Would I appear a tad jaded if I described this new Argentinian
romantic comedy as a little too close to a love affair itself i.e. starts off really well but confusion sets in and ends quite badly? What is real surprising though is that despite this, Daniel Burman’s movie picked up a Best Screenplay Award at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year!
romantic comedy as a little too close to a love affair itself i.e. starts off really well but confusion sets in and ends quite badly? What is real surprising though is that despite this, Daniel Burman’s movie picked up a Best Screenplay Award at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year!Uriel is a handsome divorced, rather charming and devoted father of two children,who has discovered that he is now in the middle of his sexual prime, and has no trouble meeting very attractive women. He doesn’t actual ‘date’ them but whisks them off for a night of passion in a motel. He loves his life and wants nothing to change so persuades his Doctor to arrange a vasectomy for him so that there are no unplanned newcomers to spoil his rather cozy routine.
Gloria on the other hand has just buried her dead father and realizes that her current beau is rather a dead loss. She bumps into Uriel with whom she had shared many a motel room way before he was married. She walked out on him then because she wanted the whole boyfriend experience which Uriel would/could not give her. There is more than a sparkle still in both their eyes and so a smitten Uriel starts to date Gloria seriously i.e. go out for romantic dinner and the movies but holding off on the whole making out bit.
Trouble is for some inexplicable reason Uriel cannot tell Gloria the truth. He comes clean about the vasectomy eventually but not about the fact he is a compulsive (and very successful) poker player and he also runs a Financial Agency/Operation, which seems to be all legal albeit very secretive, which was never ever explained. He pretends he is a Show Producer and is involved in re-uniting Buenos Aires most famous singing group. And that’s where the whole movie starts to unravel.
Up to then I had bought this really sweet romantic story lock stock and barrel, helped by the performances and the chemistry of the two lead actors Jorge Drexler (an Oscar winning singer making his acting debut) and Valeria Bertuccell (an Argentinian multi award winning actress). However I simply couldn’t accept in this very mudded ending Gloria, who had put such store in complete honesty, would now just shrug her shoulders without comment when the truth is uncovered.There is however another plus for this intriguing wee comedy is that Gloria’s mother is played with great style by Norma Aleandro, who even if the name doesn’t immediately strike a bell, you would straight away recognize as the Argentinian Grand Dame of screen & stage.
I still think the movie worth seeing when it eventually gets a theatrical release, but maybe just leave when they meet and fall in love again and avoid the messy bit. Just like my advice for life generally!
