I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Film Perfection

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Entre Nos is a captivating film from the very beginning. It is the story of a family, who has just immigrated to the United States from Cambodia. Mariana's husband left her and their two children, stranded with no hope in Queens, for a job in Miami. After some time Mariana, Gabi, and Andrea are left without a home, without their things or clothing, left to wander the streets, rummaging through garbage.Mariana's role as a mother is portrayed brilliantly. She is strong and yet weak at the same time. She does what she can to provide for her family, without lowering her own morals. In many ways her situation can be applied to more than just immigrant families. Directors/writers Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza portray the life of a woman who has been abandoned by her husband, left with nothing of monetary support and with children to care for. The role of Mariana showed that it is possible for someone to put aside their own personal pain, accept their situation, move forward, and even find happiness and moments of joy; if not for themselves, then for the sake of their children.The two child actor/actress have were very effective in expressing the emotions of a particular situation. As the film goes on and the scenes become more and more intense and emotionally wrought, these two excel in their acting abilities. They are able to draw the viewer in to feel the emotions the situation warrants.This film has a happy ending, with the mother finding work and being able to give her children something more. However, there is not really a lot of emphasize put on that. One does not know how exactly Mariana was able to get her job or the details of their life changing for the better after the lady at the apartment helped them. These details are not important to the directors. What seems to be more important is to show the process the family went through to become who they are today. This story, though specific to Mariana and her family, is common place among immigrant families. However, it goes beyond just the common fate of immigrant families to be applicable to anyone and everyone. The idea expressed is that it doesn't matter what life dishes out to you, you can fight it. No matter who you are or where you are from, each person posses the ability to fight for something better and find joy along the way, even in the most miserable and darkest of times. Throughout the film there is an emphasis on the joy that the family finds between each other, in order to endure the hardship and continue fighting for a better life.This film is very well done, with the ideas and concepts being expressed in a very effective way. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Entre Nos brings out sadness, happiness and anger in its viewers. Entre Nos is a film that will automatically capture the audience and leave them wanting more. It shows how immigrants have a hard time in the United States. The film gives the viewers a look on what it's like to be a single Mom, and all the struggles a single Mom has to go through just to protect her children. Mariana is a superwoman to her children. She is a fighter and an independent woman that knows how to keep going even when things get rough.Entre Nos was directed by Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza both women also wrote the film as well. This is very important because this film is about Paola Mendoza's grandmother. This also is a film about all the struggles immigrants have when living in a foreign country. Yet, at the same time showing what single Moms have to go through when raising their kids alone. This film has gotten positive reviews, shown at 14 film festivals and won many awards. This is important because it shows how important and touching the film was to many viewers who have seen it, also showing how serious it is for an immigrant living in the U.S.The characters in the film Mariana, Gabi and Andrea deal with living in the United States as immigrants. It's not easy for Mariana when she has to live in a country where no one speaks Spanish. One specific scene where it shows the affects of people who speak two different languages and tries to carry a conversation is when Joe sent Mariana and her kids to a motel. Mariana was saying, "I can't pay you tomorrow but I can pay you tomorrow." The woman could not understand what Mariana was trying to say, and they almost ended up not having a place to stay. This is symbolic of how difficult it can be when two different languages collide. It also shows how tough Marian has it. One thing about Mariana is that she reminds me of both Tita and Mama Elena in the film Like Water for Chocolate. When Mariana is telling her kids what to do and demanding them to tell her where they are going when leaving, she is just like Mama Elena because of the authority in her voice and all her demands. She is like Tita because she hugs her kids and tells them she loves them. Tita has done that with her niece, nephew, and some of her sisters. Mama Elena has never done that with her kids.The performance in this film was extremely well done by Paola Mendoza. Throughout the film the viewer can see and feel her emotions. Paola Mendoza's strength came out in this film especially in the scene when Mariana, Gabi and Andrea had to sleep at the park. The way Paola Mendoza was holding them in her lap and looking down on them showed how protective a mother is when it comes to their children. When the camera zoomed into her face you can see the emotions in her facial expressions. Paola Mendoza did a powerful job displaying how strong single Moms are when taking care of their children.The lighting in the film gave it a more realistic feel. The lighting was symbolic of safety and protection for Mariana and her two children. In certain scenes there were over-head lights being used. The same scene I mentioned above when Mariana was looking down at her children had the light shining above Mariana's head symbolizing that the viewer should mostly focus on her. I felt the light was symbolic of Mariana being her kid's savior and superwoman. She protects them and keeps them safe. Another scene that used overhead lighting was when they were sleeping on the stairs. The lighting keeps them safe. It also makes them look pathetic because they are sleeping on the stairs looking worn out.The wardrobe in the film represented the characters lifestyle. When Mariana, Gabi and Andrea were homeless, their clothing became dirty looking. When they made enough money to support themselves their wardrobe was nicer looking. The clothing they wore when they were homeless created sadness for the audience and sympathy for them. When they weren't struggling anymore the wardrobe they wore created happiness for the audience.The film did have faults. One thing I noticed was that in one scene when Mariana, Gabi and Andrea first met Joe, Gabi was able to tell his Mom everything Joe said when she couldn't understand. However, when they went to the motel, Gabi couldn't tell his Mom what the lady that worked there was saying. If he can speak English why couldn't he speak for his Mom? That part confused me because I thought since Gabi understood what Joes was saying and was able to translate for him maybe he could do the same for the woman that worked at the motel. Then she could understand what Mariana was trying to say.I thought the film was well directed, acted and written. Paola Mendoza really brought to light what its like for an immigrant to live in the U.S. I love how more realistic this film was compared to Like Water for Chocolate. As a matter a fact, the audience can relate to this film. Everything that happened with Mariana and her children working to support themselves is realistic. Like Water for Chocolate was more about magical realism. I would recommend the film to any single moms who are struggling just like Mariana because the film might bring them encouragement to not giving up. I think immigrants would find the film to be interesting. The viewers will not be disappointed with all the emotions that go on in the story because they get the best of both worlds and different moods from this film which is hope, sadness and happiness.

