Colombia at the Oscars!! Let's go Catalina!!!!!

fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:02:

CX, I just watched the movie last night. It was a good movie and I thought Catalina did a good job. I don't watch the Oscars but I hope she gets it.

CX, I remember you saying when the movie was first discussed here that you thought it was an awful movie because it was about drugs. You wondered how any Colombian could work in such a project. Now you are cheering for Catalina to win. So it is OK for Colombians to make movies about drugs if those movies are popular throughout the world and can win awards?

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ColombianoX says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:10:

Like I said before, as a colombian I am obviously proud of Catalina's nomination, although I do NOT like the subject matter of the movie. I know many colombians who feel the same way. The nomination is also a good thing because it can open more doors in Hollywood for other colombian actors.

CX

ColombianoX 'Defensor de la Colombianidad'

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:20:

CX, I agree that it is a good thing for Colombian actors. Maybe there are some producers/directors in Colombia also that deserve more attention. This may open the door.

If the movie was nomitaed for best picture, would you cheer for it also? Even with the content of it?

Do you think that the movie glorified drug trafficking? I think it was just the opposite. It showed the human costs of that trafficking. While I understand you are tired of seeing movies about Colombia and drugs, I don't think this movie followed the stereotype that big Hollywood movies have in the past.

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babygirl says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:20:

Hey ColombianoX, what's the name of the movie?

cheers - babygirl

Canadian Girls Kick Ass!

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:22:

babygirl, he is talking about Maria Full of Grace. From oscars.org

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Annette Bening in “Being Julia” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Catalina Sandino Moreno in “Maria Full of Grace” (HBO Films in association with Fine Line Features)

Imelda Staunton in “Vera Drake” (Fine Line Features, Alain Sarde and UK Film Council in association with Inside Track Films)

Hilary Swank in “Million Dollar Baby” (Warner Bros.)

Kate Winslet in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (Focus Features)

People should be aware of the big difference between leading role and supporting role. The lead is exactly that, they carry the movie. This is a tremendous nomination for an actress in her first movie.

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ColombianoX says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:35:

"If the movie was nomitaed for best picture, would you cheer for it also? Even with the content of it?"

fzrdan,

Hmmmmm, that's a good question. I probably wouldn't.


"Do you think that the movie glorified drug trafficking? I think it was just the opposite. It showed the human costs of that trafficking. While I understand you are tired of seeing movies about Colombia and drugs, I don't think this movie followed the stereotype that big Hollywood movies have in the past."

No, I don't think it glorified drug-trafficking, like the way a movie like 'Scarface' did, for example. I agree with you about this movie showing the human costs of drug-trafficking, it's just that I, and many other colombians, am just sick and tired of movies that always focus on the negative aspects of Colombia. I'm sure you can understand that.


CX

ColombianoX 'Defensor de la Colombianidad'

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babygirl says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:41:

Fantastic! I can't comment on my favourite to win, as I haven't seen any of the above though. It does sound like a good movie though, not your stereotypical Hollywood kitsch. Has it been nominated for any other Oscars? cheers - babygirl

Canadian Girls Kick Ass!

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:52:

babygirl, I haven't seen any of the other movies either. I just hope Catalina wins as it will be a positive thing for Colombia. I have become attached to Colombia so I hope she wins.

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babygirl says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:57:

Ya me too, for that same reason actually.

cheers - babygirl

Canadian Girls Kick Ass!

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Miguel says on Feb 27, 2005, 15:04:

Señorita Sandino CO X is right about many Colombians not liking 'Maria', but those I know definitely are cheering her on. Should she win, it would be a pretty big surprise to the so-called experts. Hilary Swank is a pretty formidable foe in this category.

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ColombianoX says on Feb 27, 2005, 15:57:

I just saw Catalina being interviewed by Star Jones on the red carpet , she looks absolutely gorgeous!!! But I'm disapointed she's not wearing a dress by a colombian designer, I was hoping she'd wear a Silvia Tscherassi.

