoria when she is 68 years old, and has been queen for fifty years. She was tired, bored and ready to die.

As I see it, Karim was not about to let that happen, not on his watch. It was a time when sexual liaisons were popular, but I do not think that this was what was happening. 

Her eldest son, and heir apparent, Edward VII, was a notorious womanizer, and probably assumed this of his mother.

What attracted Queen Victoria to Abdul Karim, was his positivity, devotion and kindness to her. Karim was the son that she wished she had.

Reading the history of this era, I discover that there was bad blood between Victoria and her son, Edward VII.

Two weeks after Edward was reprimanded by his father for being a womanizer, the Queen’s beloved husband, Albert, dies. This is not something a wife or mother forgets.

After her husband Albert’s death, with whom she bore nine children, Queen Victoria expressed her deep grief by wearing black for the rest of her life.

With Karim by her side, Queen Victoria gets a second wind, and becomes a popular, benevolent mother figure to her subjects and to Karim for another 14 years.

The argument of which culture was the more civilized of the two, English or Muslim, is another part of this film.

Edward VII is anxious to take over the throne. Here’s where the ageism part comes in. 

Edward tries everything under the sun to make that happen, short of taking a gun to her head.

After thirteen years of service, Karim takes a year off to return to India. When he returns, he finds Queen Victoria is markedly aged and feeble.  She dies three months later.

The kind and considerate queen did make provisions for Karim. She arranged for him to be given property and a pension in India, which  director Stephen Frears and writer Lee Hall  did not mentioned in the film.

 Karim’s estate was in Agra, where his family resided until the Indian independence.

Karim died eight years after the queen, he did not have any children.

While this film was being made, there were protesters in Agra. They tried to stop the resurrection of the statue of Queen Victoria, which was taken down after the independence revolution.

This is a fascinating story and I am so glad I was able to catch it.

Judi Dench deserves to get a best actress nomination for her role in “Victoria & Abdul.”

 

 Queen Victoria Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria

 

Abdul Karim (the Munshi) Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Karim_(the_Munshi)

 

Edward VII’s Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VII

 

Right wing group stalls shoot of Ali Fazal’s ‘Victoria and Abdul’ in Agra over Queen Victoria’s statue:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Right-wing-group-stalls-shoot-of-Ali-Fazals-Victoria-and-Abdul-in-Agra-over-Queen-Victorias-statue/articleshow/55497083.cms

Queen Victoria and the Munshi in 1893.

 

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12/3/2017 # Victoria & Abdul

BEATRIZ AT DINNER

Beatriz (Salma Hayek) decides to attend the dinner just as she is.

BEATRIZ AT DINNER

Film review by Marlene Ardoin

“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” – Sophie Tucker

 

“Beatriz at Dinner” may look like a battle between the givers and the takers, but they are both right. The winner is a balance of the two extremes.

Beatriz (Salma Hayek) appears to be unable to receive. Being poor does not make her superior.  Her client, Kathy (Connie Britton), offers to dress her up for the dinner, then later, offers her money for the tow home, both offers are refused.  Had she accepted these offers, the outcome may have been drastically different.

Beatriz is the odd one out. At the dinner, she describes an experience with her father, where he was kicking an octopus.  She sides with the octopus. 

Another point of view is that her father was trying to protect her from the octopus. Had she had this alternate point of view, things might have turned out very different for her.

I believe that we shape our world by how we see it. A more positive viewpoint would have enabled Beatriz to love men, to love the world as it is, and then, to become a positive force in making it even better.

 Doug Strutt (John Lithgow) has no problem accepting and showing appreciation for her shoulder massage. When alone with her, he offers her a gift.  He points out that we are all dying from the moment that we take our first breath.  He encourages her to try to enjoy her life.

Beatriz appears to have more judgment, more pride and more ego as the “healer”, than her opponent, “the successful rich guy.” His comments make her seethe.  But, he expresses more love and caring, than her massages or songs do.

Doug Strutt, the man who kills rhinos, who strips bare the environment, who is on his third wife, has the moral high ground here.

I personally prefer all of his transgressions to the transgression that Beatriz ends this film on. I left the theatre feeling ashamed to my core for identifying with Beatriz.

While everyone else is sending prayer lanterns into the air, Beatriz chooses to take a swim by herself.

This story is very much needed at a time in the history of our world, where the “Have Nots” are blaming the “Haves” for all of their misfortune.

Bravo to the writer, Mike White. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right?

But wait a second, what if this is the guy, who is hiking up the cost of cancer treatments by 5000%, who is raising the price from $12.50 a tablet to $750 a tablet?

What if this is the guy, who does not pay his workers a living wage?

What if this is the guy, who is kicking families out of their homes, so he can raise the price 500% higher?

Or, what if this is the guy who is cutting down all the 3000 year old redwoods?

These are just variations to the story, which would make that guy less likeable or sympathetic.

His jokes would be more offensive.

As written, I do not feel the script is sympathetic to Beatriz, nor does it capture all the reasons for her despair and anger.

Public humiliation is just a part of it. Racism and indifference can be subtle and very debilitating.

Doug Strutt (John Lithgow) is pensive during dinner.

 

Bio of screenwriter Mike White:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_White_(filmmaker)

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6/28/2017 # Beatriz at Dinner

A UNITED KINGDOM

Ruth Williams Khama  (Rosamund Pike) and Sir Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) view village with daughter.

A UNITED KINGDOM

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

After World War II, racism and apartheid were a real part of the world view at that time. Sir Seretse Khama was raised as the son of an African chief in Serowe, in what was then the Bechuanaland Protectorate of Great Britain. This is something that is hard for Americans to wrap their heads around, but this is a true story.

The film, “A United Kingdom,” only scratches the surface of an amazing story. It only deals with the racism issue, but does not show us what happens next.

Sir Seretse Khama goes on to create a democracy and to gain independence for his homeland. In September 1966, Botswana gained its independence, with Khama acting as its first democratic President. He then transforms one of Africa’s poorest countries into one of the richest in Africa.

In 1944, Khama (David Oyelowo) was studying in Great Britain to become a barrister, when he is called home to Africa to rule, but not before he falls in love with an English woman named Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike).

In “A United Kingdom” Khama demonstrates his philosophy and will. He is used to getting his way as a chief’s son, and will not consider giving up his new wife, just because her skin is a different color.

Winston Churchill is called out for going against his word after the war. Apparently, Great Britain did not want to give up the cheap materials, while recovering from the war. It was necessary to trick an African chief into exile.

What is not portrayed well enough in the film is the fact that Khama had to abdicate his kingdom in order to return home.  And, the film does not show Khama trying to raise cattle unsuccessfully after he returns home.

Khama wants something better for his people than a kingdom. He wants independence from Britain.  He wants a Democratic government.  The real story is about how he makes all this happen.

The film only suggests that diamonds were discovered in Botswana. With Khama’s governing, Botswana develops trade worthy items like cattle, copper and diamonds.

Khama kept the taxes low, the trade high and used the profits to invest in infrastructure, hospitals and the education of his people.

The racial aspect of this film was only the beginning for me. Twenty years after Khama became their first President, his son became the fourth President of Botswana.  This was the story I wanted to be told.

Biography of Seretse Khama:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seretse_Khama

The real Sir Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams Khama with their daughter and son.

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3/18/2017 # A United Kingdom

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