A la mala (2015)

This is a mixture of Hitch, The Ugly Truth and She's the Man. It's endearing and adorable with a great cast. Ala Mala (Maria Laura) is any woman out there trying to outsmart her heart and losing.Mauricio Ochmann aka Santiago deserved a lot more character development. It's started good but I guess Aislinn's character is the focus.So many of these actors are highly acclaimed Hispanic and Mexican stars that I enjoy watching.P.S. If you liked Ochmann's character and think about how he would look a little badass try El Senior de los Cielos or El Chema. He's AMAZING!

Characters & StoryMaria Laura, aka Mala (Aislinn Derbez), is an educated actor who can't find a role to save her life. However, with rent due, and her not wanting to take advantage of her best friend Kika (Papile Aurora), like Pablo (Luis Arrieta) does, she decides to take Kika up on an offer which will change her life. What is said offer? Well, the offer is for Mala to use her beauty to see if men are faithful to their girlfriends, wives, and what have you. A job which is very lucrative, but doesn't compare to the legit acting opportunity Patricia (Daniela Schmidt) offers her. But, before Mala gets the chance to be a legitimate actress, with a starring role, she has to con a man named Santiago (Mauricio Ochmann). Someone who Mala doesn't have the best opinion of, but Patricia wants her to make him fall in love with her and then break his heart. Question is, though: will she be able to make a man fall in love with her without falling in love as well? PraiseThough it is shallow to say, and perhaps not the best way to start off a review, I must say Derbez is very stunning. However, don't take her to be a pretty face, like Jessica Alba, who seemingly is only worth casting due to her looks. I say this because, arguably, Derbez can act and will draw you into the story. One which perhaps doesn't use the premise of a girl presenting temptation to guys to the fullest, but seemingly that is to keep the film lighthearted.But, taking a strong focus on Derbez's co-stars and the story, I won't say there is a whirlwind, "oh my god I want someone to look at me like that" type of romance between Derbez and Ochmann. However, they do have enough chemistry, and are both likable enough, for you to want to become invested in their relationship. Also, I would be remiss to not mention that while Derbez handles the romantic part of the story well, it is Alvaro (Juan Diego Covarrubias) and Pablo who handle the comedy. Which, again, isn't on the level which will make you roar with laughter, nor is their commentary something which will leave you with much, but they both keep the movie from ever feeling too long.CriticismWhile I do adore this film, I must admit that, in retrospect, it doesn't have the most interesting of plots or characters. This is mostly because, at the end of the day, Mala is a good girl just trying to pay her rent. And yeah, she is skeptical about men and love, but we are never provided the root to her issues to make the character seem like she has depth. Also, when it comes to the romance of the film, it goes by the very familiar formula of: They meet, one seems annoying to the other, they get to know each other, they fall in love, one reveals something which puts the relationship in danger, and then they reconcile and live happy ever after. Though, I should note, the ending isn't full-on fairy tale. Overall: TV ViewingI will admit I am mesmerized by Derbez's beauty, but even that isn't good enough for me to say you must see this movie. For with the film not having the most engrossing characters; lacking jokes which can do more than provide a chuckle; and with the story not necessarily providing us the type of love story you would be envious of, but more so it seemingly be about: Rich guy meets pretty girl, who just so happen to fall in love, there isn't a huge selling point here. For, overall, A La Mala is decent enough to rent, but I wouldn't say to go out of your way to get to a local theater to watch it. Things To NoteFor whatever reason, Kika, multiple times in the film, speaks English. Which is only weird to me since she is the only one to have full on sentences in English, while everyone else speaks Spanish exclusively.

