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Rita Moreno won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1962 for her performance in West Side Story. For most actors and actresses that could've meant an instant recipe for success... but not for Moreno, a Puerto Rican, who found herself being offered the same stereotypical Latina roles she was getting before. What to do? well, like the title says, just go for it, but on your terms.
This documentary, from Mariem Pérez Riera, follows the life and career of Moreno from her birth in a humble town in Puerto Rico to where she is now, a 90 year old Oscar-winner with a renowned career, and a new film about to come out. The path there is neatly defined by film historian Annette Insdorf in the above quote, because when faced with the same stereotypes, she managed to shake it off and diversify her career in a unique way.
After taking a break in the 1960s for personal issues, Moreno came roaring back in the 1970s, winning a Grammy, an Emmy, and two Emmys (the coveted EGOT). And she did so in a most varied way, working on children's shows, TV procedurals, Broadway theater, and many more. Not only that, but she has also received numerous social and political awards from various organizations.
But the documentary also puts a spotlight on the many personal issues she has faced. Aside from discrimination and typecasting, she went through a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and even a sexual assault by a former agent. Despite all that, Moreno has managed to become a stalwart of Latin communities and an icon of female empowerment. All of that because she decided to go for it.
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RITA MORENO
JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT
(2021, Pérez Riera)
A film from the 2020s • A film from Rita Moreno
JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT
(2021, Pérez Riera)
A film from the 2020s • A film from Rita Moreno
"Her career did not take off after West Side Story, rising with bigger and better parts. Her career widened to encompass a diversity of roles and media"
Rita Moreno won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1962 for her performance in West Side Story. For most actors and actresses that could've meant an instant recipe for success... but not for Moreno, a Puerto Rican, who found herself being offered the same stereotypical Latina roles she was getting before. What to do? well, like the title says, just go for it, but on your terms.
This documentary, from Mariem Pérez Riera, follows the life and career of Moreno from her birth in a humble town in Puerto Rico to where she is now, a 90 year old Oscar-winner with a renowned career, and a new film about to come out. The path there is neatly defined by film historian Annette Insdorf in the above quote, because when faced with the same stereotypes, she managed to shake it off and diversify her career in a unique way.
After taking a break in the 1960s for personal issues, Moreno came roaring back in the 1970s, winning a Grammy, an Emmy, and two Emmys (the coveted EGOT). And she did so in a most varied way, working on children's shows, TV procedurals, Broadway theater, and many more. Not only that, but she has also received numerous social and political awards from various organizations.
But the documentary also puts a spotlight on the many personal issues she has faced. Aside from discrimination and typecasting, she went through a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and even a sexual assault by a former agent. Despite all that, Moreno has managed to become a stalwart of Latin communities and an icon of female empowerment. All of that because she decided to go for it.
Grade: