A film review: "Las hijas del fuego" [2018, Argentina]

Albertina Carri herself has gone on record for describing her latest film "Las hijas del fuego" [Eng. Title: Daughters of Fire] as feminist porn. But the ever so modest Carri has also packaged something extra in it, as the title suggests. It is an obvious reference to feminist angst, while also paying homage to the place where the (porn) road movie begins its journey - Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of Argentina, and a mere 'hop' away from Antarctica. Now that's shooting porn in some style!













Agustina (Mijal Katzowicz), an aquatics athlete training in the tundra, is thrilled when her filmmaker-lover (Carolina Alamino) comes visiting. Together they decide to go on a road trip up north to stop Agustina's mother (Cristina Banegas) from disposing off her dead dad's old banger - well, it holds an emotional value for Agustina.

This is the premise, but in keeping with the diktats of feminist porn, their journey will turn into an estrogen-fuelled voyage of promiscuity and rebellious hedonism. Picking up like-minded women along the way, they will indulge in threesomes, partner-swaps, and generally 'go with the flow' as often and wherever they can, as is expected in porn films. They even have to exchange their stolen SUV for a camper van, for lack of room.

But unlike your average Internet-era porn, we get to feast our eyes on threesomes against a stunning Patagonian backdrop, and lesbian re-enactments of Armando Bo's film-scenes in resplendent black and white. There's also a lesbian threesome in a church-setting while Agustina watches and masturbates from the door; deviant porn indeed! ;-)

The film features a grand sadomasochist-themed orgy mimicking what we might have seen in films elsewhere, the only difference being that this is organised by females, for females. Amidst their frolicking in the fiery tongues of unbridled sexuality, the girls find time to take on altruistic duties as well, like rescuing battered women from their horrible husbands, and showering love on women with low self-esteem; they truly become the daughters of fire. There in also lies Ms, Carri's message.

It's interesting to see Ms. Carri join a growing list of auteurs, from Gaspar Noé to Lars von Trier, dabble in porn-making just because they can. But her film is different from the others in that not all her protagonists conform to mainstream ideals, specifically male ideals of beauty and desirability. The dolly-mixture cast come in all shapes and sizes, and also include established mainstream actresses, albeit in non-sexual roles (Sofía Gala, Erica Rivas, and Cristina Banegas). Ms. Carri certainly believes that there is no difference between women despite appearances; that they are all truly beautiful and sexually desirable. She urges women (and probably men) to challenge male constructs, so who can argue with that. And yes, this isn't exactly porn, it is rather a celebration of the female, and definitely Recommended Viewing..!

 

No DVD-Link (yet) :-(
Not sure if it was screened in MUBI at some point, but will update this part when more information becomes available.

 

The Nudity: Mijal Katzowicz, Carolina Alamino, Rocío Zuviría, Wanda Rzonscinsky, María Eugenia Marcet, Ivanna Colona Olsen, Carla Morales Ríos, and others
The film features intermittent sex scenes of an explicit or kinky nature, and all the main cast perform non-simulated sex. There are BDSM-themed scenes, and one even suggesting female ejaculation (probably for the first time in any non-porn film). The alpine-meadow sex scene reminds one of German sex-comedies from the seventies, but the pièce de résistance is certainly the in-your-face masturbation, shot in real-time, as the group of revellers in the background gradually thin away. This long scene is the film's closing shot, suggesting in auteur-terms perhaps, that she is the female voyeur as well as the participant. Hurrah to self-love indeed! :-)



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A brief film review: "Alanis" [2017. Argentina]

Anahí Berneri captures a moving and at times probing portrait of a young mother and sex worker in her drama "Alanis". But instead of the gloom and melancholy usually associated with films delving into the subject, it is surprisingly positive and life-affirming.

The film begins with Maria aka 'Alanis' (Sofia Gala) being evicted from her Buenos Aires flat along with her toddler Dante following a police sting. Her partner however isn't as lucky and lands in jail.

 

With prevailing social safety nets unable to offer shelter to women of her disposition, Maria is left to fend for herself. She approaches a distant relative who allows her to crash at her shop floor until she could get back on her feet. An immensely resourceful Maria does manage it in the end...

More than the individual plot points, where the film shines is in its flawless, intimate, almost voyeuristic cinematography, and an empathetic performance by Sofía Gala (Sofía Castiglione). While she's had a fine collaborator in her real-life son who plays Dante, she's in almost every single frame and uses it unsparingly to paint a multidimensional, wholesome image of the character she's playing. Ms. Berneri has created a precious, elegant, and understated gem that deserves wider recognition. Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon Prime Link

 

The Nudity: Sofía Gala Castiglione
There are brief and intermittent scenes of nudity, mostly of 'Alanis' breastfeeding spontaneously. The film also features a prolonged, discomfiting sex scene which, when seen in context, provides added insight into the lead character.