CX

ColombianoX 'Defensor de la Colombianidad'

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kikolina0920 says on Feb 27, 2005, 16:06:

Red Carpet with Star Jones Reynolds ColombianoX, I am in total agreement with you...she looks beautiful, speaks very well, and her English is excellent, which, truthfully, was surprising....I just pray to God that she does well. She has already made us proud, but OH MY GOD!!!! I think 40 million people in Colombia would be jumping up and down for joy if they call out her name!!!! Dios quiera que si.....digamos todos una oracion por ella!!!!

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 16:10:

I just saw her as well. I was just flipping through the channels and her interview was on CNN. She does look very nice! Good luck!

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 27, 2005, 16:49:

Today.....ColX I am with you %100 At first, I too was distressed to see another movie about drugs and Colombia. Hardly a week goes by that I don't find myself getting into an argument with someone in an attempt to make them believe that Colombia has much more grace (no pun intended) and charm to its name than drugs.

Ok, that being said, we still have to look at the movie for its theatrical value. While I did not approve of the subject matter per se, the theme and messages were well presented. The acting was better than a distinct majority of films that comes out of Hollywood, and for that matter alone, I think it deserves to walk away with some type of oscar.

Now, the fact that it is coming out of Colombia....makes me all the more excited. In fact, it is the only thing that matters to me about the Oscars. My Colombia, our Colombia sits along with all the other famous name that we all know. Before this movie, nobody there would have ever even of heard of Catalina. But she is there. She is there just like Shakira broke into the pop market here, or Montoya broke into the formuala 1, or Rentiria made it in the major leagues.

Unfortunately, us Colombians and friends of Colombia cannot afford to be choosy about what kind of moments make our country shine. As far as I am concerned, she can shine in any light that get the world attention. Thanks ColX for another inspiring post and ................GO CATALINA !!

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babygirl says on Feb 27, 2005, 16:53:

Wow! Is she ever beautiful and so well spoken too. Good show! I think the promotions people choose their outfits though ColombianoX, so she probably had to go with the flow.

cheers - babygirl

Canadian Girls Kick Ass!

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 17:25:

gomezman, lets not get carried away. She was an unknown everywhere, even in Colombia, until this movie. Also, she isn't on the level of Shakira or Montoya because she hasn't won anything. People that watch the oscars may know her name now but will they know where she is from? Hell, do most people know where Shakira is from? F1 fans know Montoya is Colombian because F1 always talks about the nationality of its drivers. She will not be truly well known unless she wins tonight or has roles in more mainstream movies. Go Catalina!

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 27, 2005, 18:31:

fzrdan......why not get carried away?? So what if she was unknown -- even in Colombia like you said...until this film. Well, that young boy named Leonardo was a virtual unknown until some movie...a remake mind you, named Tittanic. My point is made. And shall I go on about the unknowns throughout history until whatever movie they were in.

The point I am making, as is Col X, is that Colombia, the country, the Country of someone very special to you, has a chance to shine by and through a new star, in a realm that she never ever participates in--the Oscars. You should know more than any American, because of your affiliation with this forum, that "we" people of Colombian heritage will take postive publicity any time and any where that we can get it. "We" may not even win anything today. But at least we can say we were there. So man......just let us enjoy it for what it's worth. That's not asking much is it buddy. Is it??

I hope your girl is missing you .....cause she is your Oscar (Oscares) and she is %100 Colombian.

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 18:54:

All I was saying is that you shouldn't compare her to Shakira or Montoya at this point. It is great to see her there at the Oscars with this nomination. No doubt about that. Unfortunately, she will fade away unless either wins or gets some mainstream roles. I hope she does does not fade away.

Also, like I said before, do you think the average person knows she is Colombian? No, I don't. I wouldn't know squat about this movie or her if I didn't have my interest in Colombia. My local blockbuster had only one copy of the movie. One, surrounded by dozens of movies that had dozens of copies available for rent.

Go Catalina!

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adrimm says on Feb 27, 2005, 19:28:

Boo I missed seing her on any of the preshows, hopefully she'll get a a good pan when her nomination is announced

Oh and *no one* should ever let Antonio Banderas sing on a broadcast of this magnitude *ever* again. How utterly dissapointing for a song that I'm sure is quite beautiful.

