A much-talked-about but little-seen quirky romantic comedy is joined by two superstars in virtually unknown movies are all being released Tuesday, Oct. 30.
It’s one thing to say that Latinos are making inroads in all aspects of Hollywood–if, in fact, they are–but it’s something entirely different to see it in front of you. But here we are on October 30, and two of the best-known Latino actors working today, along with one of the brightest rising stars, are proving the point. The only problem is…very few movie-lover will notice.
The best-known of the new releases is Safety Not Guaranteed starring Aubrey Plaza. Aubrey’s made a big impression on a lot of people with her ensemble work in NBC’s Parks and Recreation; now she’s getting a chance to do a deeper and ultimately more positive riff on the same sullen character in Safety, a story about a cynical young reporter who is assigned to cover a man who swears he’s making a time machine, and has her life changed in the bargain.
Meanwhile, you’ll find actress/producer Salma Hayek in Americano, Mathieu Demy’s directorial debut. This deeply moving drama is both an homage to Demy’s famous parents, filmmakers Agnès Varda and Jacques Demy, and a work that stands entirely on its own–a story about inheritance and legacy that deftly mines the past of this true-life filmmaking family, in a fictional narrative about coming to terms with unattended grief and uncomfortable pasts.
And finally, Antonio Banderas makes an appear in Zoe Kazan’s strange little romantic comedy Ruby Sparks, when a novelist with writers block creates the ‘perfect’ female character…who then comes to life. Kazan, the granddaughter of legendary director Elia Kazan and two highly accomplished writers, Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord, and she’s made movies with her long-timer boyfriend Paul Dano (Looper) for years. This time Banderas is part of the ensemble cast, which also includes Annette Bening and Aasev Mandvi of The Daily Show.
Why Americano and Ruby Sparks never got significant theatrical releases–not even the film-festival recognition that Safety received–may be a matter of quality, the pig-headedness of distributors, or just the nature of medium-sized film in 2012. What’s fascinating, of course, is the role that Latino Hollywood is playing at every level…including the production of films you’ve never even heard of before.
