Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It

Although an amazing icon, with an incredibly touching story, the storytelling itself fell flat. You won't understand the protagonist more than when you started watching the documentary.

It's fascinating to go deep into the life of a Hollywood icon in her own words.

With the exception of some truly horrific events Rita describes in the 1940's/50's (which tragically seemed to be the norm back then for beautiful, struggling actresses) she seems to have had a fairy tale life. She pursued her dreams, made them come true, experienced enormous success, pursued activism that was important to her and was recognized for it, won award after award, and aged into the role of icon. Yet, thru all of that, what we are still presented with is this sort of long form victim narrative. Rita implies more than once that she might have been happier if her parents never left Puerto Rico. Perhaps she is right. I just find it all so strange. And fake. "Look at me and my iconic life!! And while you're here, feel sorry for me..." :-( Such a strange modern phenomena.

The trials and tribulations of her youth had one saving grace -- she believed in her fantasy. What did we learn? She loved Marlon Brano, tried to kill herself and was in an unhappy marriage until her husband died.

Rita Moreno is an icon, even if this isn't a warts and all doc, at least it's uplifting and fun. There were a few notable omissions and that shouldn't surprise as this is the legacy Moreno wants to talk about. Sometimes the viewer may feel she's speaking in code or not giving the whole story, but we have to understand Moreno is ALWAYS performing which makes this just another run of the mill bio doc. Final Score: 6.8/10

The legendary actress Rita Moreno is still going strong. She turns 90 this year and is still fighting the good fight. Few younger people really know who she is. It's too bad because her career reflects both the great classic Hollywood entertainment and the horrendous behind the scenes manipulation, especially of an actress hailing rom Cuba. Her relationship with Marlon Brando is particularly interesting. These types of biographies rarely show the flaws in its subject, but this is still pretty interesting stuff.

The indomitable, effervescent personality and spirit of Rita Moreno, even at age 89, shines through in this film from beginning to end. Sure, she's suffered all of the indignities and injustices one might expect for an impoverished young Puerto Rican girl trying to break into the 1950's entertainment industry. Refreshingly however, the journey to fame seems not to have left her filled with the anger, bitterness, and hate that typifies many aging Hollywood stars at this end of a long career. Instead, Rita freely and frankly acknowledges how some of her own poor choices played a part in the bumps along the way, but then gracefully pivots to also recognize that she has led a charmed life and been blessed with exceptional talent and opportunity along the way. Viva Rita! A shining example of the power of positivity for us all.

The year's best doc so far, revealing what a inspiration and icon Rita Moreno has been and always will be.

The proud public pronouncements by some attention-craved and out-of-the-limelight movie and entertainment types of having been "a victim" decades earlier, seems to be the current tried-and-true method for them to self-righteously re-enter and wallow in the now-popular sympathetic spotlight of victim-hood and self-pity these days. Every few weeks another new revelation of self-pity . . but they don't make a movie about it. Seeing the clips of her amazing performances and accomplishments were entertaining and uplifting, but her constant theme of ethnic and female-centric poor-me self-pity (parts with accents, suicidal relationship with Brando, hate toward her long-time husband-glad he's dead, her agent - that she kept, long ago movie moguls, etc.) should have been directed in private to her shrink, not an unsuspecting admission-paying audience. It's ironic that with all her ego-centric, poor-me complaining of earning a living being "forced" to play only ethnic/accent and/or sexy parts, her most current chosen role is not only ethnic, but has an overly-heavy Hispanic accent, and one that she specifically requested the writers make . . . Sexier!?!

Loved the movie. It was a very honest portrayal of Rita Moreno's life. She didn't hold back. Times were different then but she takes the time to self-assess her responses to events in her life and her responses. I would recommend this movie to others, particularly Latina women.