Set in 1971, “Women in Blue" ("Las Azules"), is a new 10-part Spanish-language crime drama series starring Bárbara Mori, Ximena Sariñana, Natalia Téllez and Amorita Rasgado, streaming July 31, 2024 on AppleTV+:
“…’Women in Blue’, follows four women who defy the ultraconservative norms of the time and join Mexico's first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a killer.
“As the body count grows, ‘María’ (Mori), whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession, ‘Gabina’ (Rasgado), whose father is a renowned cop, ‘Ángeles’ (Sariñana), a brilliant fingerprint analyst and ‘Valentina’ (Téllez), a young rebel…
“…set up a secret investigation to achieve what no male officer has been able to do and bring the killer to justice…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…’Women in Blue’, follows four women who defy the ultraconservative norms of the time and join Mexico's first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a killer.
“As the body count grows, ‘María’ (Mori), whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession, ‘Gabina’ (Rasgado), whose father is a renowned cop, ‘Ángeles’ (Sariñana), a brilliant fingerprint analyst and ‘Valentina’ (Téllez), a young rebel…
“…set up a secret investigation to achieve what no male officer has been able to do and bring the killer to justice…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 6/20/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
¿Podrán cuatro mujeres detener a un brutal asesino en serie? © Apple TV+
Apple TV+ ha publicado el tráiler de su nueva serie criminal “Las Azules”, inspirada en la historia real de la primera fuerza policial femenina de México.
La serie, rodada en español y compuesta por diez episodios, está ambientada en 1971 y cuenta la historia de cuatro mujeres que desafían las normas ultraconservadoras de la época y se unen al primer cuerpo policial femenino de México, solo para descubrir que su escuadrón es un truco publicitario para distraer a los medios de comunicación de un brutal asesino en serie. A medida que aumenta el número de muertes, María (Bárbara Mori), cuyo afán por atrapar al asesino se convierte en una obsesión, Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), cuyo padre es un reputado agente de policía, Ángeles (Ximena Sariñana), una brillante analista de huellas dactilares, y Valentina (Natalia Téllez), una joven rebelde, inician una...
Apple TV+ ha publicado el tráiler de su nueva serie criminal “Las Azules”, inspirada en la historia real de la primera fuerza policial femenina de México.
La serie, rodada en español y compuesta por diez episodios, está ambientada en 1971 y cuenta la historia de cuatro mujeres que desafían las normas ultraconservadoras de la época y se unen al primer cuerpo policial femenino de México, solo para descubrir que su escuadrón es un truco publicitario para distraer a los medios de comunicación de un brutal asesino en serie. A medida que aumenta el número de muertes, María (Bárbara Mori), cuyo afán por atrapar al asesino se convierte en una obsesión, Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), cuyo padre es un reputado agente de policía, Ángeles (Ximena Sariñana), una brillante analista de huellas dactilares, y Valentina (Natalia Téllez), una joven rebelde, inician una...
- 6/20/2024
- by Marta Medina
- mundoCine
"I tried to warn you. He'll kill again." Apple TV has revealed an official trailer for a streaming series titled Women in Blue about a true story from Mexico. Set for a streaming debut at the end of July this summer. "Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman." The series follows four women who become Mexico's first female police force. They will defy the ultra-conservative norms of the time only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer. As the body count grows, María, Gabina, Ángeles, and Valentina, set up a secret investigation to achieve what no male officer has been able to do – find and stop the serial killer. Starring Bárbara Mori as María, Ximena Sariñana as Ángeles, Natalia Téllez as Valentina, and Amorita Rasgado as Gabina. Along with Miguel Rodarte, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Christian Tappan, and Horacio García Rojas.
- 6/17/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Today, Apple TV+ unveiled the trailer for Women in Blue (“Las Azules”), an upcoming 10-part Spanish-language crime drama featuring an entirely Hispanic cast and crew led by Ariel Award nominee Bárbara Mori.
Created by International Emmy Award-winning showrunner and director Fernando Rovzar and Pablo Aramendi, the series will premiere globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, on Apple TV+. It will then air one episode weekly through September 25.
Set in 1971 and inspired by true events, Women in Blue tells the story of four women who defy the ultraconservative norms of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer.
As the body count grows, María (Mori), whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession; Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), whose father is a renowned cop; Ángeles (Ximena Sariñana), a...
Created by International Emmy Award-winning showrunner and director Fernando Rovzar and Pablo Aramendi, the series will premiere globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, on Apple TV+. It will then air one episode weekly through September 25.
Set in 1971 and inspired by true events, Women in Blue tells the story of four women who defy the ultraconservative norms of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer.
As the body count grows, María (Mori), whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession; Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), whose father is a renowned cop; Ángeles (Ximena Sariñana), a...
- 6/17/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Today, Apple TV+ revealed the premiere date and a first look at Women in Blue (“Las Azules”), its upcoming ten-episode Spanish-language crime drama featuring an entirely Hispanic cast and crew led by Ariel Award nominee Bárbara Mori.
Created by International Emmy Award-winning showrunner and director Fernando Rovzar and Pablo Aramendi, Women in Blue will make its global debut with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, on Apple TV+, followed by one episode weekly through September 25.
