Pedro (2008)

5 Comments

1. 

   gradyharp from United States
   31 Mar 2012, 12:18 am

   The film PEDRO is a combination of documentary and cinematic drama, andas such it could have been an awkward pastiche, an attempt to honor thememory of a brave young man who courageously faced classrooms ofchildren and many different public forums as a man living with HIV,offering the general public the opportunity to learn about the diseasein hopes of preventing its spread. Instead what happens is this film aswritten by Dustin Lance Black after a story by Paris Barclay and asdirected with sensitive taste by Nick Oceano is a completely satisfyingdrama that just happens to add film clips form the well-known life ofPedro Zamora to enhance the dignity of this story.

   After a rather startling opening sequence the film begins in Cuba asfamilies lined up to cross to America: among those families was theZamora mother (Teresa Hernández), father (Anibal O. Lleras) and onlythree of their children, including young Pedro and Mily. They settle inMiami where Pedro grows up remembering his past in Cuba andconcentrating on his world of fantasy with his beloved mother. Pedromatures to a teenager (Alex Loynaz), a handsome and affable young ladwhose sexual preference is men. At the tender age of 17 he is found tobe HIV positive and his sister Mily (Justina Machado) pledges to stayby his side through all of his trials. Pedro is encouraged by variouspeople to come out about his situation and indeed he does, flying toSan Francisco to be on the Real People reality show. There he makesfriends with his fellow 'roommates' (especially Judd/ Hale Appleman andPam/ Jenn Liu). On the show, in front of the public television audiencehe can be himself - a normal young guy who happens to have AIDS. Hemeets Sean Sasser (DaJuan Johnson) and they eventually marry on thetelevision series. Pedro becomes a very popular speaker and advocatefor AIDS prevention. Once the series is over Pedro becomes ill and goesfrom a New York hospital to his home in Miami, diagnosed with anincurable manifestation of his disease. The manner in which Pedro andhis family cope with all aspects of Pedro's life closes the film.

   Alex Loynaz is excellent as Pedro, if not the magnetic personality ofhis true counterpart, and his scenes with Justina Machado areparticularly profound and deeply touching. The entire cast is wellselected and offers different insights to the life of Pedro Zamora.There won't be a dry eye after watching this tender film. It is wellworth spending time getting to know another unsung hero. Grady Harp

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2. 

   kosmasp
   31 Mar 2012, 12:18 am

   I have to admit that I didn't know who Pedro is/was, before I watchedthis movie. And another user stated correctly, that this movie doeshave a sort of "Movie of the Week" feeling to it. Still (and maybebecause), I hadn't heard of this story I thought the portrayal of Pedrowas intense and well played by it's main actor. More subtle than on thenose.

   Since I have no idea how much creative freedom the makers took, whilemaking the movie. The drama is good for this sort of movie, but Iunderstand, if people might feel cheated and might have expected muchmore from this movie. A nice little movie then, but not a must see.

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3. 

   brian coleman (bricoleman) from United States
   31 Mar 2012, 12:18 am

   This movie seemed more of a puff piece for the RW series rather thanPedro. I think it was made for several reasons even though some arealtruistic but there are still others that are not. The Real World isdeclining in ratings and this move seems to attempt to say the show isvery socially conscious and culturally relevant. I think any ties thoseconcepts ended with the Miami season. The London series didn't do wellin the ratings and the Miami only improved them from being more sexualand provocative. Now it's just trash TV.

   Pedro was a very accomplished AIDS activist prior to the show, Pedrothe movie portrayed the show as his sole accomplishment. He advocatedadults to make more responsible decisions - hardly the message given bythe more recent series.

   He spoke in front of congress and made several national appearances onTV prior to his stint in the RW house.

   I wasn't satisfied with the amount of time given to his bio, theyworked his life around the series. They even recreated scenes from theshow - which is ridiculous.

   I think they portrayed his death wrong, and didn't reflect whatactually happened. They didn't really discuss the issues Sean Sasserdealt with following Pedro's deteriorating health. They only providedsmall references to the difficulties experienced between Sean Sasserand Pedro's family.

   If they really wanted to do a service to Pedro's cause they'd repeatthe in Memoriam special they had following his death - It provided morebiographical information. The speech played in the Special's creditselicits, in my opinion, more of a response then just the biographicalinformation in end credits of Pedro. You didn't get the right messagefrom the Movie in comparison with the in Memoriam Special.

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4. 

   Jon Ward from London, England
   31 Mar 2012, 12:18 am

   15 years ago remember watching an MTV TV show that changed myperceptions what was then something that had little known about it. Itwould almost certainly kill you.

   At the end of the last episode in the house a group of young peoplewatch as Pedro exchanging rings with his boyfriend Sean in front of thesmiling house members, (voice of Pedro) "Um…. It is a lot easier for meto face my own fears and to face the uncertainty of my own life humm…Knowing that he is there: So I love you.

   Text on the screen as broadcast: 'Pedro passed away on November 11th,1994, the night the last episode of The Real World San Francisco wastelevised.' 'Since the epidemic began 33 million people worldwide havedied from AIDS' I remembered watching this and crying when it was firstbroadcast.

   I cried tonight.

   Then I remembering Pedro discovering he is HIV+ and is and is indespair and lost…. He goes to watch Schindler's List on the cinema andhe realises it doesn't matter if he dies or not – Only that he standsup and makes a difference.

   Pedro isn't the last beautiful person I have met in my life but becauseof people like him (some of whom I am lucky to call friends) I knowmore than I did but more importantly…. I think they have made me abetter person. (Yes that needs work too).

   'Each year 2.5 million people are newly infected'.

   Tonight I watched a film of this story and was reminded how one braveyoung man's struggle changed my mind forever.

   I remembered Pedro and smiled.

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5. 

   petesea from United States
   31 Mar 2012, 12:18 am

   Pedro Zamora broke new ground as an HIV positive AIDS activist onnational television on MTV's The Real World. This film, unfortunately,does not break much new ground – we get to know more about Pedro andhis leaving Cuba and him dealing with AIDS and his treatments, but itleaves me wanting more. This is more of a Movie Of The Week than a filmthat celebrates Pedro's life and achievements.

   I am a big fan of The Real World and Pedro's season had more drama init than this movie. The whole Puck arc on The Real World (and even theRachel and Pedro one) had much more tension and emotion than this filmdoes. It has been 15 years since Pedro passed away, couldn't we havegotten a better script given all the time that it could have beenworked on? This film's message is still relevant today, but ourrelative enlightenment on homosexuality, STDs, sex education and safesex makes the subject not as taboo as it was 15 years ago.

   For me, Alex Loynaz' portrayal of Pedro does not capture the stronglife force and intensity that Pedro did have. I did appreciate thecameo that Judd, Pam and their kids had – I wish that all the castmembers had participated with their comments in a documentary styleinstead of the actors who portrayed them.

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