Entre Nos is not a movie that I would have normally chosen to watch on my own but I thoroughly and truly enjoyed it. Although it was not in my own native language, the subtitles made up for that. Paola Mendoza does a wonderful job as both the director and main actress, playing the mother of two young children. After moving to the United States, Mariana and her children take on a number of hardships. They make due by doing menial jobs and eventually finding a place to live after having been evicted from their apartment.This movie exemplifies the problems that people who move to the United States face. Moving to a country where one does not understand the language in any form, written or spoken. Entre Nos also shows what can happen when one's world falls out beneath them and one has to start from essentially nothing. When things do not seem as if they cannot get any worse, they do, and when the viewer wonders how this mother, Mariana, can go on, she manages to.There is not a lot of dialogue in this movie but that is more than made up for by the scenery and use of the camera. When the family is forced out of their home, there is a scene on a stairway where they sleep. There is light shining down on them and Mariana does her best to protect her children. The use of light in this scene allows it to say so much without any dialogue whatsoever.The best thing that can be said about this movie is its depiction of the perseverance of human beings. For what I am assuming was a low budget movie, it is done remarkably well. Mariana makes the best of the situation that she is placed in and she does this the best way that she knows how to at the time. Some of her decisions might be viewed as selfish by some but everything that she does is to protect her children and do right by them at the time. Entre Nos is a movie that showcases what happens if you do not let your situation define who you are and what you will become as a person. It is not a sugarcoated and is a bit dark at times so if one is sensitive to certain parts of life they should take caution before viewing but they would be missing out as it is a movie that is worth watching.

A new life and beginning would be a good start for Mariana and her family, but due to a cheating husband and being a new immigrant life only begins spiraling out of control. After her husband and sole provider moves to Florida to leave his family, Mariana is forced to find work along with her children in order to survive. A true and touching film of a family survival throughout poverty along with a mother's love and determination to give her children the life they rightfully deserve.Mariana (performed by Paola Mendoza) came off as a strong, independent, and caring woman striving to make a life for her family. Gabriel (performed by Sebastian Villada) the son of Mariana throughout the film, developed into a young adult by taking on the responsibilities of his father whom walked out on his family, by working odd jobs and collecting cans to make money for his mother so they could survive. Lastly Andrea (performed by Laura Montana) was thrown into the mix of the family's life in poverty not old enough to understand what is going on.The props, lighting, language, music and acting truly make the film realistic and awakening to watch because the things occurring daily in people's lives. Through this film I personally think poverty is shown as a serious problem to where only the strong and determined survive. The scene with the best lighting was the park scene with the light closing on Mariana while her children are lying on her lap; she looks upward towards heaven which symbolizes how mothers are Godly servants. Personally I think this scene makes the movie which shows how throughout every bad time with faith, life can turn around. The language of the film is an example of an everyday barrier for immigrants coming to the United States, and by having scenes with the actors communicating in Spanish and English it portrays the reality of everyday life. The props with the cans and homeless items in the streets add to the poverty and reality of a life for someone every day. Most of all, the acting truly made the movie. Paola Mendoza having lived this lifestyle once before could act/ relive her once life to make this film a reality. I would recommend this film and The Pursuit of Happiness to anyone who likes the "rags to riches" persona (note not becoming rich). Be cautious of certain scenes and take into consideration that this film was about someone's life and the reality of the scenes may be personal at times, overall great film!