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A film review: "El Clan" [2015 Argentina]

Pablo Trapero's films have always been gutsy and raw on the outside, with just the right amount of melancholy to reflect on the complexities of human nature within. His recent drama, "El Clan" [Eng. Title: The Clan] is loosely based on the true story of the Puccio family in Eighties Argentina.












It was the time immediately after the end to dictatorship in Argentina, when Arquímedes Puccio (Guillermo Francella), a retired intelligence officer of the former military junta, ran a lucrative kidnapping-for-ransom enterprise from his own home situated in an affluent neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. To the outside world, he was a stoic and hardworking surfing paraphernalia store owner and a proud family man, with a devoted wife (Lili Popovich), two daughters and three sons.

His was, for all intents and purposes, a model Argentinian family, inspiring a scarred nation trying to emerge from a troubled past. The eldest son, Alejandro (Peter Lanzani), was also a talented rugby player. But behind closed doors, the entire family was privy and sometimes even complicit in Arquímedes's chilling venture, during which kidnapped victims were held and tortured in a room upstairs. Without raising any concerns, perhaps because of their inability to do so, they took turns carrying meals upstairs and tried to drown out the screams by playing loud music. For the wife, it was perhaps just like any other business - a means to support the family.

Arquímedes always seemed to be in control; his calm demeanour convincingly masking the menacing ruthlessness with which he went about his work. After collecting the ransom money, the victims were killed in cold blood and their bodies disposed off. It's as if he never wanted to stop what he was doing during the military regime. And he had people protecting him - erstwhile colleagues, still working in the establishment. His house of cards will nevertheless come crashing down when the rules of the game change following a change in circumstances...

Trapero had made yet another gripping thriller with panache and is ably assisted by the main actors, particularly Guillermo Francella who plays Arquímedes Puccio, the head of the Clan, with great conviction. With impressive cinematography and crisp editing, the film oozes class. However, if I have to nitpick, I find that the screenplay had failed to answer some important questions concerning the motive behind Arquímedes's crimes, the backstory for authorities initially turning a blind eye towards them, and also why his family, with otherwise impeccable values, would tolerate what was going on.

For Argentinians perhaps, the story of the Puccio family is legend, and they may not need help with these questions, but as a foreigner, a few puzzles remain after watching the film. Thankfully, Trapero had set about discussing something more than just the story, like moral dilemmas, family loyalties, and such - so there is value in the film despite the screenplay shortcomings. The film won a Goya for best Iberoamerican motion picture, and a Silver Lion at Venice for best direction - well deserved, and reasons enough to make it Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon.com Link [DVD + Blu-ray]

 

The Nudity: Stefanía Koessl
There's very brief nudity from Stefanía Koessl who play's Alejandro's (entirely innocent) love interest, Mónica. They make out in the car in this darkly lit scene, and her screams of pleasure is inter-cut with screams of a different kind from the Puccio household.



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Love in the time of apocalypse: “El desierto” [2013, Argentina]

It's good to be back, even if briefly. Having been force-fed a diet of Hollywood over the past few months during my infrequent flights - yes, there must be a worldwide conspiracy to trap people into watching a whole bunch of American 'family' films, my interest in film had somewhat begun to wane. Besides, I had other things to attend to during my visits. I'm happy to declare though, that German-born writer-director Christoph Behl has successfully reinforced my interest in film with his brilliant début feature, the romantic drama "El desierto" [Eng. Title: The Desert].








There's a zombie apocalypse going on, and for all intents and purposes, the only survivors left in town are our three protagonists - Jonathan (William Prociuk), Axel (Lautaro Delgado), and Ana (Victoria Almeida). Holed up in a house with improvised fortifications, the armed trio stave off occasional zombie advances that the audience don't get to see. Ana records their zombie 'kills' by giving each of them a classical Greek name. Soon, she will run out of names to use.

Easygoing Jonathan and organised Ana have been a couple ever since she was rescued by the men during one of their scavenging missions. The trio have agreed to abide by a set of rules and code of conduct that they created, one of which was to record their thoughts and feelings in the privacy of a video room. The recorded tapes were meant to be put away in a sealed trunk, but were nevertheless regularly pried open and seen by the others. "If we had met in another place, in another time, in another story - perhaps we could've been together", Ana confesses to Axel in one of her video diaries. But the intense Axel couldn't stop coveting her; he watches her from afar and leers at her body when she sleeps in Jonathan's arms in the bed next to his.

The protagonists, while protecting themselves from outside harm, will eventually find living together increasingly difficult amid the tensions in their relationship. Axel wants to move out - he tattoos images of flies all over his body, intending to leave when there is no more space left to tattoo. Jonathan doesn't want Axel to leave even though he is aware of his desire for Ana, and will go to extraordinary lengths to make him stay - whether it is by conceding defeat in board games, or by facilitating Axel to secretly gaze at Ana's naked body. Things will only get complicated after the boys capture and bring home a 'live' zombie as part of a 'truth or dare' game...