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smiles92600 says on Feb 27, 2005, 19:52:

You people don't understand the Oscars There are too many politics involved to let her win. They won't let a foreigner in her first big film win. Besides, while she played the part well, it was too easy a part to play. She didn't have a tremendous amount of lines. She was very inverted and silent in much of the movie (which was appropriate) but the part wasn't big enough to warrant an Oscar.

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adrimm says on Feb 27, 2005, 20:05:

Agree Smiles (Though a little bluntly put)

Hmm, Have any non-English US-made films ever won an award, I can't recall...

But the nomination itself is a huge triumph and nod. If she can follow it up (esp with an English performance) then her chances increase. I'm surprised she doesn't have US citizenship already...?

She really looked beautiful though (finally saw her).

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kernow62 says on Feb 27, 2005, 20:05:

I agree Adrimm, Antonio should be muzzled!

Catalina didn't win, but what an honour to be nominated and boy didn't she look beautiful. Just goes to show not all the pretty Colombianas are from Cali.

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Feb 27, 2005, 20:15:

But there was another Col. film on TV tonight - "Collateral Damage." Ah-nold vs. the FARC. Hehe

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adrimm says on Feb 27, 2005, 20:21:

Request Please post urls for any clips of Catalina Sandino interviews, I'd love to see a few, esp any Red Carpet clips.

Thanks!

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 27, 2005, 21:45:

Frzdan....on this one...you're off the mark I cannot believe that there was only 1 copy....no way. There were over 9 at the Hollywood Video I was at 2 weeks ago. Also, let me say do you even know what she was nominated for....give me a break!

She was 1 of only 5 pictures nominated for "Actress in a Leading Role"
Do you even have a clew of what it takes to get that nomination??? I think you need to read about the Oscar nomination proccess to understand how, out of literally 100's of pictures, she managed to get the honor of getting the nomination. She did not just submit her name for consideration. She had to face incredible scrutiny to be one of the five finalists. Granted, she was never a favorite, but that nomination put the movie on the map in every video store. And I will go a step further, this guy who works with me last August had a pirated DVD copy of the movie. He came to me and asked me if I had heard of it. I said of course. I asked him, how he heard of it, and he told me that it was one of the hottest movies in demand. That was only one month after the movie was released. So if he knew about it in August, you can't possible tell me that the movie was not in demand now.

By the way, considering you probably can't even tell me when the last time a foreign film was nominated for such an honor, I think it utterly phenomenal that she made it this far. Movie people knew about this movie.

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 22:08:

Gomezman, don't tell me what I know and what I don't know. If you look at one of my posts above, you will see that I pasted in what she was nominated for from oscars.org. I know exactly what she was nominated for and it is in the top 3 of nominations.

It makes no damn difference if she passed the scrutiny of some critics around the world. That doesn't get you to the level of Shakira. Shakira is known by the general public. That is what I was talking about. Being known by film critics and being known by Sally down the street is not the same. That is what I was trying to get across to you.

You want to fly your ass out here and take a look at my blockbuster video? What you have in your video store in Chicago has nothing to do with what I have in my video store here. How many copies of that movie do you think are in video stores in Kansas and Nebraska and Idaho? Not many.

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 27, 2005, 22:32:

Fzrdan--look What's with you today....missing your lady or something???
Look, I made a beingn comment..You immediately jumped on me accusing me of getting carried away. And if i want to compare her to Shakira,,,that's my right no? You don't have to criticize me for it....I don't see anyone else doing it...You are all alone in criticizing me because of the comparison. Why do you feel you have to split hairs. And for your info, Shakira was not known beyond the Latin world until she made her first American CD in English. Please, you probably never heard of her until then? Few Americans did, unless they had a thing for listening to Spanish pop/rock and not understanding a word of what was being sung. Take the Mexican Rock group Mana. They are much much more famous than Shakira. They don't sing in Enghlish and you will not many Americans playing their music. If they sang in English, believe me, they would be off the charts in this country.

I guess all I am saying is, ...oh this is rediculous, if I want to compare Catalina to Shakira because I see something in common, and they do.......they represent Colombian in a positive light...than that's my right. So hell, just leave it alone....don't knit pick.
I have just as much right to make a comparison as you or anyone else does. It is not as if we are arguing about facts that are factually incorrect. It's just my opinion. Don't knit pick. Good grief.

