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Michael Peña and Rosa Salazar. © 2023 Amazon MGM Studios and Select Films. Directed by Alejandra Marquez Abella.
Early Screening
Dreams Can Take You Outer-Space I had no expectations going into this film. The only thing I knew about this film was that Michael Peña was going to star in the film. After seeing the film and also rewatching to analyze the authentic Mexican representation on-screen, this is one of the most surprising films of this year. Easily a crowd-pleaser of a film and I'm shocked that this was dumped on Prime and not in theaters. This could've been an easy contender for small film awards. This film is electrifying from start to finish and it's easily an emotional film, especially for Latino viewers. Let's head to the NASA space center and shutter off to outer space! Story: A biopic about Jose Hernandez and his path from a farm worker to becoming an engineer and an astronaut. A tale of perseverance, community, and sacrifice to accomplish a seemingly impossible dream. If you want to go into this film with an open mind, I recommend going in blind. This is a beautiful small biopic Latino film that we haven't seen in almost a decade since Cesar Chavez (2014). A simple biopic with heart and emotional weight. Plus, the film is funnier than I thought. A lot of Hispanics will recognize some of the visual and verbal comedy elements but what struck me the most is its authentic representation. I haven't seen this type of true simple Mexican-American representation in a film for a long time. From Jose (Michael Peña) working in the fields to becoming a NASA astronaut. It's a beautiful and heartwarming story about succeeding and pushing yourself to reach that goal. Seeing this from a Hispanic perspective really makes this story authentic. Director Alejandra Marquez Abella brought a rich screenplay that gives depth not just to Jose, but his journey and his family all around him. Every person in his family from his wife to his elementary teacher, really helped him move forward and the execution of those elements really worked. Plus, the film subverted my expectations by avoiding its use of biopic cliches and other small tropes that could have held back the authenticity of the film. The creative vision is seen throughout with a unique camera and acting direction. Abella uses those crucial moments as a breather while still giving emotional weight and checkpoint on Jose's journey. The night conversation scene with the creative VFX graphics on-screen was the best scene in the film. That scene really was a personal reflection for me on my career as a filmmaker and critic, and I was emotionally invested in the rest of Jose's journey from there.
The performances are fantastic in this film including Michael Peña and Rosa Salazar. I really loved their dynamic and chemistry as these real-life people and it felt very authentic. Each of the characters that Jose helped him in his life have their own moments and it's refreshing for the protagonist to reconnect with the people who helped me throughout his journey. The story also isn't sugarcoated which allows the pacing to flow even better and get to scene after scene. Some scenes feel fast yet it has weight and importance to the overall story. For a two-hour runtime film, it flew by quickly but I was enjoying it throughout. Funny enough, I saw with a crowd of student filmmakers and they were hooked on some of the emotional, funny, and redeeming moments of the film. Watching this with other student filmmakers made the viewing experience more fun. It was a heartful experience to see this story play out and I felt like there were barely any crumbs with its story. Especially with its Mexican representation of this story, there was real care and thought into it.
The technical production of this film is also very well constructed with its time period progression. Plus, by bringing the authentic Mexican representation on-screen, the set design really captured the Mexican traditions and lifestyle of Jose and his wife Adela. The major stronghold through the set design is being on-location which makes the journey feel lived in. It was really cool to see the NASA facilities in the film and it gives authenticity to the story through technical filmmaking. The cinematography is also very great with a lot of interesting lighting and color decisions during pivotal moments. Some shots reminded me of older 90s films due to the framing and lighting. You can easily tell that the vision was alive through the cinematography alone. I also liked the song choices in this film and it made me smile and gave me literal goosebumps hearing it through transition sequences or emotional scenes. Plus, it wasn't overused and it was used at the right moments. The editing here is also very solid with its calm yet fast flow of the film's pacing. Overall, the production of this film was very well constructed with care behind this project. There aren't many flaws with this film but this is by no means a perfect film. The film follows a simple tradition with its biopic storytelling. Nothing too crazy with its portrayal of this story but the authentic representation really sells this movie well. Nothing too critical with this film and I'm happy it was told in an authentic yet engaging true story. Watching this film was a joy from start to finish. The authentic Mexican representation on-screen really captivated Jose's story and with the great performance from Peña, it struck my emotions heavily. The film is well written with great pacing, unique direction, and overall, an engaging and captivating story that should be looked at. This is a perfect film to watch with your family and if you are Latino, you will immediately be hooked right when the film starts.
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Vizeit Score: "A-"
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Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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