What is fascinating about this film is its focus on the protagonists' characterisation - after all, isn't this supposed to be a 'genre' film! Director Behl invests considerable screen time in building his characters using observation and video confessions, and the simmering tension below the surface is revealed through clever camera, and sound - especially the incessant buzzing of flies. This, combined with the searing heat and sterling performances, elevates it to a higher level of film-making.

Importantly, the film raises questions on ideas we take for granted - that humans would do anything and everything to preserve their species. It's at its subversive best when it persistently shatters the notion that we'd all, given trying circumstances, altruistically do our utmost to maintain the human race. At once raw, claustrophobic, moving, darkly funny, and steamingly sexy, the thought-provoking film challenges us to look at ourselves as we really are, rather than how we'd like to be. There's a lot going on with several issues left for the viewer to draw his/her own conclusions. It's possible that the film might even be considered a cinematic masterpiece of sorts in the future - reason enough for it to be Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD [PAL] | Amazon.com DVD [NTSC] | Amazon.com [Instant]

 

The Nudity: Victoria Almeida and Lautaro Delgado
Four scenes feature brief nudity; the first three feature Victoria Almeida where her character is not aware that she is being watched. The final instance is of Lautaro Delgado's fully tattooed character examining himself in mirror.





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A film review: "Gato negro" [2014 Argentina]

Gastón Gallo's directorial début "Gato negro" [Eng. Title: The Black Cat] is about a man's dogged determination to break away from poverty and become a success story, and the price he'll end up paying in the process.










We follow Tito Pereya from the time he's a frustrated young boy growing up amidst sugarcane plantations and sugar mills in provincial Argentina of the nineteen fifties - where "nothing much happens". With a stressed-out mother and an absent father, the only person he can connect with is his older brother Claudio, who'll also be his best friend. But Tito is restless and raring to leave the village for good.

He'll get that opportunity when his mother takes him to Buenos Aires where she'd just taken up job as a domestic servant. But to his dismay, she enrols him in a convent and leaves hastily, promising to visit him during the weekends, which she never did. An angry Tito refuses to fit in the convent and runs away with another boy. Together they survive doing odd-jobs in a different town, until he gets bored and returns home.

As a young man, he leaves for the city one more time, and takes up the only job he could get, as janitor in a garment factory. Determinedly, he works his way up, and before long will start his own business in import and export. His enterprise becomes successful by circumventing law on occasions, aided by his uncanny ability to charm, befriend and bribe the powers that be, whether civil or military.

Apart from seeking success, Tito wants to be seen to be successful too. He builds his family and also makes peace with his estranged mother, a gesture which by then has become little more than symbolic. He surrounds himself with wealth and worldly comforts to get noticed and acknowledged by friend and foe alike, which will invariably also spark jealousy in some circles...

While there's nothing really unique about the film's storyline - a tried and tested formula used the world over in various degrees of deviation, it's a decent enough directorial début. Argentinians might relate to the film more readily than others due to its passing historical and cultural references. They have also made a serious effort at trying to accurately recreate various periods that the story spans. The performance of Luciano Cáceres in the lead role is pretty good, but the remaining cast fail to rise above the ordinary. Nevertheless, the film is entertaining and Recommended Viewing..!

DVD Order Link [NTSC]

 

The Nudity: Leticia Brédice
She plays the love interest who'll later become the wife of Tito Pereya, her character was probably inserted into the storyline as an afterthought with very little time for development. She appears briefly nude during her first make-out session with Tito in the office warehouse.



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A review: "Tan de repente [2002 Argentina, Netherlands]

 

Diego Lerman makes an assured directorial début with his neatly packaged character-study-as-comedy feature "Tan de repente" [Eng. Title: Suddenly]. Set in and around contemporary Buenos Aires, the film vividly captures a lot more than its meagre storyline, thanks to an imaginative screenplay and minimalist black and white cinematography.

Chubby, affable Marcia (Tatiana Saphir) works as shop assistant at a lingerie store that hardly appears to draw customers. Still recovering from the end to her previous relationship and desperate to get back in circulation, she attends fitness classes and readily listens to advice from anyone regarding weight issues, only to end up comforting herself with food in front of tele late at night. Her unhappy yet relatively stable world is challenged one day when she's approached on the street by two tough-looking girls with attitude, Mao and Lenin (Carla Crespo and Veronica Hassan). When Mao propositions her for sex whilst proclaiming that she isn't a lesbian, Marcia, taken aback a bit ("Shall we fuck?" being Mao's first words to her), rejects the request. So they kidnap her at knife-point, car-jack a taxi, and head off to a beach to impress Marcia, who'd never been to one.

After running out of petrol, they seek out Lenin's aging aunt (Beatriz Thibaudin) whom she hadn't seen in years, and crash at her home housing two other lodgers - painter Delia and shy medical student Felipe (María Merlino and Marcos Ferrante). What starts off in the vein of a Thelma-Louise bad-girls-on-the-road movie transforms into a riveting character study of the unlikely threesome.

