“At the end of the play each night there’s some closure. Rafa and Ana set off together, to deliver Ana to her father and to raise money. Writing for Cinema Babel, Garrett Eberhardt wrote that "Ana is a charming, funny, and socially relevant surprise", praising the performances as the "heartbeat of the film and what gives it its power and purpose." Obviously it’s an interesting soundbite and very clickbait-y. "[16], Other reviews were mixed, while still complementing the film's performances and unique approach to the road trip genre. The younger generation I hope will take the time to understand everything our community has been through over the years and to recognise the shoulders we now stand on.”. “Exactly. “Oh, it will all sound too esoteric and strange. His career was already on the rise by then, though it might be argued that there was no other direction it could have gone in after the 2006 horror prequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. The title of the film refers to a legendary figure within the film which protects people lost at sea: "the Guardian". The letter said that 69% of small and mid-sized movie theatre companies will be forced to file for bankruptcy or close permanently without help. [11] During shooting, distribution company AMP International was expected to handle international distribution of the film, described as a story following "a street-smart urchin and a financially destitute car salesman whose friendship blooms after a chance encounter. Why not?’”, He progressed to the science-fiction thriller In Time and landed the lead role as a charming con-artist in six seasons of White Collar; prior to that, he has joked, he starred in so many cancelled TV series that he didn’t realise shows could last for more than one season. “I did once I reached my early teens. During the trip, Ana attempts illegal forms of raising money, from not paying for petrol and buying moonshine to resell. “I love that he felt so comfortable he could say that. Camila attends the church and recognizes Ana, horrified at the deception. But it wasn’t some big moment where he pulled us aside; it wasn’t eventised. In a letter to the leaders of the US Senate and the House of Representatives, they said the coronavirus pandemic had dealt a devastating blow to movie theatres and that without funds “[cinemas] may not survive the impact of the pandemic”. They give incredible depth to this unlikely duo. Although my brother and I as kids always found a way to access everything we wanted to see.” Forbidden fruit, eh? “Everyone just played everything, really. Rafa is hesitant to ask Camila for his money given the financial crisis, but Ana is blunt and forces Camila to pay. Rafa leaves Ana with her mother's abusive boyfriend and goes to a cockfight. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico faces severe economic downturn. Ana secretly follows him and witnesses him losing $5,000 and being warned by loan shark Diego that he has five days to repay. Ana leaves the church and travels to the blowhole, coming to an epiphany. Support The Guardian ... a Regal cinema in New York in March 2020. Director: Nothing to see here ... a Regal cinema in New York in March 2020. Last modified on Mon 5 Oct 2020 07.15 EDT, Matt Bomer looks too good to be true: zinging blue eyes, dark shirt partially unbuttoned, glossy black hair a mere kiss-curl away from Christopher Reeve-era Superman. Tianya and his sister are ordered by General Feng Peichuan to embark on a treasure hunt to find the Golden Moon Gem to cure the plague in Heishui Town, but General Feng Peichuan has other motives for finding this treasure. “May the best actor win, I guess.”, The self-pitying tenor of some of the characters may sit uneasily with our fluid and unabashed times but Bomer believes the play’s importance comes from capturing an age before queerness was clearly defined, let alone accepted. Cinemarter's review of the film described it as "formulaic", while still praising the Puerto Rican setting as helping it to stand out and the chemistry between the leads as being "enough to make it not a bad watch", and ultimately calling the film a "better-than-average road trip movie. [15][16][17][18], Some reviews were highly positive. Published: 4:05 PM . After they reunite, Rafa is furious and takes Ana to a church, hoping to find her a home. “It all takes place a few months before Stonewall,” he points out. It’s the sort of climate of equality that resulted recently in Bomer’s 15-year old son Kit coming out as straight. Initially planning to take Ana to social services, Rafa feels guilty at the prospect of negligent foster parents. • The Boys in the Band is on Netflix from 30 September, Available for everyone, funded by readers. Donald remarks of his sexuality that he has “always known it about myself”. “I would be upset if these heroes that came before us were forgotten or went unappreciated. Adapted from Mart Crowley’s 1968 play, a staple of the gay canon, it takes place entirely at a birthday party thrown by Michael (Jim Parsons) for his imperious friend Harold (Zachary Quinto). Last modified on Thu 1 Oct 2020 12.10 EDT. “Donald has done enough work on himself to be a compassionate observer,” Bomer says. [3] Logan was a critical[4] and commercial success[5][6] and Keen's performance was well-received,[7] earning her an Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer at the 23rd Empire Awards. The Guardian was released on September 29, 2006. [12] Keen starred as the series' lead character Lyra Belacqua / Lyra Silvertongue and received praise for her performance. 