The first time watching this trailer 'Material Girls' came to mind. The trailer mirrored each element of drags from riches and I imagined how these girls would survive the former. I anticipated a change of cast to reform a theory that could be portrayed differently on screen. The trailer was misleading. The movie went beyond the Prada and you soon forget that they had nothing.
Nora and Mary are sisters, quite different from each other. When the synopsis makes mention to two spoiled sisters, Nora seems far from that label. They were given everything they wanted, yet Nora chose to fight for what she believed in by becoming a lawyer. Mary became the stereotyped version of the spoiled and riches story. When she lost everything, she struggled to hold on to what was. It wasn't clearly mentioned, but Nora portrayed herself as the eldest and most ambitious.
The film then crosses parallels by making references to Mexican culture and traditions as Mary tried to embrace that side of her culture. Nora focused on her fight. Camilla Belle played Nora as a strong focused young woman that faced her problems. Her sometimes expressionless moments and subtle gestures set her apart from her sister. At certain points there was difficulty connecting these two girls as sisters because of their differences, but they still found ways to connect.
Time overlapped frequently and the pace was barely one you could keep up with. The emotions did not match up evenly. The audience would be disconnected from the romance this film tried to capture. Mary's obsession to leave her new home drove her to an overambitious TA who took advantage of her desperation. It would have been a solid had this TA been reprimanded for taking Mary for granted. Having his wife leave him in that final scene before Mary's accident would have been the cherry on top. Alas Mary and Nora found happiness, but the main theme was lost. What was truly gained in the end? Was Nora ever successful with her own law practice? Was love the original plan this film set out to achieve in the end? What was in those letters for their step brother? While this film did achieve a solid theme and overall solid storytelling, I had hoped for more. It however left some unanswered questions behind.
Nora and Mary are sisters, quite different from each other. When the synopsis makes mention to two spoiled sisters, Nora seems far from that label. They were given everything they wanted, yet Nora chose to fight for what she believed in by becoming a lawyer. Mary became the stereotyped version of the spoiled and riches story. When she lost everything, she struggled to hold on to what was. It wasn't clearly mentioned, but Nora portrayed herself as the eldest and most ambitious.
The film then crosses parallels by making references to Mexican culture and traditions as Mary tried to embrace that side of her culture. Nora focused on her fight. Camilla Belle played Nora as a strong focused young woman that faced her problems. Her sometimes expressionless moments and subtle gestures set her apart from her sister. At certain points there was difficulty connecting these two girls as sisters because of their differences, but they still found ways to connect.
Time overlapped frequently and the pace was barely one you could keep up with. The emotions did not match up evenly. The audience would be disconnected from the romance this film tried to capture. Mary's obsession to leave her new home drove her to an overambitious TA who took advantage of her desperation. It would have been a solid had this TA been reprimanded for taking Mary for granted. Having his wife leave him in that final scene before Mary's accident would have been the cherry on top. Alas Mary and Nora found happiness, but the main theme was lost. What was truly gained in the end? Was Nora ever successful with her own law practice? Was love the original plan this film set out to achieve in the end? What was in those letters for their step brother? While this film did achieve a solid theme and overall solid storytelling, I had hoped for more. It however left some unanswered questions behind.