While Marcia is worried about her fate, she doesn't attempt to escape even when opportunity presents itself - it's as if she was secretly longing for something like this to happen to her, or perhaps, a rebel inside her was waiting to break free of conformity to experience something different from clockwork routine. Mao is a girl with a mean streak - after having had her fun with Marcia, she suddenly looses interest and starts eyeing Felipe. When a distraught Marcia tries to leave, she'll also prove to be a big bully by trying to have her own way.


This is when the film begins to unfold unexpectedly - instead of a meek and submissive Marcia asserting herself, we rather see transformations in Mao and Lenin. Behind Mao's aggression and butch behaviour is a young woman just as lonely and craving for love as Marcia - her frailty and insecurity laid bare during the course of the film. The elderly aunt's natural warmth and positivity will bring to fore Lenin's own longing for normal family life - she left home after a fight and hasn't spoken to her mum since.


The film tries to tell us that unexpected things happen, and that we should make the most of every moment, while we can, during all our encounters and relationships. It engages by drawing us into the characters' lives and observing them beyond their defensive outward persona, without forcing any judgements upon them. It's a film that's beautiful in its simplicity - message and tone, and will appeal to those who'd like to be entertained and challenged in equal measure. Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL]

 

 

The Nudity: Paula Ituriza, Tatiana Saphir, and Carla Crespo
There are two scenes featuring nudity in the film - the first is in a shower showing Paula Ituriza and Tatiana Saphir, while the second is during a sex scene between the characters played by Tatiana Saphir and Carla Crespo.



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A brief review: "Rouge amargo" [2012 Argentina]

Gustavo Cova's crime thriller "Rouge amargo" [Eng. Title: Bitter Red Lips] treads a path well-worn by others trying to emulate Hollywood, but falls way short of being spoken in the same length as 'Jason Bourne'.

A candidate running for Congress is murdered in a hotel room when he's with favourite prostitute Cyntia (Mariela Vitale, credited as 'Emme'). The hit-man tries to get rid of Cyntia too but is prevented by Julián (Luciano Cáceres) after she escapes from the room in the nude and asks for his help. An alleged ex-convict, Julián, along with Cyntia will become 'natural' suspects for the police after the hit-man escapes from the scene. Could the candidate be killed for political reasons? Thrown into their midst is an investigative journalist and the officer trying to apprehend the suspects to solve his case...

There are several problems with this film, right from the screenplay to the numerous holes in the plot, not to mention totally irrational decisions that some of the characters make, that stretches credibility. The performances are passable but the direction falters at crucial junctures in the film. The unnecessarily shaky camera work and ridiculous editing put me off right from the start, and unnoticed half decent performances go wasted in the process. It's a shame that Emme (Mariela Vitale) - a talented actress from films such as Eva y Lola and El niño pez finds herself associated with this rather mediocre production. Short-sighted 'genre' films such as these tend to be forgotten very quickly, and raise the question whether they really need to be made in the first place.

 

The Nudity: Emme (Mariela Vitale)
The actress briefly appears nude in a few scenes - first in a hotel corridor in the midst of a full-blown battle between Julián and the hit-man. Later, Julán and her character have sex in a scene as poorly executed as the rest of the film. Finally, we're shown a few frames of topless nudity from Emme in a shower scene, inter-cut with flashbacks.



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María Nela Sinisterra in "Solo para dos" [2013 Argentina]

Roberto Santiago's "Solo para dos" [Eng. Title: Only for Two] is a run-of-the-mill mainstream comedy set in a tropical island.

Valentina (Martina Gusman) decides to separate from husband of ten years Gonzalo (Santi Millán). They run a holiday resort for couples, and Gonzalo finds it hard to come to terms with the separation, not least because it'd make for bad PR for their business. Newly married Mitch (Nicolás Cabré) arrives at the resort alone after his wife dumps him on their honeymoon. The friction in Valentina and Gonzalo's relationship will manifest itself in all kinds of pairings between the three, and will also include Tania (María Nela Sinisterra) - an employee at the resort...

 

The Nudity: María Nela Sinisterra
My only reason for this post is a couple of topless scenes of pretty María Nela Sinisterra - first with Gonzalo, and later with Mitch.



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Born free: "La puta y la Ballena" [2004 Spain, Argentina]

Wishing you all a Happy 2014!

I chose Oscar nominated director (La historia oficial, 1985) Luis Puenzo's drama "La puta ya la Ballena" [Eng. Title: The Whore and the Whale] as my first post for 2014, not only for its artistic credentials, but also because it begins with a new year celebration, in a train. The Spanish-Argentinian co-production was perhaps a touch unfortunate to have missed out on awards since it was released during a year of equally great Spanish and Latin American films. To make things worse, the title too was considered controversial by some at the time of release - how else can one explain the Region-1 DVD bearing the title "La Pu y la Ballena"..!

