Adriana Barraza

  • 06 July 2007

Occupation

Actor

The 33 Trailer

For most people in the modern world, they don't need to think about the consequences of modern day living, it's hard to think that people still need to mine land physically and often in treacherous conditions. In 2010 the world was reminded of just how risky that job can be.

When a 100+ year-old copper & gold mine in Chile suffers considerable damage to the shaft due to a cave-in, the world's news is quick to report the disaster. All life was thought to be lost and there was little hope of finding survivors, however deep inside the mine, a group of 33 men were fighting for survival. As the world learnt of their battle for survival, the onlookers could only imagine the tribulations the men inside faced. Main communication with the outside world was from one miner called Mario who was affectionately named 'super Mario', thanks to his videos, he could relay information to the support crew telling them about the men's wellbeing and progress.

Director Patricia Riggen's The 33 was filmed with the cooperation of the miners and tells their story from 700 meters underground. The 33 is Patricia Riggen's first major directorial role, though in 2012 she shot Girl In Progress starring Eva Mendes.

Cake Review

By Rich Cline

Very Good

Jennifer Aniston delivers an Oscar-calibre performance in this rather over-worked drama, which tries to emphasise heavy-handed metaphors more than the characters themselves. But it's an involving personal odyssey thanks to Aniston's honest acting, and Daniel Barnz's sensitive direction manages to dodge most of the script's more glaring pitfalls.

Aniston plays Claire, a woman who has been in continual pain, both emotional and physical, following the car accident that claimed the life of her young son. Revelling in her bitter sarcasm, she has alienated her husband (Chris Messina), driven her physiotherapist (Mamie Gummer) to despair and so enraged her therapy leader (Felicity Huffman) that she's been thrown out of the group. The only person who patiently sticks by her side is her maid/assistant Silvana (Adriana Barazza), and she's beginning to waver. Then Nina (Anna Kendrick), a therapy-group member, commits suicide, making Claire question why she's still bothering to be alive. There has to be a spark of hope there, and she decides to stalk Nina's single-dad widower Roy (Sam Worthington) for answers.

While the premise seems to set up the usual story about two damaged souls healing each other, the story thankfully doesn't go down that tired route. Instead, Patrick Tobin's script keeps the interaction prickly and unexpected, even as it layers in so much symbolism that it becomes rather exhausting. Claire's physical scarring is clearly indicative of something deeper, as is her array of cruel defence mechanisms. Thankfully, Aniston plays these scenes with a mixture of black comedy and aching sadness that makes the character thoroughly involving and only slightly likeable. Her interaction with Barraza is the heart of the film, beautifully played because their connection remains mainly unspoken. By contrast, Worthington feels almost superfluous; he sharply matches Aniston's cynicism, but is too nice to register very strongly.

Continue reading: Cake Review

Cake Trailer

Claire Bennett is struggling to get through day-to-day life despite her buffet of pills, one-on-one medical support and the Women's Chronic Pain Support Group she regularly attends. She is forced to cope with the heart-breaking break-up of her relationship but becomes deeply obsessed with the suicide of Nina Collins, another woman from the support group. In a bid to learn more about her death and, indeed, her life, she persuades the group leader to pass on Nina's address. It's then she meets her widower Roy with whom she strikes up a significant relationship, with both of them dealing with the loss of a loved one and their own brand of chronic pain. Meanwhile, Claire frequently experiences hallucinations of Nina, who slowly draws her towards normality and, perhaps, a happier life.

Continue: Cake Trailer

Thor Trailer

Odin is one of the main gods on the planet of Asgard, when his son Thor acts naively and brings bring chaos in their peace-loving world he tells Thor he's unworthy, casts him out and revokes all his godly powers.

Continue: Thor Trailer

Rage Trailer

Watch the trailer for Rage

Continue: Rage Trailer

Drag Me To Hell Trailer

Watch the trailer for Drag me To Hell

Continue: Drag Me To Hell Trailer

Luke Wilson and Adriana Barraza - Luke Wilson and Adriana Barraza Los Angeles, California - Los Angeles Premiere of 'Henry Poole Is Here' held at the ArcLight Cinema - Arrivals Thursday 7th August 2008

Babel Review

By Chris Barsanti

Weak

The Bible gives us the story of the tower of Babel, the magnificently tall structure whose height was deemed offensive and impertinent by God. To punish humanity for its architectural hubris, God then decided to drive a linguistic wedge between the nations of the world, who until then had spoken the same tongue. As fables go, this is a particularly effective one in that it both illustrates a moral -- don't think you're better than God or you shall be struck down with all speed -- and also provides a handy answer to those who wondered why there are so many different languages anyway.

In Babel, directed and co-written by Alejandro González Iñárritu (21 Grams, Amores Perros), a clutch of characters from a range of cultures and walks of life attempt to build a towering film of meaning from coincidence and portent; unfortunately, in the end it is the viewer who is punished for the filmmaker's hubris.

Continue reading: Babel Review