The Astronaut's Wife movie review

All the way from science fiction movies to space research to robots to robonauts, we devour anything with "science." That is why when the chance came up to watch "The Astronaut's Wife," we grabbed the opportunity. Plus, it had two stars that we love: Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron.

Surprisingly enough, even though the movie is about an astronaut, there is really nothing about space. Actually, the real movie begins after Spencer Armacost (played by Johnny Depp) decides to leave NASA after a very tough mission in which for two minutes the spacecraft had lost communication with mission control and the mission was promptly terminated. He decides to work for a private aerospace company in New York.

Jillian (played by Charlize Theron) suspectes something is not "normal" about her husband, especially in light of the fact that his colleague (Nick Cassavetes) on the mission died unexpectedly and his wife (Donna Murphy) committed suicide. Is she just paranoid (and her old mental illness is coming back) or did something really happen to her husband during the spacewalk?

We did not find the plot to be as engaging as we would have liked and so many parts of the plot are so unrealistic. The movie also ends rather quietly (and the process to the end drags on) with no climax, so to speak. Unless you are a big fan of either of the two stars and want to watch it for their great acting alone, this is not a film worth watching. There are better science fiction movies that we like: Stepford Wives and The Day After Tomorrow.

Ginger and Cinnamon movie review

If you are a parent of a teenager, please do watch "Dillo con parole mie" (marketed as "Ginger and Cinnamon" to English speakers). We know that virginity pledge or not, most Americans will lose their virginity in their teens. We might as well help them do it responsibly and safely. But no, the movie is not just about a teenager's desperate attempts to do it just for the heck of it. There is a more complex plot involving her aunt Stefania.

Stefania (played by Stefania Montorsi) has just broken up with her boyfriend Andrea (played by Giampaolo Morelli) when her teenager niece Megghy (Martina Merlino) shows up after lying to her classmates and family about where she was going. She suggests that they both take a trip to the "Isle of Love" in Greece. Among all the cute boys crawling on the planet looking for the same thing, Megghy ends up with Andrea, who also is taking a trip after the breakup to concentrate on his hobby of drawing.

Megghy gets some good lessons in relationships and romance and so does Stefania, who discovers that her real persona is hiding somewhere and must come out.

It ain't a very profound movie (we loved it for its pure entertainment value) but if you love foreign language films and want to learn more about what goes on at the beautiful Greek island of Ios in summer, you will like it. Plus there is some great music on the soundtrack too.

Heaven movie review

When I watched Wisdom (Starring Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore, it is the story of a modern-day Robin Hood who robs banks to help poor Americans), I remember how the two main characters are being chased by cops as they are about to cross into Canada. While you know that they are criminals and broke the law, you also know that they helped a lot of people. You almost wish that they will not be caught. Sadly enough, they do get caught and killed.

In "Heaven" though, the two actors are not caught and do manage to escape. The movie "Heaven" reminds one of "Spanglish" in some ways because the characters speak two languages (English and Italian), which to me is a far better alternative than the ridiculous manner in which the characters in "Memoirs of Geisha" speak.

The movie begins with Philippa Paccard (played by the always-brilliant Cate Blanchett), an English teacher in Italy, who plants a bomb to kill a drug lord. Unfortunately, four innocent people (including two kids) are killed instead. She is arrested and interrogated by the police under the suspicion that she is part of a terrorist group.

One of the cops, who is acting as an interpreter, Filippo (played by Giovanni Ribisi) is instantly attracted to her, particularly when he finds out that she is also the teacher of his kid brother, who always spoke very highly of her. Putting himself at considerable risk, he helps her escape from police custody and they both arrive in Tuscany. For those of us who remember the scenes from "Under The Tuscan Sun," the visuals are memorable.

I was not convinced of the plot in the sense that the two fell in love almost instantly and while she is genuinely sorrow for her act, she does not get any punishment for it. Other than that, it is a beautifully done film with some excellent acting by Blanchett.

Reconstruction movie review

I had never seen a Danish movie before and it took me a while to figure out where the movie was based since the characters talk (in Danish and Swedish) so much about going to Rome. But that was just a small thing. The whole movie is even more intriguing and incomprehensible at times.

"Reconstruction" is a psychological drama involving a mature woman, adultery, and mind-bending events. The plot is simple: A married woman (Aimee, played by Maria Bonnevie) in a sexless marriage to an always-busy writer August (played Krister Henriksson) gets attracted to a younger, passionate man (Alex, played by Nikolaj Lie Kaas) who sees great chemistry in her and has no hesitation in leaving her girlfriend (Simone, also played by Maria Bonnevie). But not everything is so simple and straightforward.

Director Christoffer Boe has made a movie in which if you feel dizzy, consider that normal. It is hard to figure out what is real and what is just the imagination of the characters. For all we know, even some of the charactes may exist only in the mind of the others (August, who is an author, may very well be creating a plot for his new book). The movie is painfully slow and if you don't have the patience of watching the whole thing, better stop sooner rather than later (though if that happens you will probably watch it till the end).

You might even wonder what is the whole point of the movie, but that is not what the director had in mind. In and by itself, almost every minute of the movie is beautifully done and that itself is enough reason to watch. Many reviewers on the web recommend that you watch the movie several times to appreciate all the complexities, but I think if you realize that imaginative people can create a parallel universe and live in it, you will get it. As one reviewer says, "If you like artsy films or films with deep meanings then this may be a good film for you. If you don't really like vague and confusing endings (at first) and are more of a person to watch happy-ending films then this definitely isn't the film for you. And if you aren't open-minded artistically you probably won't like this film either as you will spend most of your time trying to analyze the theme of love in the film while it covers much deeper issues than that."

Spanglish movie review

If you have always "hated" Adam Sandler, I would have called you a friend prior to watching "Spanglish." Any time I got to watch him, I found him so juvenile, almost someone acting like an imbecile. This movie may not make you fall in love with him, but you will agree that a good actor becomes what the story and director wants him to be. In this movie, I have seen him act like an adult for the first time. I just hope that he gets to act in a few more good movies.

"Spanglish" has a special meaning for me because, despite being with Lorena for over 10 years, my Spanish langauge abilities are dismal. While I do get by with my Spanglish, to have a meaningful conversation, I need someone to translate for me.

In this film, however, Adam Sandler (John) and his wife Tea Leoni (Deborah) do pretty good managing a maid Flor Moreno (played by Paz Vega, who for some reasons, kept reminding me of Penelope Cruz), who does not speak English at all.

In no time, she and her charming daughter Cristina become part of a very WASP family. Of course, that means they also become too integrated into the family, something that is not always good to do, because not only the two belong to two different cultures, their social classes are so far apart. It is a great movie to watch as a family, especially if you have language issues within the family.

Please use the Latin Diet Pyramid

Despite the Hispanic paradox, most Hispanics eat those delicious but deadly Latin dishes. The result: obesity and diabetes are widespread among them. That is not the way things used to be. In fact, during my travels to small towns in Latin America, I found that the food was fresher, healthier, and delicious, without the calories. In other words, the Latin people are cooking the wrong way.

Lorena and I have come up with healthier versions of almost all Latin dishes, but a group Latino Nutritional Coalition has put together not only a new Latin Diet Pyramid but has also produced an excellent guide to healthy eating.

While sponsored by food companies, the guide also has some healthy recipes for traditional Latin dishes.

Yes, you can go once in a while to Rosa Mexicano type restaurants, but if you are trying to eat right and be fit, then you will need to make significant changes in your diet.

Please, if you are a Latin person, download the Camino Magico guide for yourself and forward this page to others who might learn something from this guide.