The film narrates two parallel storylines taking place several decades apart. The first story concerns a married Spanish writer (Vera - Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) researching an Argentinian photographer (Emilio - Leonardo Sbaraglia), who participated and died during the Spanish Civil War - she'd been asked to write the copy for an illustrated book featuring Emilio's photographs by her publisher-friend (Jordi - Pep Munné), and is also given supporting material such as un-posted letters and found footage. The assignment takes her to Argentina where she's suddenly diagnosed for breast cancer that requires immediate mastectomy. Vera's illness will prompt her to re-evaluate her marriage, relationships, and also force her to confront her own mortality.

The second story, and the more poignant of the two, concerns the person Emilio's letters were addressed to - his lover Lola (Mercè Llorens), a Spanish Chorus Girl who accompanied her troupe to perform in Argentina, who nevertheless stayed behind after falling in love with Emilio. After all, with her father killed whilst fighting for the Reds, there was nothing for her in Spain to go back to. But Emilio doesn't know how to deal with Lola's free-spiritedness, and abandons her cruelly in a remote corner of Patagonia - he sells her to a blind tango composer (Suárez - Miguel Ángel Solá), to work in his inn that also doubled-up as a brothel. Racked by guilt, Emilio returns to Suárez in order to try and 'buy-back' Lola, or what's left of her, but she had by then already become a shell of her former self - not as much wasted in consequence of her unforeseen prostitute-duties - she's in fact loved and cared for by both Suárez and his mistress Matilde (Belén Blanco), but because of the betrayal by the person she once truly loved, in her own free-spirited way, and not least being treated as a commodity to be traded with...

Both the stories intertwine and connect through the course of the film, and that is where the screenplay scores triumphantly, and devastatingly. There's a whale that appears during both the timelines and that's the reason for its inclusion in the title - the cow beaches and is rescued at the same location on both the occasions. The whale becomes a metaphor for freedom for both the women who encounter it seventy years apart. The film is supported by a superb cast - I can't single anyone out - they're all equally good, and is assisted by breathtaking cinematography, immaculate set design, and authentic period costumes, and lovingly serenaded by an aching tango. By the end, the film will leave you emotionally drained, yet yearning for some more beautiful pain, epitomised by the urge to refrain from conversation with anyone after the credits start rolling.

If you like Julio Medem's films, you'll simply love this one - needless to say, this underrated gem is Highly Recommended Viewing..!


Amazon.com DVD Link [NTSC]
Not my ideal choice, but this is the best priced one at the time of posting - the PAL edition is ridiculously expensive. The film would look sumptuous if it ever makes it to Blu-ray.

 

The Nudity: Mercè Llorens, Natalia Otero, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, and Belén Blanco
The film features extensive female nudity for at least a quarter of the film's runtime. It is also a nude scene classic - two of which are legendary, featuring gorgeous Catalan goddess Mercè Llorens and the exquisite Aitana Sánchez-Gijón - both excellent actresses. Natalia Otero plays a prostitute admonished for sleeping in the wrong bed, and Belén Blanco plays Matilde - Suárez's mistress, and also Lola's lover.



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A brief review: "El lado oscuro del corazón 2" [Argentina, Spain 2001]

Eliseo Subiela follows-up on the romantic drama he made a decade earlier with a sequel - "El lado oscuro del corazón 2" [Eng. Title: The Dark Side of the Heart 2]. He catches up with the same protagonist after ten years - Oliverio (played by a same, ten year older Darío Grandinetti), searching yet again for a woman who can 'fly', after the one he had who did - Ana (Sandra Ballesteros), takes flight literally to live with her daughter in Spain.

Frustrated at not finding a 'bird' - he could only manage 'amphibians' (Florencia Sabatella) and 'glow-worms' (Carolina Peleritti), Oliverio decides to go looking for Ana in Spain, and catches up with her in Barcelona. They're glad to have found each other, but alas, couldn't get off the ground when it mattered. Apparently they'd been looking back at their relationship rather than forward, 'Time' - in the form of a biker dressed in black reminds him. Oliverio will see the poster of trapeze artist Alejandra (Ariadna Gil) in flight, and falls madly in love. He pursues her through the country and eventually catches up in Sitges with the help of Time's free ride.

Over these years, 'Death' (Nacha Guevara) hasn't given up chasing Oliverio either, relentlessly following him wherever he goes. Since he can't shake her off, he takes her in his stride and even starts treating her as a friend. After meeting a pretty but suicidal Alejandra, Oliverio will discover that the trapeze artist too is stalked by her own bolero-serenading 'Death' (Manuel Bandera). Oliverio has his work cut-out - he'll have figure out a way of cheating his and Alejandra's 'Death', but for that he needs to first win the heart of Alejandra - no easy task under the circumstances...

Subiela continues his esoteric meanderings from the earlier instalment with his typical poetic license to tell yet another love story, elegantly and in a feel-good manner. Non-pretentious while also trying to be artistic, it may be commercial heart-warming cinema, Argentinian-style - but it is still way better than what Hollywood churns out these days. Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon.com DVD Link [NTSC]
Mine is an anamorphic PAL version that's not in stock at the time of posting.

