ManticoreL7 Reviews

A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (2006 TV Movie)

Heartbreaking story, half-hearted effort

[5/10 · 20 June 2006]

I read about the tragic murder of Gwen Araujo in the news a few years ago when it occurred, and I never imagined a telefilm would be made about her life -- much less helmed by Lifetime.

Unfortunately, this film seems like it was done in a hurry and we never really get to connect with Gwen the way we'd like to. J.D. Pardo is effective in his performance, as is Mercedes Ruehl, but this story required a bit more care in the way it was handled.

One thing that did however move me was Gwen's mother loyalty to her daughter, and how willing she was to accept and understand her. Being gay and Latino is difficult enough (I confess from experience), but I can't imagine how much more complicated it must be for people like Gwen.

You can't expect much from a made-for-television movie, and I didn't expect a lot from this one so I can't really say I was disappointed.

I'd like to see a feature film based on Gwen's life someday. Maybe it would be able to capture her essence in the way she deserves.

Monster-in-Law (2005)

Absolutely HILARIOUS

[9/10 · 8 May 2005]

This movie surprised me, because Jennifer Lopez is known for having a bad track record with the romantic comedies she leads -- even though they do well at the box office, they never have any really good laughs to them. Monster-in-Law is side-splitting and FANTASTIC fun. Ms. Lopez delivers a wonderful performance as Charlie, and Jane Fonda is also excellent in her return to films after a 15-year absence. Wanda Sykes (who is virtually unknown in the cinema world and is actually a very funny comedienne) rounds out this powerhouse trio of women who entertain us scene after scene with their antics.

Just a few weeks ago, I saw Fever Pitch, also a romantic comedy, and even though it was charming and the critics adored it, the audience in the theater I was in only truly belted out laughing once or twice, but for the sneak preview of Monster-in-Law (which was jam-packed when I attended), the theater was in STITCHES from start to finish.

There's also a cameo by the amazing Elaine Stritch near the end.

Congratulations to Jennifer, she's finally got a romantic comedy under her belt that she can boast about.

Shall We Dance? (2004)

Charming and harmless fun

[10/10 · 19 October 2004]

I'll be honest. I saw the original Japanese version of Shall We Dance a few months ago and loved it, so I didn't think the American version would live up to its standards as remakes tend to lose the charm of the original. This movie has shown me that it's possible. Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez are wonderfully cast in their roles, but the two who are worth mentioning most are supporting players Stanley Tucci (Link) and Lisa Ann Walter (Bobbie.) As far as behavior is concerned, Ms. Walter is a spitting image of her Japanese counterpart and grasps the perfect note for her character, she must've seen the original film and if not, that makes it even more amazing. I recommend seeing both the Japanese and American versions of Shall We Dance, as both are equally enchanting and what we need now is more harmless, charming movies like this..