This quiet little film opened in the ACID Cannes, at the Cannes Film Festival. This is the division for independent films.
Written, directed by and starring Iair Said (“Society of the Snow”), it is the story of David, a gay Jewish Argentinian who returns from studying abroad for the funeral of his uncle. At the same time, his father lies, long comatose, in a private clinic.
We are first introduced to David as he weeps, sitting on the edge of a hotel room bed in only his undershorts. He’s evidently had a fight with his lover, who is locked in the bathroom. David begs for another chance, but there is no response.
Next, we see him dragging his suitcase across a beach, toothbrush in hand, and then floating on his back in the sea. This aimless, ungrounded action illustrates the nature of his character.
David is an unattractive, lummox of a 30-something man to whom things happen, but is otherwise mostly a man of inaction – except during his occasional bungling attempts to initiate a gay relationship with a driving instructor, his mother’s next-door neighbor or even a medic while his mother is being treated for a sprain.
Along the way, David finds out his mother (Rita Cortese – “Blondi”) is planning to euthanize his unresponsive father – a man whom David keeps finding excuses to not visit, even though he has little else to do.
Said has said his film is an exploration of the cost of funerals. There is a semi-pathetic scene in which his Jewish cousin tries to negotiate a cheaper price on the burial of her uncle in a Jewish cemetery. All she gets is installment payments, but she is nonetheless proud of her negotiating skills. The story also deals with loss and fear of being alone, but again only ever so lightly.
Once in a while, there is a glimmer of humor. David is Googling comas, death and euthanasia while a female voice describes what he is finding and how people never want to face the issue of death; then he abruptly turns his attention to looking up gay porn.
Sadly (a word that sums up this flick) we are not given any portraits of the other characters in the story and so end up with no one to relate to or even develop antipathy toward. There certainly was time, considering how short the runtime is, but like David, we just wander through it. Even a Seder dinner and birthday celebration, which could have been a springboard for some depth of conversation, is a missed opportunity.
The movie is described as a “dark comedy.” It is hardly comedic and instead of being dark, it is a dismal twilight.
In Spanish with English subtitles.
Runtime: One hour, 17 minutes – but feels longer
Availability: In NYC now and LA on May 9 and then other theaters
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