On Vida’s (laptop) Screen: ‘Casi Divas’ (Almost Divas)
As part of my efforts to get over whatever illness plagued me for most of November, I spent one lazy evening watching the Mexican movie, ‘Casi Divas‘ (Almost Divas.) (Side note: My other main defense against my flu-like symptoms was bowls and bowls of the Vietnamese soup, pho. Order a bowl of this soup, filled with clear broth, rice noodles, and meat of your choice, and I swear that you, too, will feel better in no time.)
But back to ‘Casi Divas.’ I thought it was just going to be another movie about four young women who participate in a national contest to become the next leading lady of the popular telenovela, “Maria Enamorada.” But I was truly surprised – and actually found this movie to be extremely enjoyable, thanks to the richness of its main characters, who all deal with contemporary social issues.
The film follows four young women, each of who has her own compelling reason to participate in the contest, and win the role of Maria Enamorada. There’s Francisca, who encounters racism after she travels from her mountain village in Oaxaca to Mexico City to participate in the contest; Catalina, a factory worker from Juarez, who hopes to use the contest to rescue her female friends from their dangerous city; Yesenia, a colorful hair dresser from Mexico City with an interesting past; and Ximena, a rich, blonde from Guadalajara.
“Casi Divas” opened in Mexico in 2008, (I think) the movie opened in select U.S. cities in August, and I’m sure you can find it now at Blockbuster, on Netflix, or through On Demand. It’s part reality television (who is going to be the next Maria Enamorada?), part social commentary, and part telenovela – and I highly recommend watching it!