 

The Nudity: Florencia Sabatella, Carolina Peleritti, Sandra Ballesteros, and Ariadna Gil
For some reason, the first two names above are spelt differently in IMDB. In any case, the actresses appear briefly nude during their respective scenes as two of Oliverio's exotic catches. Sandra Ballesteros even manages to look sexier than she did ten years earlier during a nude scene, and beautiful Ariadna Gil also appears briefly nude in one scene. There is also a voluptuous actress (uncredited) appearing in Oliverio's dream, after he fails to 'perform' in bed on one occasion.



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Fernando E. Solanas' Argentinian film, "Sur" [1988]

Fernando E. Solanas is one of the most important film makers to emerge from Latin America. His works - both feature films and documentaries, primarily concern politics, with a specific interest in showcasing a uniquely South American identity. On this regard, he even penned a manifesto called "Toward a Third Cinema", which was enthusiastically adopted by several film makers. His 1988 drama "Sur" [Eng. Title: The South] is as Argentinian a film can get - blending metaphors with political and social satire, and set against an atmospheric backdrop to the accompaniment of hauntingly brooding tango. The film's title, while directly pointing to the southern (poorer) part of Buenos Airés, also refers to a redevelopment project, and also South America as a whole.

The film is essentially about political prisoner Floreal's (Miguel Ángel Solá) return journey home, following the fall of the 1976-1983 dictatorship. Upon arrival, he changes his mind at the doorstep, and instead takes a walk through the city in the dead of night accompanied by ghosts from the past, while wife Rosi (Susú Pecoraro) lay awake, anxious and worried. She's aware of his release and had only just returned home after waiting for him the whole day at the prison door. Floreal's walkabout will inform us of their story with the aid of flashbacks tinged with nostalgia, and the odd ghostly re-enactment.

A lot is going on in Floreal's mind that causes the detour - his was an idyllic family life prior to arrest. Ironically, he was neither interested in unionism nor politics, but ended in prison after the one instance he made a statement of solidarity with staff, by participating in a strike over the extra-judicial killing of a colleague. Moved around from prison to prison over the five years of his incarceration, Rosi had to go to extraordinary lengths to keep tab and visit him, simply glad that he's still alive, unlike the many who disappear altogether. There's another reason for Floreal's hesitance to reunite with Rosi whom he nevertheless loves dearly, but is revealed much later into the film.

The ghost of the dead colleague - 'El Negro' (Lito Cruz) accompanies Floreal as he wanders the streets, recounting events from the past alongside some friendly banter. The film, apart from attacking the dictatorship, satirises politics and bureaucracy, like in the passage of play where two friends try to influence a cousin working in the ministry into getting Floreal released, but whose offices are being fumigated during the visit.

Regardless of its lighter moments, the overbearing air of the film is one of melancholy and foreboding, and the atmospheric cinematography alongside the tango of Astor Piazzolla (sung by Roberto Goyeneche who also plays Rosi's dad) lifts the film experience to something akin to experiencing a bad dream. Solanas these days is a politician and even holds active office, but his films still remain a yardstick for measuring visual poetry in Latin American cinema. Among these, Sur remains my absolute favourite, and hence Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Susú Pecoraro, Inés Molina, and Gabriela Toscano
The film often highlights the soothing nature of nostalgia, and the nude scenes form part of it, with Susú Pecoraro featuring on a number of occasions. Apart from these, a scene also recollects a fleeting but passionate affair between Floreal and María (Inés Molina), when they were hiding from authorities. There's also a brief instance of Rosi's sister Blondi (Gabriela Toscano) flashing at her boyfriend.



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Celeste Cid in "El amigo alemán" [2012 Germany, Argentina]

Jeanine Meerapfel's "El amigo Alemán" [English Title: The German Friend] is a romantic drama centred around the daughter of German émigrés, and set against the backdrop of some turbulent decades of Argentina's recent history.

Storyline:
Young Sulamit's Jewish parents are concerned about her growing friendship with their neighbour Friedrich, also from Germany, owing to his father's secret Nazi-past. But despite their objections, Sulamit (Celeste Cid) and Friedrich (Max Riemelt) will fall in love. When Friedrich learns about his father, he disowns him and travels to Germany, hoping to unearth his father's misdeeds. Sulamit follows him shortly after, but is disappointed to see that Friedrich had become a prominent member of a left wing student group, affording little time for their relationship to grow. When Argentina comes under dictatorship, Friedrich travels home to join the insurgents, and is promptly taken prisoner by authorities after a bungled operation. Sulamit had tried to move on with life, but realises that she couldn't love anyone the way she does Friedrich, and waits...

The film is reasonably well-made, and even though there have been several memorable films made about the dictatorship years, what sets this apart is the Jewish émigré angle - and their point of view.

 

The Nudity: Celeste Cid and Max Riemelt
There is brief nudity from Celeste Cid and Max Riemelt in a couple of scenes, and one more of Sulamit when she befriends German lecturer Michael (Benjamin Sadler).



