Aventurera

Starring:NinÃ³n Sevilla, Tito Junco, Andrea Palma, RubÃ©n Rojo, Miguel InclÃ¡n, Jorge MondragÃ³n, Maruja Grifell, Luis LÃ³pez Somoza, MarÃa Gentil Arcos, Miguel Manzano, Armando OsÃ³rio, Arturo Soto Urena, Pepe Ruiz VÃ©lez, Enedina DÃaz de LeÃ³n, Pedro Vargas, Ana MarÃa GonzÃ¡lez, Los Angeles del Infierno, TrÃo Los Panchos, Ray Montoya, ToÃ±a La Negra
Director: Alberto Gout
Studio: Cinemateca
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Excellent Mexican Melodrama
The Whole Enchilada
Ranked #4 Mexican Film Ever by Somos Magazine
Ninon Sevilla's best film.

Aventurera
Starring: Ninón Sevilla , Tito Junco , Andrea Palma , Rubén Rojo , and Miguel Inclán
Director: Alberto Gout
Manufacturer: Cinemateca
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00024I36C
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Mexican Melodrama.......2005-09-08

Aventurera is one of the best melodramas in old Mexican cinema. It helps to be familiar with Mexican film history to fully appreciate its importance. Otherwise, the film will probably just seem campy, over-the-top and overrated. Either way, Aventurera is certainly a lot of fun: the unexpected plot twists, Ninon Sevilla's costumes and dance numbers, and especially the confrontation scenes between the two female leads. The whole film is truly sui generis in its combination of elements of melodrama, movie musical and film noir.
As for the DVD, considering the price, I expected more. The image is probably as good as you're going to get at this point in DVD editions of old Mexican films, but there are no extras worthy of note. The 16-minute introduction is too long, somewhat over the map (couldn't they have at least scripted it?) and has several factual errors. A featurette contextualizing the film and commentary by different persons(such as film scholars and persons involved in the making of film,like Ninon Sevilla, who was alive at the time of the DVD release) would have been particularly nice, especially to explain to Anglo audiences why such a seemingly excessive film is regarded as a classic in Mexico.

The Whole Enchilada.......2005-07-01

I think it was back in 1996 when I had read an enthusiastic review of Alberto Gout's 'rediscovered masterpiece' "Aventurera", which was playing in "art houses" throughout the US. My late friend Rosalind (to whom I'm dedicating this review) read the review with me, and said that it sounded like something we had to see. Well, it didn't happen until now. My dear friend "Sun" saw the film recently, and told me that I had to see it. And am I glad I finally did! "Aventurera" is an extremely entertaining, wildly melodramatic, over-the-top tour de force of Mexican cinema. Starring the popular, Cuban-born dancer Ninon Sevilla (she's still working, by the way, in Mexican Television), "Aventurera" delivers the goods. Ninon plays sexy but "good girl" Elena Tejero, whose father shoots himself after he learns that his wife has left him for another man (Elena caught them in a passionate embrace). Elena leaves Chihuahua for Juarez, where her ardent "friend" Lucio (an oily, pimpish Tito Junco) gets her drunk and drugged, then sells her into white slavery under the iron fist of brothel madam Rosaura de Cervero (Andrea Palma, who was a big star of Mexican cinema in the 30s and 40s) Elena becomes the "star attraction" of Rosaura's lush nightclub, manages to escape, and then hooks up with well-to-do attorney Mario de Cerverio (Ruben Rojo), who happens to be Rosaura's son! It is then that Elena plans her revenge against all who have done her dirt...The film is absolutely hypnotic in its baroque storyline, lavish musical numbers (you have to see them to believe it), seemingly endless parade of glamorous outfits, and, of course, the performances (no such thing as 'underplaying' in this film). Ninon was a dancer, and her numbers are lively and campy to boot. Her acting is a combination of Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, Susan Hayward, Betty Hutton, and yes, Carmen Miranda. Her enthusiasm and vitality are quite evident!The film is "more Hollywood than Hollywood", and it does remind me somewhat of Columbia's "Gilda" (Rita Hayworth's signature role) and "Ladies of the Chorus" (a ludicrous "rich boy loves burlesque star" opus starring an up-and-coming Marilyn Monroe), as well as numerous films noirs. The cinematography is a gorgeous black and white, and the music is a joy, featuring such classic latin standards as "Frenesi" and "Adios". There isnt much in the way of extras on the DVD, (just an audio introduction to the film) but I'm not complaining. For lovers of good old-fashioned melodrama and a larger-than-life style of storytelling, then "Aventurera" is the film for you!

