La Yuma

Not very often we have the opportunity to watch a Nicaraguan film (first film in 20 years) and much less one that is above the good threshold as this Florence Jaugey’s film is. This is Jaugey’s “work of love and persistence” as ‘only’ took her 10 years to have her screenplay (she co wrote final version) produced into a movie that was a box office success in Nicaragua and has been collecting honors while traveling the festival circuit.

The film is not flawless but has a good positive story told in a colorful way with non-actors that create characters that look and feel real, especially Alma Blanco’s good performance as La Yuma, the strong-willed young woman that reaches her goal no matter what she has to do. Blanco steals the film and just to watch her makes this film more than worth-watching.

Film tells about Yuma the strong willed young woman from a Managua’s gang-infested poor neighborhood that dreams of becoming a boxer and about finding a way to leave the neighborhood. This is not a drama like –for example- Million Dollar Baby, this is a drama that very credible portraits reality and no doubt that helps that story is based on a real-life story. Most interesting is that even when portraits reality the film does it in a very entertaining non-disturbing storytelling style which absolutely appeals to wider audiences.

I didn’t enjoyed the ‘different social-class’ romance especially because actor playing Ernesto had a not-good performance, but somehow I understand that was important to learn how Yuma for the first time was exposed to the world beyond her miserable surroundings. Excluding those moments I found the film and story quite enjoyable and surprisingly very entertaining.

I do recommend the movie as a good woman centered story and as an easy-to-watch entertaining film that portraits reality so well.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC