ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW
Victor Araiza
The Signal
While some moviegoers will be heading out to watch the much-anticipated “Gravity” (starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) and “Runner, Runner” (starring Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck), under the radar is the bilingual romantic comedy “Pulling Strings.” This quirky romantic comedy gives viewers a funny look into how karma works between a Mexican mariachi and the American embassy employee who denied him his visa.
Jaime Camil plays the role of Alejandro, a single dad who tries to secure a visa for his young daughter to visit her grandparents in the U.S., but fails to meet the requirements to be approved because he does not own property or make enough money.
Laura Ramsey stars as Rachel, an independent woman moving quickly up the ranks of a government job and has just been promoted to a post in London. Although she’s been living in Mexico City for more than two years, she has been secluded from the food, the people and the culture of Mexico.
“I wanted to play the role so bad,” Ramsey said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “This character is so unique and goes through so many arcs. Just like my character, I learned to love the culture of Mexico … I can’t wait to go back for our big November premiere.”
This independent bilingual film opens more than a month after Eugenio Derbez’s “Instructions Not Included” debuted as the fifth highest-grossing film of the 2013 Labor Day weekend. The same studio behind Derbez’s big hit is hoping its newest production, “Pulling Strings,” can bring in favorable box office numbers.
Be forewarned: the movie features at least 50 percent of the dialogue spoken in Spanish so be prepared to read quite a bit of subtitles if you are not familiar with the language.
“It could get a bit complicated at times,” said director Pedro Pablo Ibarra to The Huffington Post. “It was difficult to give instructions and transmit the emotions to the actors in English. I just told them I needed them to understand me from my heart.”
Even then, the subtitles do not do enough justice to the dialogue spoken, as some phrases do not translate well. The body language does a better job at that, which is why it works having a visual.
As for the production, it is as top-notch as a movie in 2013 can get. The color, lighting and cinematic takes are some of the best filmmaking today has to offer. Unlike a movie like “Gravity” which is virtually all simulated, “Pulling Strings” was filmed entirely in Mexico City, which brings you an authentic feel of the people and the culture of Mexico.
It’s a good choice for date night this weekend and it has a heartwarming ending that speaks to any language and culture.
OFFICIAL TRAILER: