Maldeamores (2007)

Excellent but underrated film

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Blistering performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

To go and say that this movie was a love story is being ethereal to the most delicate degree. This movie was many things as it unfolds with a rich sense of captivity. Taking the viewer on a ride that only a Puerto Rican can plot out (The cast is enriched with Puerto Ricans). It took a few deep breaths to fully digest the amount of dissonant dialogue, by all means it was bearable but at times it was shocking. No one can write this type of storytelling. Obviously Carlito Ruiz Ruiz got it right with precision. The film explores love on it's most obverse levels, by exploring love throughout age, rage, immense tragedy, psychosis, and of course humor. These different palettes create an exuberant amount of depth, body, and twisted sense of the word. It is definitely a family oriented film with so many references to Puerto Rican culture that you just want to throw some 'chanclas' on and hit the 'playa'. The themes of ancestry are doused with gasoline and set ablaze with trepidation. You feel what it's like to a part of the inner circle. The problematic circle is not that love is reciprocal but that the action exists and we cannot coexist if that understanding is discernible. A true gem amongst Latin gems. I hold this film in high accord with Innaritu's masterpieces.

What we have here is a revelation. A dark little comedy from the island nation of Puerto Rico. 'Maldeamores' (or Lovesickness,as it's being called in the U.S.). Maldeamores is a smart little comedy with a dark centre to it. The film is directed by Carlitos Ruiz,and has Benicio Del Toro as it's executive producer (a good sign),and has a cast of familiars from the island (some of which are veterans). It concerns love, and it's effect on those who fall under it's spell. It reminded me a lot of the earthy comedy's from Italy (especially the ones from Lina Wertmuller). A bit of a search may be in order to see this film, as it's being distributed by a rather small U.S. distributor.

This is definitely one of the best Puertorican movies ever made. I love it so much, I've seen it twice on theaters. It shows the worst in love but you can't help but enjoy it. I'm sure only a Puertorican can truly love this film but it's a movie for everyone, so don't miss out on it. Besides I'm curious about what a non Puertorican has to say about it.For those of you interested here is a link to the trailer(you'll have to copy/paste it):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kqNGq1VVX4This film does have English subtitles, unlike the man of a previous review, I know see has been removed, said.

I had the enormous privilege of seeing this film at the Tribeca film festival this past Monday, April 30th 2007 and I cannot stress enough how wonderful this film is. The film itself centers on 3 story lines that focus on love as their central theme. Not just love, but love at different stages in a person's life. To say the least co-directors Carlitos Ruiz Ruiz and Mariem Perez Riera elaborate and handle all three stories with amazing ability. Being a puertorrican myself just recently "transplanted" from Puerto Rico to NYC I can say this is the best puertorrican film that has come out of my home country in years! I am not saying this just because this is a puertorrican film, but because it is truly great. I myself am not a big fan of puertorrican films because they tend to be too talkative and have a somewhat theatrical aesthetic to them. Its interesting to see how this aesthetic seems to be changing in recent films and especially this one. The dialogue is sharp and doesn't expose more than is necessary (which tends to be a problem of past films), and the camera work is eloquent and perfectly suited to the stories being told. The time the director spent away from Puerto Rico (recieved his BFA in Film Direction from the Art Institute in Chicago and is also an international commercial advertisement director) clearly shows through the movie, as he is able to present such a heartfelt slice of what it means to be a puertorrican born and raised on the island with the eloquence that not even Jacobo Morales could in his films. I guess you need to be away from your country for awhile in order to be able to create such a beautiful work that clearly feeds off the memories we take with us wherever our paths may take us. Carlitos y Mariem you have made Puerto Rico very proud! Pa'lante!