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Wednesday, June 21, 2006
I'll say it...I thought Nacho Libre was funny and endearing. I liked the Mexico setting and all the St. Franceses of Assisi. I liked the little kids. I liked the luchadores and the nun and the skinny guy and the explanation for Jack Black looking so white. It made me laugh and, I'll admit it, one part made me cry.
And it's getting a lot of bad reviews. This reminds me of when I saw Napoleon Dynamite and liked it, and not only did it get a lot of bad reviews, but people said it was full of racial stereotyping. That annoyed me. I guess they meant racial stereotypes of white people? Like "White people like FFA"? Because, as a Latina, I don't know any stereotypes about Mexicans running for class president or shaving their heads.
I was expecting Nacho Libre to get the same accusations, since it's set in Mexico. But I thought a lot of it looked really authentic. I liked that they used real Mexicans (except for Jack Black) and didn't do the asinine Spanish phrase translation that anyone else would have done.
Mostly, though, I liked the little kids. I think Jack Black has realized just what people will take from him: he needs to balance himself with cute kids, and he can be paired with a pretty romantic interest, as long as we don't have to see him kiss her. (See: School of Rock.)
Maybe I'm just lowbrow. But if y'all see Nacho Libre and like it, let me know.
Labels: culture, pop culture
1:11 PM #Comments:
Oh Gwen, I saw this on Sunday with my sister, and our greet when we call each other over the phone is 'I think my friend and I are ready to go prooooooooo'Hilarious movie! LOVED IT. And I'm not very fond of the new comedy movies out there.
But this one? Perhaps because it reminded me of the touring of South of Mexico our grandma would take us to during summer time in our childhood I found myself remembering about the good times.
And that 'Encarnacion' song. Jeebus.
# posted by
LC : 2:16 PM
Hi Gwen- I know at least one of the actors in Nacho Libre wasn't from Mexico, my brother-in-law (Richard Montoya) played the monk with the funny little moustache that was always giving Jack Black a hard time, I thought the movie, espcially the kids, was very sweet and funny, and of course we were proud of Richard for being in the #2 movie last weekend.
# posted by
jake : 10:34 PM
Hi Gwen- I know at least one of the actors in Nacho Libre wasn't from Mexico, my brother-in-law (Richard Montoya) played the monk with the funny little moustache that was always giving Jack Black a hard time, I thought the movie, espcially the kids, was very sweet and funny, and of course we were proud of Richard for being in the #2 movie last weekend.
# posted by
jake : 10:35 PM
DUH! I really hate it when I hit that button twice!
# posted by
jake : 10:36 PM
Hi Gwen,
I haven't seen Nacho Libre, but I did see School of Rock a while back and liked it. I think your right he needs to be surounded by cute kids, and needs to be seen being nice to them so we can excuse his idiocy as well he's just a great big kid.
Janice~
# posted by
Janice : 11:05 PM
I, too, loved this film. It's so funny how his buddy is always eating corn.
I saw all the bad reviews too, but I don't really care anymore. Most of the movies that have received an Oscar aren't as great as the make them out to be.
# posted by
La Brown Girl : 12:42 AM
I saw it and liked it. It made me laugh. I especially liked the skinny friend.
I only went to see it because I was hot and nothing else was playing, but it surprised me. It was sweet.
# posted by
kate : 7:22 AM
As soon as you mentioned Napoleon Dynamite I was like, OK I'm going to see Nacho Libre! AND I loved School of Rock. So what if it's low-brow, it's FUNNY and there's not enough laughter in the world right now. I'll post my "review" soon.
# posted by
Tanya : 3:39 PM
LC: Thank you. Right?? It made me think of Monterrey and Real de Catorce.
Jake: Awesome! Man, I bet y'all were proud. He was funny in it, too. Tell him he cracked us up and good luck on his future movies.
Janice: Run, don't walk, to see it now, please.
BBGirl: The corn! I know, that was so effing hilarious. "Get that corn away from me!"
Kate: I'm glad you said that because I secretly loved the skinny friend very much.
Tanya: Awesome. Can't wait to read it.
# posted by
Gwen : 7:51 PM
Saw it over the weekend... it was funny and worth my admission price. That's how I judge movies anymore... did I walk out feeling cheated or was I entertained enough to justify the $7.00+?
Geez, I'm turning into my dad...
# posted by
R.T. Lemur : 9:09 AM
Saw it last night with my son, what a CRACK UP. We love Jack Black and when he tightened his ass up in those stretchy pants I spewed popcorn all over the neck of the guy in front of me laughing so hard.
Sorry, but sad to say, I cried all through Napoleon Dynamite. I felt sooooooooooooooo bad for even sitting there, it was so accurate of those type of people that I felf humiliated the world over for them. Like laughing at retards. Like tripping people with canes. Like mimicing walking like a hunchback when you see one on the street. I kept expecting my Mom to pull my ear half off and say "What are YOU laughing at?!!"
I did the same way back when during "Whats eating Gilbert Grape"
# posted by
pixielyn : 9:45 AM
I loved, loved this movie! I think it helps if you get the cultural nuance. That sounds kinda stupid to use the word nuance with Jack Black! But really, hes kinda sexy in those stretchee pants!
# posted by
Andreia : 9:53 AM
Oh Gwen,
I LOVED that movie - but not nearly as much as my husband did. He was laughing sooo loud - you could hear him over the entire theater of kids. It was a thing of beauty and a joy to behold - especially when he was still laughing...two days...later.
# posted by
Meepers : 7:53 PM
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