Set in 1970 and inspired by true events, Women in Blue tells the story of four women who defy the ultra-conservative norms of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer.
As the body count grows, María (Mori), whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession; Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), whose father is a...
Created by International Emmy Award-winning showrunner and director Fernando Rovzar and Pablo Aramendi, Women in Blue will make its global debut with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, on Apple TV+, followed by one episode weekly through September 25.
Set in 1970 and inspired by true events, Women in Blue tells the story of four women who defy the ultra-conservative norms of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer.
As the body count grows, María (Mori), whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession; Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), whose father is a...
- 5/9/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Seven years after his mesmerizing sci-fi drama on extraterrestrial sex, “The Untamed,” genre-defying Mexican auteur Amat Escalante switches gears once again to try his hand at a sharp-edged, quasi-detective story with “Lost in the Night.” His approach expectedly deviates from a straightforward whodunit. Escalante rejects both simplified villainy and stainless heroism, crafting individuals with clear motivations who never stop to consider their actions through a moral filter. The result is an at times jarring but always intriguing enigma that escapes facile classification, especially because it tends to veer into absurdism.
In just a handful of years since his breakout role in Fernando Frías de la Parra’s “I’m No Longer Here,” Juan Daniel García Treviño has become a familiar face in Mexican cinema, usually playing a member of a criminal organization. Here, Escalante pushes against such typecasting and places him on the righteous side of the fence, as Emiliano, a...
In just a handful of years since his breakout role in Fernando Frías de la Parra’s “I’m No Longer Here,” Juan Daniel García Treviño has become a familiar face in Mexican cinema, usually playing a member of a criminal organization. Here, Escalante pushes against such typecasting and places him on the righteous side of the fence, as Emiliano, a...
- 2/2/2024
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety Film + TV
Clockwise from top left: X (A24), Everything Everywhere All At Once (A24), Mea Culpa (Netflix)Image: The A.V. Club
This February, Netflix adds a Best Picture Oscar winner, a Ti West horror movie with a sequel arriving later this year, and Tyler Perry’s latest movie. The surreal Everything Everywhere All At Once...
This February, Netflix adds a Best Picture Oscar winner, a Ti West horror movie with a sequel arriving later this year, and Tyler Perry’s latest movie. The surreal Everything Everywhere All At Once...
- 2/1/2024
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
Netflix is toasting Mexico’s National Day of Cinema on Aug. 15 with a slew of projects, many of them tapping the country’s wealth of literary classics and original storytellers. Working with some of the most prominent local filmmakers, the streaming giant is also reaffirming its $300 million commitment to Mexican cinema and series and its #QueMéxicoSeVea (“Let Mexico Be Seen”) initiative.
A teaser of its upcoming film “No voy a pedirle a nadie que me crea” (“I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me”) by Fernando Frías De La Parra (“I’m No Longer Here”) debuts exclusively on Variety.
An adaptation of what award-winning author Juan Pablo Villalobos describes as an ‘autobiographical fiction,’ Frias’ latest film follows the writer as he prepares to go to Barcelona with his girlfriend to study for a doctorate in literature. But he gets caught up in a criminal network that spurs him to write the...
A teaser of its upcoming film “No voy a pedirle a nadie que me crea” (“I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me”) by Fernando Frías De La Parra (“I’m No Longer Here”) debuts exclusively on Variety.
An adaptation of what award-winning author Juan Pablo Villalobos describes as an ‘autobiographical fiction,’ Frias’ latest film follows the writer as he prepares to go to Barcelona with his girlfriend to study for a doctorate in literature. But he gets caught up in a criminal network that spurs him to write the...
- 8/14/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes frequently gets criticized for the paucity of Latin American representation in the main competition, so it was widely assumed that the new feature from festival veteran Amat Escalante, the 2013 best director winner for Heli, would be guaranteed a spot. Sad to report that watching Lost in the Night (Perdidos en la noche), it’s easy to see why it was shuffled off to a sidebar. The Mexican filmmaker moves out from the shadow of his former mentor, Carlos Reygadas, with his most accessible work to date in this revenge thriller, which is engrossing enough but also a bit meandering and underpowered.
Escalante’s fifth feature takes its cues more from his experience in television on Narcos: Mexico than from his previous big-screen work, which could in theory bring him to a wider audience. But it lacks the tight cohesion of that series at its best, and softens the jarring intensity,...
Escalante’s fifth feature takes its cues more from his experience in television on Narcos: Mexico than from his previous big-screen work, which could in theory bring him to a wider audience. But it lacks the tight cohesion of that series at its best, and softens the jarring intensity,...
- 5/23/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Why did you hire me if you know who I am?" The Match Factory has unveiled a Cannes promo trailer for Lost in the Night, premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival kicking off soon this month. This is the latest film by Mexican filmmaker Amat Escalante, best known for his more recent indie hits Heli and The Untamed. It's premiering in the Cannes Premiere section at the fest, not in the competition, Though it looks like it could be in there nonetheless. Emiliano lives in a small mining town in Mexico. Motivated by a sense of justice, he searches for those responsible for the disappearance of his activist mother. He finds a clue that leads him to the wealthy Aldama Family - soon he gets a job at their home. In search of the truth & justice, Emiliano plunges into a dark world full of secrets, lies and revenge. Starring Juan...