This review is dedicated to my dear friend Rosalind Scott, who would have loved this film!

Ranked #4 Mexican Film Ever by Somos Magazine.......2004-07-14

Just released today on DVD by Facets Video so I ran straight down to rent it. Unabashedly campy, Aventurera pays definite homage to the Hays-Code American film noir style of the 1940s, while still maintaining the very Mexican form of the cabaretera drama. According to the DVD special feature introduction, Aventurera was re-released in 1996 to critical acclaim in LA and NY. This release (as opposed to a slightly earlier one by New Form Video) is thus aimed at the upscale North American art house crowd. It has white English subtitles, somewhat annoyingly burnt onto the original images (no switching on or off, and no other languages). The image quality isn't quite Jeanne d'Arc, but the black and white is sufficiently crisp and clear. I haven't seen the cheaper release, or the VHS, and so can't comment on those. For some reason with these Mexican titles Amazon almost never provides links to different editions as they do on all other films.

Back to the movie, it begins extremely campy and continues on in that fashion for some time, but the quick ending has more subtle and delightful noirish turns of fate than any film I can remember. I wouldn't dare spoil it for you. The story is well developed, the acting is above average, and the scenes are produced professionally. The (melo-) dramatic segments are framed by lovely little urban shots of Chihuahua, Juarez, and M?xico cities, as well as some jazzy Latin dance numbers, giving the viewer nice breaks. Personally my favorite number was the Samba one, performed in Portuguese. If it was in color it would have been as spectacular as those from Singin' in the Rain.

Cuban immigrant Nin?n Sevilla stars. Unlike most of her fellow cubano immigrants to Mexico, and despite her platinum hairdo, Sevilla's ancestry definitely seems to tend towards the Afro-Cuban variety. She gives a wonderful performance and brings a buxom star-powered presence to the film. Mexican film aficionados will note that the villainess is played by none other than Andrea Palma, who starred in the 1934 film La Mujer del Puerto. Mexican super-regular Miguel Incl?n (Dona Barbara, Mar?a Candelaria, Enamorada, Fort Apache, Los Olvidados, etc etc etc) gives a subtle but satisfying performance as the reluctant verdugo/enforcer Rengo.

Certainly this film is a bit overrated and overhyped, but it grows on you. While some of it seems clich?, so does the Godfather, because it was so often copied. Expectations mean so much when watching a film. Keep them within reason and you might be pleasantly surprised by Aventurera before it's over. It reminds me just a bit of Gilda (1946), and obviously came right on the heels of Emilio Fernandez's Salon Mexico (1949). The sleazy border scenes also seemed to remind me of Touch of Evil. I think it certainly compares favorably with other films of the era like Key Largo, All About Eve, or Nights of Cabiria. Definitely worth checking out.

Ninon Sevilla's best film........2002-12-15

This film deals with the story about a yong woman who loses her parents at nearly the same time and is forced into a life of prostitution working in a seedy cabaret, for a madam who has a double life. It is one of the best films Mexico ever made and it is a very well written story, with a great cast and great settings,this film should be enjoyed by any one interested in great cinema.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Mexican Melodrama
The Whole Enchilada
Ranked #4 Mexican Film Ever by Somos Magazine
Ninon Sevilla's best film.

Aventurera
Starring: Ninón Sevilla , Tito Junco , Andrea Palma , Rubén Rojo , and Miguel Inclán
Director: Alberto Gout
Manufacturer: Laguna Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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