Camila Mendes is a Rom-Com sensation

A simple Google search for “best romantic comedies of all time” will take you down a rabbit hole of nostalgia for 90s and early 2000s movies like “10 Things I Hate About You “, “While You’re Sleeping” and “PS I love you.” These classics, along with many others, have shaped the way we view love on screen. But through these films, we have learned what love looks like through white protagonists; many BIPOC communities did not see themselves represented. While we’ve seen Latino actresses like Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lopez, and Christina Milian make their mark early on in romantic comedies (and over the years, we’ve seen other Latinas take on the occasional role) mainstream, like Gina Rodriguez in “Someone Great”), for years the entertainment industry has undervalued and undervalued Latino communities on screen and behind the camera.

Camila Mendes is changing that narrative. You may recognize her from romantic comedies like “Palm Springs,” “The Perfect Date” and “The New Romantic” — she’s starring and is an executive producer on the romantic comedy new series “Música”. also starred in and was directed by her boyfriend, Rudy Mancuso.

“Even though we loved the romantic comedy genre from the 90s and early 2000s, things have changed and that doesn’t mean you have to overtly like making a romantic comedy. Pride has awakened, but I think it’s just a matter of finding a way. to make them more interesting and based on today’s experience of finding love,” she said.

Indeed, “Música” expands what it means to be Latina on screen – with a much-needed concrete depiction of the Brazilian-American experience. The film follows Mancuso’s character, also named Rudy, as he navigates the trials and tribulations of family life, romance and career decisions – all while living with rhythmic synesthesia. This rare neurological condition causes a person to experience more than one sense at the same time.

The film is based on Mancuso’s reality, where he turned to music as a solution to everything. It chronicles his own upbringing and uses the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, NJ, which is heavily Brazilian, as its backdrop.

Mendes plays Isabella, Rudy’s love interest. What makes her role in “Música” so special is the authenticity of her own cultural background as a Brazilian-American. This is also the first time she has taken on a role that allows her to directly tap into her own heritage, and she can even speak Portuguese fluently.

“It was an opportunity I had been waiting for my entire career, and I honestly wasn’t sure if I would ever get it,” Mendes said. “I think I’ll have to create it myself. I have a plan [create something myself]but this project was ahead of the curve and I thought, ‘Finally the dream has come true, you know, expressing my authentic culture instead of having to pretend to be someone else. [ethnicity other than my own].'”

Mendes emphasized the need to open up the way Latinos are represented in these films, as well as the importance of including Latinos of all different backgrounds.

“We’ve watched a lot of romantic comedies and we’ve seen a lot of scenarios play out, and I think it’s great to take a fresh take and bring in a cultural element that you don’t normally see in Those romantic movies. -coms,” she said.

“We’ve watched a lot of romantic comedies and we’ve seen a lot of scenarios play out, and I think it’s great to take a fresh take and bring in a cultural element that you don’t normally see in Those romantic movies. -com.”

It’s clear that Hollywood continues to miss out on culturally specific elements when telling our stories. But true representation isn’t just about us in these rooms; it’s about making sure the characters and scripts that are greenlit capture the true nuances that make our communities what they are.

“I just know that I have a responsibility to my culture that I happily accept, and I take that responsibility upon myself because there aren’t many of us in Hollywood who tell that story and have the ability to do it. projects,” Mendes said of her responsibility to amplify broader stories about Brazilian culture on screen. “I will use my power to create that advantage and help move this industry to a place where this can happen more often.”

As he solidifies his position as a Brazilian-American romantic comedy star, Mendes admits that there’s still room for growth when it comes to these films. And she wants to see Hollywood subvert the genre in exciting new ways.

Still, Mendes can appreciate the legacy of the classic romantic comedy. She can narrow her favorites down to two: “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “Came Polly.” She feels the latter doesn’t get the credit it deserves. For the best romantic comedy of all time for Jennifer Lopez, the OG Latina of movies, she chooses the iconic 2001 film “The Wedding Planner.”

After releasing “Música,” Mendes hasn’t had time to slow down yet. But running around with a tight schedule is what keeps her motivated.

“Sometimes that’s a good thing, you know, when you’re busy with things like this, it helps you focus on the present moment. I think it’s easy to get caught up in focusing on what’s going on.” who is speaking and how they respond,” she said. “Even though, luckily for us, it’s all been very positive – but there’s something really nice about trying to get through it and get on with your life because there’s still work to be done.”

There’s always work to do for Mendes; Her latest work includes a collaboration with Italy’s Aperitivo Aperol at Coachella. She said it was very special to bring to life.

“Aperol spritz is the drink my best friend and I always drink together. When [she and I] As roommates, we had a summer ritual where I would go pick an orange from the orange tree [in my backyard] and she’ll make us some Aperol,” she shares. “I associate this drink with the experience of spending quality time with my best friend.”

Even though her best friend couldn’t attend Coachella with her this year, Mendes said her spirit was still there. For his part, Mendes plans to take some time to slow down and take in the success of “Música.” And as the Latine community’s new romantic comedy queen, it seems fitting that she could also celebrate the film’s success with her on-screen and off-screen lover, Mancuso.

Brenda Barrientos is a Peruvian-American journalist and social strategist with over seven years of experience. In addition to her work on social media, Brenda also writes about music and culture, with a particular focus on Latinx creators. In addition to PS, her writing has also been published by Billboard, Byrdie, People en Español, Refinery29, Rolling Stone, etc.