American Gigolo (1980): A Classy Look at Redemption

A movie review on the iconic Paul Schrader film by The Bilingual Observer

Miami Vice (2006): The Flash is Gone

"Miami Vice" is a movie that caught everyone by surprise- including me. It is a complete departure from the stylishness and he posh of the TV show from the 80s. However, even if we set aside the differences in style and mood between the movie and the show, this is an awkward film even by…

Novecento: A Mess in the Midst of a Spectacle

There are, at least, two names in this movie from 1976 that would attract any die-hard moviegoer of nowadays: director Bernardo Bertolucci ("The Conformist" (1970), "The Last Emperor"(1987))and actor Robert de Niro (no need to mention some of his films, I believe). In words of the former "'1900' is a socialist 'Gone with the Wind.'"…

Robocop (1987): The Future is Here

Moviegoers of nowadays might find particularly interesting to know that British director Ken Russell ("The Devils"(1971)), once declared that "Robocop"(1987) was, in his opinion, the best sci-fi movie ever made since Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" (1926). This may sound like an overstatement for many. However, if you take a close look at Russell's highly subversive vision…

Willy Toledo and the Red Church

On a breezy afternoon in May, actors Guillermo Toledo and Alberto San Juan were sitting on the stage of the Centro Pastoral San Carlos Borromeo, which is better known as Iglesia Roja (‘’The Red Church’’) for its affiliations with marginalized groups and its interesting track record of serving as the speakerphone for extreme leftist groups…

The Catalonian Affair

There is something oddly troubling about the notion that has been whipped up recently by the Catalan separatist movement, and it's its relentless, almost vitriolic attempt to pass off as a matter of civil liberty what should only be considered as an affair that essentially pertains to the basic principle of upholding national laws. Spain's…

Don Jon: The Story of Someone You Know

Every person is complex once you scratch their surface and expose them to a possibility of change to form a better version of himself or herself. Up until that point, one may well be an egotistical bum with some pretty primary urges and live a basic and simple life. The heart of the matter is…

El césped del otro parece más verde

Desde que volví a Madrid después de haber vivido en Nueva York durante catorce años, me he visto afrentado por el mismo dilema: no he sabido - o he tenido dificultades para- calibrar si debía expresar mis opiniones sobre determinados temas en inglés o en español. El hecho de que vivo en España y de…

Job Searching on LinkedIn

LinkedIn can be a great tool for job hunting. Anyone can have an account there, but it is more useful if you belong in a certain career type (like office jobs) or if you already have some professional experience - recent graduates may not find much room for self-promotion. Its main appeal lies in the…

Identity: Defining Yourself

In Anglo cultures (particularly in the US) you are very often asked where you are from — not necessarily because you may happen to have an accent, but because it's a question that is almost naturally embedded in casual conversation, right along with "what do you do for a living?". So, where you come from…