Who says Latinos aren’t making it into feature films? This week and next you can see (or sometimes just hear) some of the best-known actors in Latino Hollywood, doing everything from animation to action/adventure to cracked comedies to challenging indie films.
Edward James Olmos 2 Guns
The Smurfs 2 just opening (on Wednesday, July 31), and you don’t have to listen too hard to catch the voices of Sofía Vergara, George Lopez, and Mario Lopez.
The big news this weekend is likely to be the funny, action-packed cop-and-crime-based shoot-em-up 2 Guns, starring (among others, it’s true) Edward James Olmos in a stand-out role, and Edgar Arreola and other Latinos offering solid support.
Christian Camargo Europa Report
A lesser-known independent science fiction film has been making some waves in its own niche as well: Europa Report, directed by Sebastián Cordero, and starring (among others) Christian Camargo. Opens Friday, August 2.
Andre Royo
The Spectacular Now
Andre Royo is part of the cast in the touching family film The Spectacular Now, also opening Friday, August 2. The sweet tale of teenage romance was written by the same name that gave us (500) Days of Summer, another charming indie hit.
More animation? Listen for Raul Anaya as the voice of Don Gato (voice) in director Alberto Mar’s reboot of that Hanna Barbera classic, Top Cat, hitting theaters Friday August 2.
Luis Guzmán We’re The Millers
Then early next week, on Wednesday August 7, Luis Guzmán steels the show on We’re the Millers, the demented road picture with Jennifer Anniston and Jason Sudeikis. A good chunk of the film takes place south of the border with plenty of Latino character actors taking hilarious turns, but Guzmán–as always–seems to be the standout.
Chris Noth, Bobby Cannavale
and Hank Azaria Lovelace
…and the next Friday, August 9, there’s Carlos Alazraqui and Gabriel Iglesias providing voices for Planes, Pixar’s spin-off of Cars…Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Talisa Soto, Jose Pablo Cantillo, and Wagner Moura in the new Matt Damon, Jodi Foster sci-fi flip-out Elysium…and the hot-as-a-pistol Bobby Cannavale in the huge cast of Lovelace, the tragic story of a woman headlong fall into the porn industry.
Alice Braga Elysium
In years past, this time of the summer was fairly quiet, with the last big films of the season waiting for Labor Day Weekend or later. Not so this year…and there’s more to come, for film lovers in general and Latinos in particular.