- 5/12/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Mexico’s Barbara Mori and Peru’s Christian Meier and helmer-scribe Ricardo de Montreuil are reuniting for culinary drama “Mistura,” some 17 years after their 2005 box office hit “La Mujer de Mi Hermano” (“My Brother’s Wife”).
Joining them are Magaly Solier, best known for her lead role in Peru’s Oscar-nominated and 2009 Berlinale Golden Bear winner, “The Milk of Sorrow.”
“Mistura,” which means mixture or blend, takes place in 1960s Peru where Mori plays Norma who, after being ditched by her husband (played by Meier), must face the scorn of Lima’s elitist high society. She reinvents herself by teaming up with people from the communities she previously ignored to launch a restaurant that helps her rediscover Peru, its cultural diversity and its spectacular cuisine.
Peru’s gastronomy has always been a huge draw for culinary enthusiasts and serious food critics. Three Lima restaurants made the cut in the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list,...
Joining them are Magaly Solier, best known for her lead role in Peru’s Oscar-nominated and 2009 Berlinale Golden Bear winner, “The Milk of Sorrow.”
“Mistura,” which means mixture or blend, takes place in 1960s Peru where Mori plays Norma who, after being ditched by her husband (played by Meier), must face the scorn of Lima’s elitist high society. She reinvents herself by teaming up with people from the communities she previously ignored to launch a restaurant that helps her rediscover Peru, its cultural diversity and its spectacular cuisine.
Peru’s gastronomy has always been a huge draw for culinary enthusiasts and serious food critics. Three Lima restaurants made the cut in the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list,...
- 11/11/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Apple TV+ has ordered the Spanish-language crime drama Las Azules, a 10-episode series from creators Fernando Rovzar and Pablo Aramendi. Pre-production is currently underway in Mexico City.
Set in 1970 and based on a true story, Las Azules tells the story of four women who defy the ultra-conservative norms of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer.
As the body count grows, María, whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession; Gabina, an aspiring officer; Ángeles, a brilliant fingerprint analyst; and Valentina, a young rebel, set up a secret investigation to achieve what no other male officer has been able to do and bring the serial killer to justice.
Bárbara Mori will portray Maria, a devoted wife who discovers her true calling when she joins Mexico’s first female police force,...
Set in 1970 and based on a true story, Las Azules tells the story of four women who defy the ultra-conservative norms of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer.
As the body count grows, María, whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession; Gabina, an aspiring officer; Ángeles, a brilliant fingerprint analyst; and Valentina, a young rebel, set up a secret investigation to achieve what no other male officer has been able to do and bring the serial killer to justice.
Bárbara Mori will portray Maria, a devoted wife who discovers her true calling when she joins Mexico’s first female police force,...
- 5/24/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple TV+ has ordered ten episodes of “Las Azules,” a crime drama starring Bárbara Mori and created by Fernando Rovzar and Pablo Aramendi.
The Spanish-language series, set in 1970 and inspired by true events, follows four women who join Mexico’s first female police force only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer. María (Mori), whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession; Gabina, an aspiring officer; Ángeles, a fingerprint analyst; and Valentina, a young rebel, set up a secret investigation as the body count grows, hoping to achieve what male officers haven’t and catch the killer.
“Las Azules” is currently in pre-production in Mexico City. According to Apple, the series will feature an entirely Hispanic cast and crew.
Mori is best known for starring in the telenovela “Rubí,” in which she played the title role as well...
The Spanish-language series, set in 1970 and inspired by true events, follows four women who join Mexico’s first female police force only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer. María (Mori), whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession; Gabina, an aspiring officer; Ángeles, a fingerprint analyst; and Valentina, a young rebel, set up a secret investigation as the body count grows, hoping to achieve what male officers haven’t and catch the killer.
“Las Azules” is currently in pre-production in Mexico City. According to Apple, the series will feature an entirely Hispanic cast and crew.
Mori is best known for starring in the telenovela “Rubí,” in which she played the title role as well...
- 5/24/2022
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Mexican content producer Talipot Studio has signed with CAA.
Launched in 2018 and led by CEO Regina Solórzano, Talipot Studio is executive producing Lisandro Alonso’s Eureka, starring Viggo Mortensen. The indie studio is also an associate producer on Leos Carax’s Annette, starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard; Mia Hansen-Love’s Bergman Island, featuring Mia Wasikowska; and Abel Ferrara’s Siberia, which stars Willem Dafoe.
Talipot is also the Mexican co-producer on Laura Mora’s Los Reyes Del Mundo, and is in postproduction on Tu Eres Mi Problema, starring Bárbara Mori and written and directed by Álvaro Curiel.
The studio has the rights to upcoming adaptations of Fernando ...
Launched in 2018 and led by CEO Regina Solórzano, Talipot Studio is executive producing Lisandro Alonso’s Eureka, starring Viggo Mortensen. The indie studio is also an associate producer on Leos Carax’s Annette, starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard; Mia Hansen-Love’s Bergman Island, featuring Mia Wasikowska; and Abel Ferrara’s Siberia, which stars Willem Dafoe.
