Between Us (2009)

Sorry, this movie sucks

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

This movie is low budget, no known actors, no big advertising ...or any for that matter....and it's absolutely great!yes it's sad, even seemingly tragic. I grew up very poor and it was really tough for me to watch because it made me relive a time of my life when I was a kid that I just rather forget. It's believable because stuff like this actually happens all the time everyday. You find yourself saying "oh no, don't go there" or " Oh no what are they going to do now?" a lot in this movie. Just when you think things are getting better...something else goes wrong. At times you just find yourself telling the TV ..... "no don't that!" It really is worth a watch. lucky for me I know Spanish so it makes it a bit better, but even if you don't it's no biggie. If you 're a "real" movie fan, this is a must see.

The story told in "Entre nos" is one that crosses cultures around the world therefore resulting in a gripping and heart-wrenching movie. A mother of two is reunited in Queens, New York with her husband. Mariana and her kids are new to the United States from Colombia and speak barely any English and therefore Mariana has not established herself as a self-sufficient individual and thus her family relies entirely upon her husband to support their family. However, he takes off for Miami in search of a job, insisting upon leaving Mariana behind with the children. It takes a depressing and anger-engendering amount of time for her husband to decide he no longer wants to be anchored by the burden of his family, and ceases to send money to his wife and children. Soon they are evicted and forced to sleep in parks and dumpster diving for cans to earn enough money everyday for food. The remarkability of Mariana's story is her bravery and the unwavering love she shows her children and her oldest child shows her. Forgiveness and patience toward each other comes easily amidst some of the most trying of circumstances imaginable for a family. The characters in this movie are ones worth emulating, and there is an abundance of loving traits audiences can and ought to garner from the story.

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.