El Viaje de Carol

Finally, a warm-fuzzy film! This was easy to watch, even more without subtitles. I was very much into the film because I could focus on the scenes, plot and action instead of reading the words. You could probably fill in the dialogue for the majority of the film.
Carol and her mother Aurora were traveling to Spain to visit with Aurora's family. Carol seemed to be very mature, relating to adults better than children her own age. But she was somewhat cautious too. She would stay at a distance to observe people and situations.
Aurora's family was divided over the war. Her brother-in-law was pro-Franco, whereas her father was anti-Franco. Carol seemed to fit in with the other children in the family. Including the mute worker, helping her to learn English.
After losing her mother she became very close to her grandfather. She didn't like staying with her Aunt and eventually returned to live with her grandpa. She was not happy about having to go to Catholic church and made a deal with the priest so she could control what she wore to the first communion. I liked that she went against the rules. It showed how strong she really was.
Her relationship with Tomi was adorable and helpful to both of them. They seemed like lost souls thrown together. They were both innocent but trying to be strong. Together they were amazing. They could get things done like mailing the letter to Carol's Dad Robert. In America, all Carol had to do to send mail was put it in the mailbox. In Spain she had to pay someone to secretly take the letter. She had seen her mother do the very same thing on the night a messenge came with a letter from Robert.
I couldn't understand why Carol dressed like a boy. Her mother definitely dressed feminine. I would guess it was because she idolized her father so much.
There were times I wish I knew what they were saying, like when Carol and Aurora were eating together and Carol left the table. Also when Carol and Tomi were in the bell tower talking about Carol's father and sharing her scrapbook.
I am hoping in the end, Carol and her grandpa are heading to America to live with her father Robert.

Volver

This film was one of the best so far in this class. It was easier to watch than some, but there was still a lot of mystery.
In the beginning, the cleaning of the gravesites was a little different. We may clean off the graves when we visit our loved ones, just not to that level. It is done out of respect. I'm thinking that was one of the superstitious acts. The women Raimunda and her sister Soledad along with Raimunda's daughter Paula visited with their senile Aunt Paula. They thought she was crazy because she told them that their mother Irene had been caring for her, when Irene had supposedly been killed in a fire as well as their father a few years ago. Their is a superstition that the "east wind" in the town causes people to be insane. A woman across the street, Augustina, also looks out for Aunt Paula. Her mother had been missing since the fire and she had been trying to find out whether her mother is alive or dead. After the women returned home, Paco, Raimunda's husband, told her he lost his job. After work the next day, Paula met Raimunda at the bus stop and told her she stabbed Paco to death after he tried to molest her. While they are hiding the body, they find out Aunt Paula had passed away. While attending Aunt Paula's funeral, Soledad, thinks she sees her mother's spirit and runs away. There is also a superstition the the dead return to their loved ones to finish any business that was left undone. After returning home, Soledad finds out her mother is alive after all and happens to be in the trunk of her car. At first Irene hides from Raimunda because they did not get along in the past. Eventually, Raimunda finds out about her mother and they patch things up. Irene apologizes for allowing Raimunda's father to rape and impregnate her. Raimunda and her daughter almost had this same thing happen, but it was caught before things turned worse. The women of this family came together at last and were even stronger for the all the incidents that had happened in their lives. They all succeeded without being weak, without men, and with the help of each other. This is why the film is considered a tribute to women. Women are a lot tougher than they think.

Guantanemera

This was a busy, but interesting film. There was a lot going on, but overall it was pretty good. It was good to see yet another aspect of Hispanic culture known as the Cuban culture. From the very beginning the strong family ties of these cultures were apparent with Gina's Aunt Yoyita coming to visit and then quickly dying. The family and Yoyita's lost love, Candido, all worked together under Adolfo's never-ending scrutiny to get her to her hometown for burial. Not that Adolfo was a caring family member, it was strictly business for him. Apparently, machismo is in every culture, including the U.S. Adolfo was a prime example as was Mariano, who was once Gina's student. Although he had a crush on her once, he hadn't exactly been behaving in the years since he left school. He was very busy with many different women all through Cuba. He was also a "hustler" who made money any chance he got. Food was shown once again as a way of bringing people closer, like at the cafe on the road, and with the food for the "grieving". It seems that in the hispanic culture anywhere there is always someone who you know or your family knows that is available to help with food or a place to stay. The Cuban culture doesn't seem to take marriages seriously. Ramon was explaining to Mariano that he needed to settle down with one woman he can go home to, but keep all the women he wants on the road. It's no wonder why Ramon needed to "bless" his truck before traveling! On the road trip, you could see the rationing of food, coffee, rum, and fuel. And the need to only take dollars.
Is anyone else humming "Guantanemera"?

Cathy Matthews The Official Story

At the start of the film, you see a well-adjusted, curious, energetic little girl named Gaby taking a bath and singing while her mother is close by. It appears that this is a very happy family. And it is at least superficially. As long as secrets are kept just that, secret.
Gaby is a 4 year old little girl who is unbeknownst to her adopted. Adopted secretly be her father Roberto. Only he knows the secrets involved in the adoption. Alicia, her mother, was commanded by Roberto to not be involved with the adoption and to never bring it up again. That was the deal they made so Alicia who couldn't have children would finally be a mother.
Gaby was a very happy but also curious child. I loved how she asked so many questions. And good questions too for her age. She loved her parents with all her heart. But she wasn't aware of all that went on with them.
At her 5th birthday party, although she was having fun at first, I think the kids her age bored her. And the big kids scared her with their war games. Although I don't think Gaby was actually aware of the war and protests going on around her, I do think she could have been traumatized at birth. She just didn't seem to like loud noise, which she wasn't used to.
When Alicia started thinking about Gaby's background, she changed all together. She let her hair down and was warming up to her students. She was usually very cold and strict. It was like her emotions broke through and she had feelings again.
Alicia was a loving mother to Gaby but when she thought about her parents, she just couldn't live with it. After making the decision to look into finding Gaby's parents and meeting her possible grandmother, Alicia began making her plan.
Gaby was doing fine not knowing the truth about her adoption and her parents. Would you say Alicia and Roberto were lying to her? I don't think so. Gaby being who she was, I think she would have been fine knowing about her past.
I think that the end of the film was symbolic with Gaby rocking in the chair waiting for her parents to come and get her. She was not aware that the life she once knew would never be the same again. The same thing happened to Alicia when she was young, waiting for her parents at her grandparents home, not knowing that her parents were killed in an accident and were not coming home again.
That said, I think there is nothing but hope for Gaby because of who she is. She will be okay with anything that comes her way. She is already stronger at 5 than some adults are ever going to be!