Talipot is also the Mexican co-producer on Laura Mora’s Los Reyes Del Mundo, and is in postproduction on Tu Eres Mi Problema, starring Bárbara Mori and written and directed by Álvaro Curiel.
The studio has the rights to upcoming adaptations of Fernando ...
- 12/15/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The first Fenix Iberoamerican Film Awards, highlighting and celebrating cinema made in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal as well as applauding the professionals involved was inaugurated by Cinema23 this October 30 and held its closing night party in México City's Jumex Museum, named after the Lopez family’s fruit juice empire, and commissioned by Eugenio Lopez, the dynastic scion whose intention is to leave an edifice to Mexico City that dignifies his family name. This 21st-century prince is the sole patron of the new Museo Jumex, Latin America’s largest contemporary art museum, designed by the British architect David Chipperfield and just across the street from hourglass-shaped Museo Soumaya, opened in 2011 by the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú to display his own collection. Worth a trip to Mexico alone just to view the private Jumex collection of Mexican art, to attend the spectacular closing night party topping off the new annual, independent award ceremony which took place at the iconic 1918 Teatro de la Ciudad was an experience of a lifetime.
After an exclusive dinner for the nominees around 11 Pm, the great celebration began. Inspired by Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, one of the most important holidays in Mexico, the party was decorated with elements inspired by this tradition such as "papel picado," and walls decorated with skulls. The vibrant orange color of hundreds of cempasúchil flowers (Marigolds) adorned the hall where more than a thousand guests, among them many film professional, singers and other important figures from across Iberoamerica, attended the celebration organized by Grupo Modelo the brewery in Mexico now owned by the Belgian-Brazilian company Anheuser-Busch InBev, which holds 63% of the Mexican beer market and exports beer to most countries of the world, whose export brands include my own favorite beers, Corona and Pacífico. I was proud to be invited to attend and to be part of the advisory council of Cinema23, founder of this annual Fenix Awards celebration of the art of cinema along with the comcomitant commercial success of Iberoamerican cinema.
Attending the awards and the post-award party were actors such as Alice Braga, Ana de la Reguera, Ana Claudia Talancón, Alfonso Herrera, Bárbara Mori, Brandon López, Camila Selser, Cecilia Suárez, Elena Anaya, Ernesto Alterio, Erick Elías, Ilse Salas, Irene Azuela, Johanna Murillo, José María Yazpik, José María and Pedro de Tavira, Juan Manuel Bernal, Karen Martínez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Maribel Verdú, Martha Higareda, Maya Zapata and Ximena Ayala; filmmakers Fernando Eimbcke, Gary Alazraki, Jonás Cuarón, Lorenzo Hagerman, Manolo Caro, Natalia Beristáin and Rigoberto Perezcano; musicians Leo Heiblum, Kevin Johansen, León Larregui and Sergio Acosta from rock band Zoé and Leonor Watling, Jesús Navarro, vocalist of pop band Reik; socialites as Rafael Micha, Jorge Gorozpe, Memo Martínez and Max Villegas; fashion designer Oscar Madrazo and jewelry designer Mariana Villarea. They and the other attendees enjoyed a night in which cinema was the most important guest.
In the venue's lower level, Sonido Apokalitzin's beats enhanced the experience with cumbias, salsas and iconic songs from several Iberoamerican countries. Monterrey DJ Toy Selectah also entertained the guests with his musical selection. Upstairs, Sergio and Andres from famous rock band Zoé delighted everyone with their music just before they enjoyed Julian Placencia's DJ set.
With this event the first edition of the Fenix Iberoamerican Film Awards came to an end. The event brought together hundreds of figures from the Iberoamerican film community who celebrated the well-deserved recognition to their work and dedication. At the same time the event served to strengthen relationships among the diverse industries and will continuously help forge the region's identity.
After an exclusive dinner for the nominees around 11 Pm, the great celebration began. Inspired by Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, one of the most important holidays in Mexico, the party was decorated with elements inspired by this tradition such as "papel picado," and walls decorated with skulls. The vibrant orange color of hundreds of cempasúchil flowers (Marigolds) adorned the hall where more than a thousand guests, among them many film professional, singers and other important figures from across Iberoamerica, attended the celebration organized by Grupo Modelo the brewery in Mexico now owned by the Belgian-Brazilian company Anheuser-Busch InBev, which holds 63% of the Mexican beer market and exports beer to most countries of the world, whose export brands include my own favorite beers, Corona and Pacífico. I was proud to be invited to attend and to be part of the advisory council of Cinema23, founder of this annual Fenix Awards celebration of the art of cinema along with the comcomitant commercial success of Iberoamerican cinema.