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In a world without love - "Mala" [2013 Argentina]

s a screenwriter and director, Adrián Caetano has made some fine and memorable films in Argentina, but his latest crime-fantasy drama "Mala" [Eng. Title: Evil Woman] is likely to be remembered more as an oddity...

It begins with the words, "Once upon a time, in a world without love..." and proceeds to tell the story of a professional female assassin - Rosario, who caters to a clientèle made exclusively of scorned housewives. A paraplegic divorcee (Ana Celentano) hires Rosario to 'slowly' kill her former rancher-husband Rodrigo (Rafael Ferro), now happily married to a younger, prettier woman, and about to become a father. Rosario joins the ranch as a vet to try and get closer to Rodrigo, before the storyline veers off at a tangent...

I'd tried to make sense of the incoherent film but have since given up. For a start, we have no less than four different actresses playing the assassin Rosario - Liz Solari, Florencia Raggi, María Dupláa, and Brenda Gandini. I'm all for surrealism, but this isn't Caetano following on the footsteps of Buñuel's That Obscure Object of Desire. It isn't even tongue-in-cheek humour, but perhaps intended to signify the psychosis of both the Ana Celentano character and her former husband Rodrigo. But I doubt the director has pulled it off satisfactorily, due to factors like patchy performances, average cinematography, and more specifically the unconvincing screenplay. I wouldn't want to go into detailed analysis as I could be here all day; suffice to say that this is certainly not the best work from this otherwise fine director. I'd however heartily recommend his earlier films like Bolivia and Pizza, birra, faso...

 

The Nudity: María Duplaa and Florencia Raggi
There is brief nudity during a shower scene of Rosario where you have a braces-clad María Dupláa turn into a super-athletic Florencia Raggi. The film also features implied sex scenes like masturbation and female-on-male rape.


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Martina Gusman and Laura García in "Leonera" [2008, Argentina]

The 70's and 80's may have spawned and subsequently flogged to death an entire sub-genre of exploitative films called Women-in-prison dramas, but just when we thought there's nothing more left to 'explore', comes Argentinian director Pablo Trapero's Cannes-nominated drama, "Leonera" [Eng. Title: Lion's Den]. This one is not for fans of exploitation though - it is serious cinema - a gritty and thought-provoking essay of the human spirit, and an honest inquiry into the judicial system.

Storyline:
Julia, twenty five, is incarcerated for alleged involvement in the murder of her live-in boyfriend Nahuel. Also arrested is Nahuel's lover Ramiro - badly injured, but still alive. While leaving us to ponder and draw our own conclusions over Julia's own lifestyle, the film moves away to focus on her predicament instead - she is pregnant, and with a strenuous relationship with her mother living in France, almost alone. Her middle class upbringing hasn't prepared her for prison life, and despite being placed in a lenient ward set aside for expectant and young mothers, her despair is palpable. But she does manage to make friends, give birth, and her mother too returns to Argentina to provide things for baby Tomás. But when the trial concludes with her conviction, Julia is forced to give up Tomás, and her mother is made the child's guardian. Julia had fought tooth and nail for the child's custody, but had lost all her appeals. She's now only left with a drastic alternative to help regain her son, but will she go so far..?

Trapero has constructed a beautifully nuanced film that is much more than a straightforward story. Shot in real prison surroundings, a lot of effort had gone into portraying the drama as realistically as possible. True, there are cat-fights in the showers here as well, but it also highlights the loneliness among cell-mates - their earning for human touch and affection, and also the humanity of prison guards under less than ideal circumstances. More importantly, we're shown what it feels like to be a middle class woman suddenly denied some of the civil liberties taken for granted, and the determination of a mother to be given the right to raise her own child in prison.

The star of the film undoubtedly is director Trapero's wife Martina Gusman playing the part of Julia (she is also the film's executive producer). Ms. Gusman was actually pregnant during part of its production, which adds a unique dimension to the film. Appearing in almost every frame, her contribution to the film's artistic success is as much as the director's wholehearted effort. The characterisation and screenplay are also at their most imaginative - there are scenes that are exquisitely developed, which, while not pivotal to the plot, nevertheless add rich layers to the narrative. This is an unqualified success for Pablo Trapero, and Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon.com 2-DVD Set [NTSC]
It includes numerous extras, including the making of, and some deleted scenes. My recommended choice, the set with which this film has been reviewed.

 

The Nudity: Martina Gusman, Laura García, and others
The film features several instances of nudity and breastfeeding from Martina Gusman who plays Julia, Laura García who plays Marta - her confidante and friend in prison, and also from assorted supporting cast during a shower scene.



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Dolores Fonzi in "El Campo" [2011 Argentina]

Hernán Belón makes his feature film debut through "El Campo" [Eng. Title: In the Open], an understated drama concerning a couples' commitment to their marriage in contemporary Argentina.

Storyline:
City couple Santiago and Elisa move to the countryside with their toddler Mathilda - the move was Santiago's cherished dream. They are in love, and Elisa readily agrees to Santiago's proposal of relocation. But while Santiago is enjoying the transition and enthusiastically adapting to life in the country, the change in environment takes Elisa out of her comfort zone, which will challenge their hitherto solid relationship...