I wasn't really expecting a lot from this movie, because let's face it, one thing that Mexican comedy/romance films don't have is originality. With US chick flick wannabe "Cásese Quien Pueda", one of the worst films from last year, I didn't had high expectations from "A La Mala", starred by Aislinn Derbez, daughter of one of the most famous comedians from Mexico, Eugenio Derbez.The plot, which is pretty original for Mexican movies, it manages to keep entertained the audience from beginning to end, showing us a little bit of comedy (if you are Mexican, you know there's a lot of cursing, which guarantees a lot of laughs during the whole movie) and drama. But at the middle of the movie, you know exactly how it's going to end. We have seen these kind of endings in Mexican movies and shows that they don't have the "Wow" factor anymore. But I was happy with how this expected ending was executed, it was funny, and dramatic at the same time. The cinematography is also amazing. The movie also shows us a lesson learned for Mala, and you leave the theater feeling happy and joyful. After you watch the movie, you forget she's Eugenio's daughter. Aislinn is a charismatic actress that shines on her own during the whole movie, she's a talented actress with a huge future waiting for her. She's not like "a famous comedian's daughter that got a leading role because of that", she's really an amazing actress, and it seems that she earned the role and that she embodied Mala pretty nicely. Overall, this movie is an great comedy to watch with your family or your loved one, it's nothing we haven't seen before, but you'll enjoy the movie anyway. You won't want to miss it!

Romance has no single language and neither does comedy. Funny in one country is often funny in another and love can easily be understood in any language. That's what makes "A la mala" (PG-13, 1:39) so appealing – and a joy to experience regardless of language. The film was made in Mexico and received a limited release in the U.S. the day after opening south of the border.The title character, whose name in the film is actually Maria Laura Medina (Aislinn Derbez), is a beautiful and talented, but struggling actress. As a favor to her roommate, Kika (Papile Aurora), who thinks her boyfriend may be a cheater, Maria stages an "accidental" meeting with him and, somewhat awkwardly, comes on to him. He takes the bait and Maria is forced to tell Kika that her fears about this guy were well-founded. Kika's naturally upset about having to break things off with him, but she's thankful to Maria for saving her worse heartache down the road. Kika considers Maria's favor so valuable, that she asks Maria to do the same thing for her young cousin, who just got engaged. The cousin's fiancé is a cheater too – and Maria's reputation spreads. Although she never sleeps with the men, she actually makes a good business out of testing the fidelity of men for women all around the city who want to be sure if they've found a good and faithful man. And, thus, Mala is born.The movie's title translates loosely as "turning mean". "A la mala" is a clever contraction of the main character's name that also sums up who she is – at least to her male marks. She even introduces herself to them as "Mala". The men she meets laugh at the apparent contradiction in a beautiful woman going by the name "mean". Rather than being scared off by such a name, they seem all the more attracted to her. The sense of mystery and danger that she embodies draws them in – and enables her to do what she's paid for. Her undeniable beauty and her talents as an actress make her the perfect person to perform this service for the women of Mexico City. Maria doesn't like being Mala, but she continues taking these jobs to pay the bills, while looking for a stable job as a real actress. And then, she finds one – or at least the possibility of one.Maria has an excellent audition for a role in a new television show, but there's a problem. Her reputation has preceded her. Patricia (Daniela Schmidt), one of the show's producers, wants Maria to do her "Mala" act on Patricia's old boyfriend, Santiago (accomplished Mexican actor Mauricio Ochmann) – but with a twist. Santiago dumped Patricia and she wants him to suffer. She wants Mala to make Santiago fall in love with her, and then dump him, so Patricia can swoop in, lick his wounds, and win him back. Maria/Mala is reluctant, but Patricia holds over her head what may end up being the big break that Maria has been working for. She hesitates – until she meets the guy, someone with whom she herself had recently had an unpleasant run-in. This makes things both easier and more difficult at the same time. Either way, Maria's career hangs in the balance – but so does her integrity and pride."A la Mala" is formulaic, but very well put together. Any fan of American rom-coms will recognize the characters and the way the story is progressing, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining. In fact, this is the most enjoyable and satisfying romantic comedy that I've seen in quite a while. The fact that almost every line was in Spanish didn't bother me at all. In fact, I find the Mexican style of filmmaking fresh and fun. This movie has the feel of a telenovela – but with better lighting, better camera work and better acting. The movie is sweet, funny and simply very good. Derbez is a pleasure to watch and has the acting chops to keep up with Ochmann every step of the way. The story is everything you'd want in a romantic comedy and it makes for a very enjoyable movie. "A-"