Attending the awards and the post-award party were actors such as Alice Braga, Ana de la Reguera, Ana Claudia Talancón, Alfonso Herrera, Bárbara Mori, Brandon López, Camila Selser, Cecilia Suárez, Elena Anaya, Ernesto Alterio, Erick Elías, Ilse Salas, Irene Azuela, Johanna Murillo, José María Yazpik, José María and Pedro de Tavira, Juan Manuel Bernal, Karen Martínez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Maribel Verdú, Martha Higareda, Maya Zapata and Ximena Ayala; filmmakers Fernando Eimbcke, Gary Alazraki, Jonás Cuarón, Lorenzo Hagerman, Manolo Caro, Natalia Beristáin and Rigoberto Perezcano; musicians Leo Heiblum, Kevin Johansen, León Larregui and Sergio Acosta from rock band Zoé and Leonor Watling, Jesús Navarro, vocalist of pop band Reik; socialites as Rafael Micha, Jorge Gorozpe, Memo Martínez and Max Villegas; fashion designer Oscar Madrazo and jewelry designer Mariana Villarea. They and the other attendees enjoyed a night in which cinema was the most important guest.
In the venue's lower level, Sonido Apokalitzin's beats enhanced the experience with cumbias, salsas and iconic songs from several Iberoamerican countries. Monterrey DJ Toy Selectah also entertained the guests with his musical selection. Upstairs, Sergio and Andres from famous rock band Zoé delighted everyone with their music just before they enjoyed Julian Placencia's DJ set.
With this event the first edition of the Fenix Iberoamerican Film Awards came to an end. The event brought together hundreds of figures from the Iberoamerican film community who celebrated the well-deserved recognition to their work and dedication. At the same time the event served to strengthen relationships among the diverse industries and will continuously help forge the region's identity.
- 11/17/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Last weekend’s celebration of all things cultural in Mexico was a big success (2014 has now been announced) and the film programming presented a number of diverse and interesting offerings from the country.
The following are a handful of the screenings which we were lucky to be invited to.
Opening night film – The Girl
Debuting at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Us filmmaker David Riker’s look at the hazardous world of immigration proved to be a strong choice to open with. In the film, Abbie Cornish (convincingly) plays a white-trash single mother called Ashley. She lives an aimless life close to the Mexican border in San Antonio and is battling to regain custody of her young son after a DUI charge. Discovering her estranged father (Will Patton – grizzled as hell) is using his haulage wagon for other money-making purposes, she foolishly arranges for a group of Mexicans to be smuggled across the border.
The following are a handful of the screenings which we were lucky to be invited to.
Opening night film – The Girl
Debuting at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Us filmmaker David Riker’s look at the hazardous world of immigration proved to be a strong choice to open with. In the film, Abbie Cornish (convincingly) plays a white-trash single mother called Ashley. She lives an aimless life close to the Mexican border in San Antonio and is battling to regain custody of her young son after a DUI charge. Discovering her estranged father (Will Patton – grizzled as hell) is using his haulage wagon for other money-making purposes, she foolishly arranges for a group of Mexicans to be smuggled across the border.
- 7/18/2013
- by Adam Lowes
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Chicago – The more Bollywood pictures I see, the more I understand the odd appeal of a film like Baz Luhrmann’s “Moulin Rouge,” which remains near the top of my Greatest Guilty Pleasures list. Why guilty? Because even I can understand why many people hate it. The picture is loud, chaotic, stupendously over the top, and staggeringly drunk on the sheer movieness of movies. That may be why I love it.
“Rouge” might as well have been made in Bollywood, considering how effortlessly it blended genres, fusing operatic melodrama and screwball farce with shamelessly indulgent spectacle. As for its characters, they followed a formula as old as the hills. There’s the scrappy, starry-eyed protagonist trying to make a living for himself. There’s his revered object of desire who falls in love with him at first or second glance. And then there’s the girl’s villainous suitor, whose...
“Rouge” might as well have been made in Bollywood, considering how effortlessly it blended genres, fusing operatic melodrama and screwball farce with shamelessly indulgent spectacle. As for its characters, they followed a formula as old as the hills. There’s the scrappy, starry-eyed protagonist trying to make a living for himself. There’s his revered object of desire who falls in love with him at first or second glance. And then there’s the girl’s villainous suitor, whose...
- 3/2/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Game of Death" (2011)
Directed by Giorgio Serafini
Released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Quite possibly Wesley Snipes' last film for a long, long time, this action flick features the "Passenger 57" star as a CIA agent who is betrayed by his employer after he's deployed to take out an arms dealer in Detroit. "Grindhouse" star Zoe Bell is onhand to provide backup.
"Celestial Films: Lady Hermit" (1971)
Directed by Meng Hua Ho
Released by Funimation
An aspiring female kung fu warrior searches for an elusive master who turns out to pretend to be a servant in this Shaw Brothers produced action flick.
"Daylight Robbery" (2008)
Directed by Paris Leonti
Released by Well Go USA
Paris Leonti's heist flick involves a group of misfits who plot to rob the London Exchange of the loot in their underground vault.
"Disconnect" (2011)
Directed by Robin Christian...
"Game of Death" (2011)
Directed by Giorgio Serafini
Released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Quite possibly Wesley Snipes' last film for a long, long time, this action flick features the "Passenger 57" star as a CIA agent who is betrayed by his employer after he's deployed to take out an arms dealer in Detroit. "Grindhouse" star Zoe Bell is onhand to provide backup.
"Celestial Films: Lady Hermit" (1971)
Directed by Meng Hua Ho
Released by Funimation
An aspiring female kung fu warrior searches for an elusive master who turns out to pretend to be a servant in this Shaw Brothers produced action flick.