1h 45min | Comedy, Drama | 3 January 2020 (USA) Ana meets Rafa in a chance encounter and they embark on a road trip to try and save him from bankruptcy, or worse. My favourite line is when Michael asks what time it is and I reply: ‘It’s early.’ I feel that’s true for the movement and where these men were; it really was early in their development. “Play it down. “Certain rooms I used to frequent – suddenly the door was closed. Guardian of the Palace ( 2020) Guardian of the Palace. "[18], Similarly, Amari Allah's review for Wherever I Look praised Keen's "charisma and presence" and compared her rising career to that of Natalie Portman in the 1990s, writing that Keen and García "enhance each other’s presence to the point you can forgive the film’s shortcomings." Rafa is resistant, fearing Ana will end up like her mother, and tries to instil values in her. Ana (released in some territories as The Guardian) is a 2020 American comedy-drama film directed by Charles McDougall and written by Cris Cole, from a story by McDougall, Cole, Luillo Ruiz and Jorge González. If Dad was really on fire for the Lord all of a sudden, you knew the hammer would come down. The film also features supporting roles by Blas Sien Diaz as Diego's henchman Miguel, Alexon Duprey as corrupt political candidate Jose Maria Vega, Aris Mejias as Ana's mother, and Maria Coral Otero Soto as the leader of a church summer camp which Ana attends. “I’d be lying to you if I said certain things didn’t change for me,” he admits. Her deception is discovered and the church's pastor Helen forces Ana to perform volunteer work. We really don’t need to be taking cues from him right now.” I’ll bury it near the end of the article, I promise him. Vega is arrested for illegal campaign finance. I’d rather keep it mysterious than make it corny.” In the absence of further clarification, we will just have to picture him dancing naked around a campfire as he feeds his Boys in the Band script to the flames one page at a time. Rafa and Ana visit Camila, an ex-lover of Rafa who owes him $1,000. [2] By that time, Keen had begun starring in the BBC/HBO television series His Dark Materials, based on the trilogy of fantasy novels of the same name by English novelist Philip Pullman. There is such poignancy and tenderness in this film. Not that Bomer thinks such roles should be played only by gay performers. Allah also praised how the film "address[ed] all aspects of post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico", while criticizing the writing as being "surface-level" and the story as "overstaying its welcome", while still conceding that the film is "firmly... worth seeing. Helen reveals that Ana's cut has been donated to Vega's campaign, revealing the church is part of the illegal financing. “I look at our children’s friends and I see they don’t even bat an eyelid about our boys having two dads. Contacting Diego, Ana proposes a scheme: Diego posts Rafa’s bail and poses as an IRS agent to force Helen, using a recording Ana made of her admission, to repay the money or face jail time for fraud. He is video-calling from the bright attic room of the home he shares with his husband, the Hollywood publicist Simon Halls, and their three sons; a rubber plant yoo-hoos over his shoulder. He’s 15, you know? As someone who grew up gay in the 1980s and 1990s, he is struck by the generational difference in attitudes today. Others signatories included James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, and action movie director-producer Michael Bay. Finding Ana's father, Rafa and Ana discover that he claims not be her father and has another family. It’s this lingering experience that bubbles up throughout the shoot. In San Juan, Rafael "Rafa" Rodriguez is a struggling car salesman who moved from Florida after becoming estranged from his children. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. The pandemic forced US cinemas to close in mid-March. ", "Ana is a Charming, Funny, and Socially Relevant Surprise", "Ana (2020) Review/Summary with Spoilers", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ana_(2020_film)&oldid=972262166, American coming-of-age comedy-drama films, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 August 2020, at 03:58. Admitting to Diego that he cannot pay, Rafa escapes from one of Diego's thugs and visits Ana. “The boundaries shifted quite a bit. The full list of winners at the 2020 Bafta film awards. The film is set in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the devastating 2017 Hurricane Maria, and stars Andy García as struggling used car salesman Rafael "Rafa" Rodriguez and Dafne Keen as Ana, an 11-year-old girl placed in Rafa’s care as the two embark on a road trip across Puerto Rico. (For many years, he was set to play Montgomery Clift in a passion project he had been developing about the actor, though that recently fell through.). Whereas on film, you have time to go home and overthink. Big chains including AMC Entertainment and Cineworld’s Regal Cinemas have reopened with reduced capacity in many US cities, but not in the biggest markets of Los Angeles and New York City. Sometimes with films I need to do something ritualistic to bring the experience to a close once it’s finished.” I ask for an example but he demurs. In May 2017, Keen was officially announced to be starring alongside Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzmán. [13], Of the film, Gravitas Ventures vice-president of acquisitions Tony Piantedosi said "[Director] Charles [McDougall] has crafted a vibrant road movie, bolstered by the lively rapport between Dafne [Keen] and Andy [García], that the whole family can enjoy.