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 22:50:

............................................

OK gman.. first I wasn't criticizing for the comparison but I really didn't like you questioning the number of dvd's in my local video store. You are right about Shakira, she was very well known in Latin America before the USA. Hah, you are making my point for me. She releases a CD in english and she is suddenly at the top here. Same goes for Catalina. She wins the oscar (she didn't :( ) or she gets a good role in a regular mainstream movie...in english. If not, she will not be on the level of JPM or Shakira.

I am not telling you not to compare her to anyone. You can compare her to Jim Carey if you want. I was just saying she isn't famous like Shakira or Montoya. But it really doesn't matter. If she did this well in her first movie, I am sure it is just a matter of time before her name is on the marquee around the world.

People around the world play music in english all the time. They don't have a clue what is being said but they listen because the music is good. I am sure there are people who listen to latin music just because they like it even though they do not understand. The problem is that most songs don't get much radio play if they are not in english (i know there are tons of spanish stations here). Currently gasolina (?) is a notable exception. I am sure this rule doesn't apply in Miami, New York....

By the way, of course I miss my girl. We talked for over an hour today but it is not enough. :(

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 27, 2005, 23:04:

If you would just please go back and READ!!!!!! FRZDAN!!!! You missed the ENTIRE point of my ORIGINAL thread. I was not comparing Catalina for being as famous as Shakira, or Montoya. No
where did I even imply that. I was making a statement about the joy and happiness that Colombian people feel when they make it on the "stage" of a famous American spectical. You are not Colombian so you cannot feel it!!!!But you are on this thread. And you do see how we are trying to be known in this world for something more than drugs, mafias, guerillas, paramilitaris, and associated violence.
An oscar nominee gives us something else to talk about. Doesn't it?

All I clearly stated, and everyone else seemed to get it, was that Montoya, Shakira, Renteria, show the positive aspects of Colombia in a world that always finds negative about Colombia. Today, Catalina reached that same plateau in that we (Colombian people) now have another star (even if it's only for this one movie) that can join them.

Now do you understand???

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 23:05:

gomezman, of course I understand. I was just bored and looking for some good debate.

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 27, 2005, 23:20:

Fzr my friend Look, do yourself a favor. Fly to Cali fast. Get married. Bring her here. And let her put an end to your boredom before you cause me to have to up my blood pressure medication.

Thanks

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 23:26:

ok...i will give it a rest.

Catalina, go get another movie and become super famous. We will all be happy!

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 27, 2005, 23:51:

Fzr..forget Catalina go get Your Catalina...or your Cadilac

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dwmte says on Feb 28, 2005, 06:13:

are we in agreement yet???? regretably, i haven't seen the movie, but i will. i'm aware of the theme and the reality behind it.

oddly enough on this one, i think i'm 100% on the side of colombiano. usually i take issue to his sensitivity, but on this i think his position is well taken.

sure, it would be nice if the young lady WON, but in fact, she did win. out of 100's she was one in 5...not bad. a virtual guarantee of a promising career ahead.

would that her debut could have been on a subject not so fricken worn out and over publicised (the abuses of drug dealers),although i'm full familiar with those realities in colombia. like good hearted colombians, i'm sick of the press it receives. arent we all? is that why we fall in love with this beautiful country?, because of the hideous abuses of this small handfull of criminals? of course not.

these issues sicken the tourist in much the same way they do colombians. anyone of good heart is traumatized by these offences to humanity in general, and the individual in particular.

colombia is SO MUCH MORE....SO WONDERFULLY MUCH MORE!!!

viva colombia

dw

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fzrdan says on Feb 28, 2005, 08:08:

I have been watching the news and more than once I have heard people say Catalina was one of the best dressed last night at the Oscars. She did look very good.

She may not have won the Oscar but she is still getting a lot of attention. Great!

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Miguel says on Feb 28, 2005, 08:48:

Si... Por ejemplo...en "Despierta America", quizas 10 menciones de Catalina Sandino, fotos, comentarios, y un relato con una reportera en Bogotá sobre la vida de Catalina y el orgullo de Colombia con ella.
Definitely a win situation for her. She looked great and her English sure has gotten good, quick!

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