"Daylight Robbery" (2008)
Directed by Paris Leonti
Released by Well Go USA
Paris Leonti's heist flick involves a group of misfits who plot to rob the London Exchange of the loot in their underground vault.
"Disconnect" (2011)
Directed by Robin Christian...
- 2/15/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Chicago – On the heels of HollywoodChicago.com’s 10 Best Films of 2010 by Brian Tallerico and Top Overlooked Films of 2010 by Matt Fagerholm, I offer the 10 Best Films of 2010, Part Two, by Patrick McDonald.
It’s hard to compare years. Moods, attitudes and experiences dictates so much of how choices are made, interacting with the particular cinema art of the year. But 2010, with a few exceptions, in general didn’t have the excitement of other years. The risks were less risky, the unusual narratives hard to find. The film business is just that, a business, and with so much changing so fast there will continue be more decisions coming from the marketing department and less from the creative one.
However, the 10 Best moves on, and the list is below. Since I begin with a film nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at last year’s Oscars (but not released in Chicago...
It’s hard to compare years. Moods, attitudes and experiences dictates so much of how choices are made, interacting with the particular cinema art of the year. But 2010, with a few exceptions, in general didn’t have the excitement of other years. The risks were less risky, the unusual narratives hard to find. The film business is just that, a business, and with so much changing so fast there will continue be more decisions coming from the marketing department and less from the creative one.
However, the 10 Best moves on, and the list is below. Since I begin with a film nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at last year’s Oscars (but not released in Chicago...
- 12/30/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
A week after Kites landed at the box office comes Kites: The Remix, Brett Ratner's repackaged, re-edited and reworked release. In its original outing, Kites soared into the Us Top 10. Will we see this reduced in running time remix climb to the same dizzying heights?
This is the first time in Bollywood history that a film has been exclusively edited for a North American or European audience. Released by Reliance Big Pictures, the remix is certainly sexier, snappier and succinct in its telling of the tale of J (Hrithik Roshan) and Linda/Natasha (Bárbara Mori) and their star crossed love. Be warned, watching the remix after having already seen the original is vertigo inducing. In a film that plays around so cleverly with the time frame, it is difficult to keep up with what has already happened, what is going to happen, and what has been edited out behind your back.
This is the first time in Bollywood history that a film has been exclusively edited for a North American or European audience. Released by Reliance Big Pictures, the remix is certainly sexier, snappier and succinct in its telling of the tale of J (Hrithik Roshan) and Linda/Natasha (Bárbara Mori) and their star crossed love. Be warned, watching the remix after having already seen the original is vertigo inducing. In a film that plays around so cleverly with the time frame, it is difficult to keep up with what has already happened, what is going to happen, and what has been edited out behind your back.
- 6/3/2010
- Bollyspice
The Time That Remains (15)
(Elia Suleiman, 2009, UK/Ita/Fra/Bel) Elia Suleiman, Saleh Bakri, Samar Tanus, Shafika Bajjali. 110 mins
As he did in 2002's Divine Intervention, Suleiman fashions Middle East tensions into something resembling a deadpan arthouse sketch show at times, but the stylised comedy is folded into 60 years of family history this time. The first portion is particularly striking, dealing with the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and Suleiman's father's part in it as a Palestinian resistance fighter. As time and relatives move on, the story becomes more reflective and fragmented, but elegant choreography and tender observation hold it together.
Sex And The City 2 (15)
(Michael Patrick King, 2010, Us) Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon. 146 mins
Us-Arab relations get a stiletto in the eye, as the foursome descend on Abu Dhabi in this overlong but doubtless unstoppable sequel, adding Islamophobic cultural challenges to their perpetual relationship/ageing/wardrobe issues.
(Elia Suleiman, 2009, UK/Ita/Fra/Bel) Elia Suleiman, Saleh Bakri, Samar Tanus, Shafika Bajjali. 110 mins
As he did in 2002's Divine Intervention, Suleiman fashions Middle East tensions into something resembling a deadpan arthouse sketch show at times, but the stylised comedy is folded into 60 years of family history this time. The first portion is particularly striking, dealing with the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and Suleiman's father's part in it as a Palestinian resistance fighter. As time and relatives move on, the story becomes more reflective and fragmented, but elegant choreography and tender observation hold it together.
Sex And The City 2 (15)
(Michael Patrick King, 2010, Us) Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon. 146 mins
Us-Arab relations get a stiletto in the eye, as the foursome descend on Abu Dhabi in this overlong but doubtless unstoppable sequel, adding Islamophobic cultural challenges to their perpetual relationship/ageing/wardrobe issues.
- 5/28/2010
- by The guide
- The Guardian - Film News
A mortally wounded man stumbles through the harsh terrain of the Mexican desert fighting the brutal sun and draining the last reserves of his strength for a chance to see his true love one last time. Through dynamic flashbacks the tale of J and Linda unfolds – the tragic love story of a couple destined to be together yet doomed to be apart. That story is Kites: The Remix which has its UK release today.
Bollywood mega star Hrithik Roshan plays J, the smooth talking street hustler who has lost count of his cash-convenient marriages. Mexican soap star Bárbara Mori is the misplaced wife who catches his eye and changes his ways. A twist of fate throws them into each other’s lives once more and sets them on a relentless chase through the glitz of Las Vegas back to the dusty orange roads and verdant fields of Linda’s childhood.
Bollywood mega star Hrithik Roshan plays J, the smooth talking street hustler who has lost count of his cash-convenient marriages. Mexican soap star Bárbara Mori is the misplaced wife who catches his eye and changes his ways. A twist of fate throws them into each other’s lives once more and sets them on a relentless chase through the glitz of Las Vegas back to the dusty orange roads and verdant fields of Linda’s childhood.
- 5/28/2010
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Everything about the American-set Bollywood movie Kites is over the top: The extreme and often garish settings, the outsized emotions, the broad acting, the massive action setpieces. Only the wafer-thin plot is simple, but given the movie’s emphatic tone, even that comes buried in exclamation points. It’s such a basic setup that it wavers between timeless and trite: A beautiful woman (Bárbara Mori) is caught between a rich creep ready to marry her (Nicholas Brown) and a poor would-be lover (Indian mega-star Hrithik Roshan) with little to offer but sincere devotion. It worked in Titanic, and it ...
- 5/27/2010
- avclub.com
Recently HeyUGuys sat down with the trio behind one of this week’s most unusual new releases, Kites: The Remix, to bring you the back-story of this intriguing Las Vegas action romance and how it became a Bollywood/Hollywood cocktail! Remix producer Brett Ratner joined the film’s stars Bárbara Mori and Hrithik Roshan to tell us more about the unique project.
Bona fide movie star Hrithik Roshan is from a famous Bollywood dynasty and, together with his director father Rakesh Roshan, has produced some of the most memorable onscreen characters in contemporary Indian cinema. A pioneer of modern twists on Bollywood staples, he won awards and critical praise for his role in Bollywood’s first Sci Fi, Koi… Mil Gaya, working once again with Rakesh. With Kites: The Remix he has proven himself more than able to don action star garb and once again push boundaries to...
Bona fide movie star Hrithik Roshan is from a famous Bollywood dynasty and, together with his director father Rakesh Roshan, has produced some of the most memorable onscreen characters in contemporary Indian cinema. A pioneer of modern twists on Bollywood staples, he won awards and critical praise for his role in Bollywood’s first Sci Fi, Koi… Mil Gaya, working once again with Rakesh. With Kites: The Remix he has proven himself more than able to don action star garb and once again push boundaries to...
- 5/26/2010
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Chicago - Bollywood action-romance 'Kites,' starring Indian actor Hrithik Roshan and Mexican actress Barbara Mori, took the No. 10 spot at the North American box office during its opening weekend, making it the first Bollywood film ever to debut in the top 10 here.
'Kites,' which released last Friday, opened at No. 5 at the UK box office, and in India, it had the second-biggest opening day ever (behind '3 Idiots,' the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time, which released last December).
The film—an intercultural love story about two hustlers on the run in the U.S. Southwest—has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from American critics:
Jeanette Catsoulis of 'The New York Times' wrote: "On the whole, American audiences remain stubbornly immune to the charms of the Bollywood romance, a fact that 'Kites' is determined to change. A carefully calibrated assault on resistant international markets,...
'Kites,' which released last Friday, opened at No. 5 at the UK box office, and in India, it had the second-biggest opening day ever (behind '3 Idiots,' the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time, which released last December).
The film—an intercultural love story about two hustlers on the run in the U.S. Southwest—has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from American critics:
Jeanette Catsoulis of 'The New York Times' wrote: "On the whole, American audiences remain stubbornly immune to the charms of the Bollywood romance, a fact that 'Kites' is determined to change. A carefully calibrated assault on resistant international markets,...
- 5/24/2010
- The Bollywood Ticket
Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time (12A)
(Mike Newell, 2010, Us) Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina. 116 mins
You can tell by the title, the presence of producer Jerry Bruckheimer and the colossal expense how badly this wants to be the next Pirates Of The Caribbean. But it follows the family-friendly franchise formula so slavishly, there are few surprises. On the plus side, the leads are perfectly likable, the pace lively and the Arabian-themed spectacle impressive, but the British accents and incongruous Iraq-invasion parallel only point up what a dubious post-Orientalist wish-fulfilment it really is.
Bad Lieutenant (18)
(Werner Herzog, 2009, Us) Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer. 122 mins
At last Herzog finds a replacement for the infamous Klaus Kinski, as Cage's long-repressed wild side is, er, uncaged, in an ironic portrait of post-Katrina cop corruption. Nothing like the original, it's more of an insane black comedy, with pulp crime...
(Mike Newell, 2010, Us) Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina. 116 mins
You can tell by the title, the presence of producer Jerry Bruckheimer and the colossal expense how badly this wants to be the next Pirates Of The Caribbean. But it follows the family-friendly franchise formula so slavishly, there are few surprises. On the plus side, the leads are perfectly likable, the pace lively and the Arabian-themed spectacle impressive, but the British accents and incongruous Iraq-invasion parallel only point up what a dubious post-Orientalist wish-fulfilment it really is.
Bad Lieutenant (18)
(Werner Herzog, 2009, Us) Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer. 122 mins
At last Herzog finds a replacement for the infamous Klaus Kinski, as Cage's long-repressed wild side is, er, uncaged, in an ironic portrait of post-Katrina cop corruption. Nothing like the original, it's more of an insane black comedy, with pulp crime...
- 5/21/2010
- by The guide
- The Guardian - Film News
Talking to Brett Ratner is a wacky experience. A conversation with the director veers, minute to minute, across topics and insights and forceful opinions. Thoughts are dropped, others are picked up. Sentences morph into completely unrelated ones with nary a warning. It's a disorienting experience, but it's also pretty entertaining.
That same thing might be said about his films, by both his fans and his detractors. Now comes something utterly different. Ratner has re-cut a new Bollywood movie called, "Kites" (out May 21). Yes, that's as strange as it sounds. But the movie is a delightfully charming one. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Bárbara Mori (he a huge Indian star, she a huge Latin American one) as two foreigners living in Las Vegas. She's about to marry his girlfriend's brother, when Roshan and Mori fall in love. What follows from there is part fairy tale, part action flick, part road movie.
That same thing might be said about his films, by both his fans and his detractors. Now comes something utterly different. Ratner has re-cut a new Bollywood movie called, "Kites" (out May 21). Yes, that's as strange as it sounds. But the movie is a delightfully charming one. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Bárbara Mori (he a huge Indian star, she a huge Latin American one) as two foreigners living in Las Vegas. She's about to marry his girlfriend's brother, when Roshan and Mori fall in love. What follows from there is part fairy tale, part action flick, part road movie.
- 5/21/2010
- by Eric Ditzian
- MTV Movies Blog
Chicago – One of the most provocative and unusual films this year, or any year, is an amazing production from India entitled “Kites.” American director Brett Ratner (”Rush Hour”) was so taken by this film, that he agreed to edit the original (or remix) for the U.S. presentation. Both versions will be will be in the marketplace for a limited release.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
And what a release it is. Combining elements of the traditional Bollywood soap operas– including the songs and dance associated with genre – with astounding and inventive action sequences, Kites is an awesome movie experience that true love can conquer all, including Las Vegas.
The film opens with a train. Several Mexican workers surround it, to begin the day labor of unloading the hay from its cars. When they open the door, an unconscious and injured man rolls out. His name is Jay (Hrithik Roshan), and he is about to tell his story.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
And what a release it is. Combining elements of the traditional Bollywood soap operas– including the songs and dance associated with genre – with astounding and inventive action sequences, Kites is an awesome movie experience that true love can conquer all, including Las Vegas.
The film opens with a train. Several Mexican workers surround it, to begin the day labor of unloading the hay from its cars. When they open the door, an unconscious and injured man rolls out. His name is Jay (Hrithik Roshan), and he is about to tell his story.
- 5/21/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
What does a Bollywood film have to do to break out? Nirpal Dhaliwal hears why the makers of India's most expensive film are teaming up with Rush Hour director Brett Ratner to leap the great culture gap
The clash of civilisations is continuing to bear new fruit. Last Tuesday, the Bollywood film Kites had its world premiere in London; next week sees the release of Kites: The Remix, Hollywood director Brett Ratner's 90-minute, English-language version. Ratner's edit is a tighter, less musical and much more action-oriented product – though he mainly cut, some new scenes were filmed for his version. The aim is to introduce the hazel-eyed, hard-bodied and magnificently bouffanted Hindi superstar Hrithik Roshan to a western audience. It makes Barack Obama's heritage look monotone by comparison.
Ratner has excellent form in breaking foreign stars into the western mainstream, having directed Jackie Chan in the trio of...
The clash of civilisations is continuing to bear new fruit. Last Tuesday, the Bollywood film Kites had its world premiere in London; next week sees the release of Kites: The Remix, Hollywood director Brett Ratner's 90-minute, English-language version. Ratner's edit is a tighter, less musical and much more action-oriented product – though he mainly cut, some new scenes were filmed for his version. The aim is to introduce the hazel-eyed, hard-bodied and magnificently bouffanted Hindi superstar Hrithik Roshan to a western audience. It makes Barack Obama's heritage look monotone by comparison.
Ratner has excellent form in breaking foreign stars into the western mainstream, having directed Jackie Chan in the trio of...
- 5/20/2010
- by Nirpal Dhaliwal
- The Guardian - Film News
The entire Roshan family . Rakesh, Rajesh, and Hrithik . along with director Anurag Basu and actress Bárbara Mori were all present for the New York Press Day for the upcoming feature Kites.Nothing was more evident than the enthusiasm, optimism, and faith they all shared in this film about a cross-cultural love story between a Mexican woman and Indian man that will present viewers with a fresh and unique approach to depicting romance beyond boundaries.Rakesh Roshan himself approached Anurag Basu (Life in a Metro, Gangster) for the project. When asked why he was fielding the film to his relatively less experienced colleague, Roshan responded with the fact that he has already made sixteen films and wanted to .give a break to new talent.. Besides loving Basu.s previous films, the veteran director holds the idea that young talent should be given opportunities to shine in the Indian film industry and...
- 5/15/2010
- Filmicafe
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