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Retrato de familia (1995)

The best Mexican telenovela of the 90's.

Mexican telenovelas, especially those from the Televisa network, tend to be far-fetched, unrealistic and unrepresentative of real people. That is of course their intention to provide entertainment.

But then there's exceptions in Mexican television when real dramas with great acting come along. "Retrato De Familia" is simply one of the best written telenovelas I have seen.

I watched this in the summer of 1996 on Univision where this was aired in the afternoon. I was immediately intrigued by Helena Rojo, Diana Bracho and Yolanda Andrade's characters. They all had so much going on and their acting was impeccable. In a nutshell, the story is a portrait of a so-called "distinguished family" that in reality isn't bonded like one. Helena Rojo and her husbands character do not communicate and along comes Alfredo Adame and awakens her passion. While in the background, the marriage has failed and her daughter played by Yolanda Andrade torments her, blaming their failure solely on her mother. Diana Bracho plays their bitter aunt who keeps a dark secret that can endanger their family.

I haven't seen this telenovela in years and have never seen it rerunned. I am not sure if it was a hit in the ratings but if you ever come across this telenovela anywhere, it's definitely worth your time! Televisa produces a lot of garbage but this is one of their finest moments. A real drama with a backbone.