This is a very old fashioned story of a bright young girl who wants to go to college but her mother wants her to stay and work in the family business. Yes, we've seen it before but there is a fresh approach to the story by making it modern and the performances are all excellent. Newcomer America Ferrera plays Ana and she plays her with a lot of raw honesty. What's so impressive is that she has almost no experience and she carries the whole film which is no easy feat. But the standout performance is by the terrific Lupe Ontiveros. This experienced actress takes what could have been a cardboard character and really puts an edge on it. There are scenes where Ontiveros really shows pathos in those eyes. The story is old fashioned and there are times when you have a hard time believing that people would talk or act that way in contemporary times but the honesty of the performances seem to make them work. Two scenes seem to stand out for me. The first is when the ladies at work take their clothes off and proudly show how fat each of them are. Its a priceless scene. And the second is at the end of the film with Ontiveros looking out the window. I won't give away the ending but Ontiveros shows us whether we like it or not that she's a woman that stays with her roots. She cannot change. It's those moments and the performances that bring this familiar story up a level.
Review of Real Women Have Curves
