Summary
There is something that is not quite clear in Leonardo Brzezicki's film, in a story that begins as in media res about a drift that is pure crisis, but crisis due to what? Perhaps it is about immersing ourselves in the confused point of view of its protagonist, who is driven by pure impulse, during a year-end parties they exacerbate the need for balance sheets.
Of which there is no doubt, is the extraordinary performance of Leonardo Sabaraglia, full of nuances and in which he literally puts the body, in a film that, ironically, does not finish painting its protagonist adequately, leaving everything in the hands of the emotions that transmits.
Review:
A few days at the end of the year in the middle-aged affective crisis of Santiago (Leonardo Sbaraglia), seeking to strengthen his ties and redefine others.
There is something that is not quite clear in Leonardo Brzezicki's film, in a story that begins as in media res about a drift that is pure crisis, but crisis due to what? Perhaps it is about immersing ourselves in the confused point of view of its protagonist, who is driven by pure impulse, during a year-end parties that exacerbate the need for balance sheets.
The film begins with Santiago at a gay party at the home of Federico, a Spanish friend (Iván González). Does the director intend to refer to this type of free sexuality gathering as a debatable indicator of an empty and aimless life?
Santiago carries out the paternity of Laila alone, a teenage daughter (Miranda de la Serna; young Argentine actors have serious diction problems), who has just finished high school and with whom he has a sometimes conflictive relationship. Neither has his link with his ex Luis (Alberto Ajaka) fully resolved for him. Professionally, he is doing well (in front of an elegant restaurant that he manages with solvency and firmness), denoting a high socioeconomic level. Clearly, the discomfort does not come around here.
Santiago imposes himself (suddenly?) to love and be loved again, pouncing on his available links, current and past, acting out of sheer impulse and with little introspection. There are elements of drift stories in the story and in Brzezicki's urgent staging that recall some Anahí Berneri's films, but without achieving his psychological depth or forcing a little comparison, with the French film The Wounded Man.
That the film is a co-production adds a forced (and unintentionally comic) diversity to link to a story where there is a Spanish friend, a Spanish ex-wife who lives in Brazil and possible Chilean and Brazilian romantic and sexual interests.
Of which there is no doubt, is the extraordinary performance of Leonardo Sabaraglia, full of nuances and in which he literally puts the body, in a film that, ironically, does not finish painting its protagonist, leaving everything in the hands of the emotions that transmits.