The austere, simple but elegant film is largely a character study of two individuals, their marriage, and family. It is also about communication and adaptation for the sake of a larger good. I'm not sure to what extent director Belón's efforts in creating a seemingly spooky or alien atmosphere really helps the narrative, but Dolores Fonzi and Leonardo Sbaraglia look good together in the film, and it is their chemistry and refined performance as Elisa and Santiago respectively that propels the drama. It is for that reason that this is Recommended Viewing.

 

The Nudity: Dolores Fonzi and Leonardo Sbaraglia
They're brief scenes that happen during some sex scenes - nothing explicit, but passionate all the same.




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Carla Crespo and Julia Martínez Rubio in "Castro" [2009 Argentina]

Film professor Alejo Moguillansky is among the more interesting contemporary directors making films in Argentina today. His frenetic drama "Castro" appears to be an exercise in slapstick nihilism with its protagonist caught in an existential trap.

Castro has separated from wife Rebeca - he's now in love with Celia, but his idea of turning a new page in life doesn't seem to be happening, because he is being chased by his past, literally, in the form of his wife, and two men, one of whom is her new lover Willie, and the other, specifically hired to track down Castro. A good portion of the film is consumed in this palpably ineffectual chase through the streets and trains of Buenos Aires. Celia loves Castro, but she also wants him to find himself a job. And that's his biggest problem, because he feels it's his idleness that is allowing them to stay as a couple. "I have you, my head, and my body. If I get a job, one or more of the three would disappear". He adds, "to earn a living, is to waste one's life". But he does find a job, or more accurately, a job finds him. One which seemingly involves a lot more purposeless 'running'. As only expected, Castro quits the job in disgust during the final minutes of the film, whose climatic finale will also leave us perplexed.

Perhaps, a more descriptive title for the film could have been "Corre, Castro, corre". Castro is metaphorically running away from things that most of us find necessary in order to live 'normal' lives, because he thinks that would be an ignorance-filled, catatonic existence. Loosely based on Irish author Samuel Beckett's satirical novel "Murphy", the film is set in a frantic environment, and we see people running even when there is really no need. Apart from its philosophical intentions, the film also appears to be an ode to the silent era, with its hurried pace and snappy editing, the highly visual gags, and even the piano accompaniment. But the film doesn't really take itself seriously - its treatment is largely comedic - satire delivered through slapstick and deadpan. I get the impression that this film has been made for its own sake, it's about the joy of film-making itself. Whether you're left pondering about its message, or simply taking it at face value, this is an enjoyable film to watch despite its bleak outlook, it is Recommended Viewing..!

The Nudity: Carla Crespo and Julia Martínez Rubio
There are a few brief scenes in the film involving nudity, one of which is a good example of what we now call 'sexposition'. In this witty scene, Rebeca enquires Willie, her new lover, whereabouts of husband Castro, and his girlfriend Celia, insisting he answer her questions without stopping from what he was doing, i.e., ass-licking, and it is plain to see the intended pun on Rebeca's temperament. Domineering and quick-fire Rebeca is well played by Carla Crespo. There is also brief nudity in a bathtub from Julia Martínez Rubio who plays the character of Castro's girlfriend Celia.





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Martina Gusman in "Elefante Blanco" [2012 Argentina]

Argentinian Pablo Trapero, among the more talented young directors working in Latin America today, is renowned for his originality, cinematic eye, and uncompromising film making. From what I've seen so far, his screenplay and depictions are gritty, his topics  typically political and social, often critiquing the establishment and law enforcement agencies. I also couldn't help noticing influences from early Italian neorealists like Vittorio de Sica and Roberto Rossellini. But his films are nevertheless more sentimental in a very Latin American manner.

I'll start with his latest film, "Elefante Blanco" [Eng. Title: White Elephant], set amidst the slums of present day Buenos Aires, giving us a vivid snapshot of its persistent gang culture, drugs, and the establishment's antipathy towards its dwellers. This may not be Trapero's finest film - that I'll post at a later date - but it is certainly well made, and among the better Argentinian films I have seen this year. Recommended Viewing.

DVD Order Link

Storyline:
Ailing priest Julián (Ricardo Darín) who works in the slum and oversees a reconstruction project invites Belgian friend and fellow-priest Nicolás (Jérémie Renier) to join him, and hopefully also become his replacement. Through his stay, an altogether human Nicolás, ridden with guilt from his past, learns the hard way a lesson in drawing the line between compassion and 'interference'. The white elephant - the construction project that they're trying to complete is the background against which events unfold...

Compilation: Martina Gusman
Man of the cloth Nicolás, despite his oath couldn't help being drawn towards Luciana, a social worker passionately involved with the slum. In the only nude scene in the film, he visits Luciana late one evening, and things take their course. Luciana is played by a talented actress who also happens to be director Trapero's wife - Martina Gusman. She matches Ricardo Darín's intensity effortlessly throughout the film.



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