Cheap Canasta de Cuentos Mexicanos (DVD) (Julio Bracho) Price

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Customer Reviews of Canasta de Cuentos Mexicanos

folklore and memories from the past
Although, stereotypes can be dangerous and misleading, this film carries a wonderful set of scenarios that show episodes from an era when Mexico was considered only a rural, narrow minded, simplistic, humorous, and easy to handle society, which it is not longer true. Films like this, created a generic view of Mexico that influenced many and presented a local urban window of a country not every one knew. The magnificent ideas of collecting traditional tales from Mexico by the well known author B. Traven in 1956, brought to light a set of stories in black and white that match perfectly the period during the fifties when Mexico was passing the golden era in film. This is a film that contains heroines and heroes, and at the same time, it shows a variety of genres, drama, comedy, action, and it is presented in its original language. I love it and recommended to others!

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Three seperate stories
This title is a little misleading because although Maria Felix and Pedro Armendariz are featured on the cover they are only in one of three tales told in this video. If you are looking for a Maria Felix movie this is not a full length movie with her starring in it. As for the "basket of Mexican stories" they are a riot. The fifties style production is great, I mean we're talking high tech, full color Cinemascope here! Each story is part travelogue, part moral tale. They begin with one of those big budget opening shots of a map, accompanied by narration that tells you of the town or location the story takes place in. When you finally do see a moving image it is the genuine place, not a set but the actual quaint or exotic Mexican setting. This is one of those scenic shots where no actors are used and the everyday life is captured for realism. After you get a feel for the place the few (usually two)characters are introduced and their situation is further explained by the narrator. Of the three stories my personal fave was the one about an American couple who buy some hand made baskets to give as gifts when they return home but decide later to become business people and get rich. They are sooooo funnny. When on vacation they are constantly speaking Spanish , complete with bad enunciation and an English accent that is priceless. "Pe-row me Ah-more, tay kay-row mucho," you've got to hear the dialogue.They return to Mexico to fulllfill their dreams and aspirations only to be get a taste of culture shock. The fifties bathing suits and outfits are worth the cost of the movie alone. As for Maria Felix, she is featured in the final story as La "Tigressa," a tough woman(a real stretch of character for her, right!) who can drink and rope a calf with the best of them. She is wealthy, beautiful and into the finest race horses . Always ready for a challenge, she'll outride any man who comes along. Enter muy macho Pedro Armendariz. With her ever present ciggarette she is a credible and loveable woman that resists the advances of Pedro Armendariz but we all know how those stories end up. Let's say this is a three and a half star movie just because it is so funny, even though it was not neccessarily meant to be. If you love Maria Felix , even little bits of her persona will make this worth it, besides who doesn't like to laugh?