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Di Girolamo has such a beautifully innocent face that it's easy to see why everyone is taken with her. She may be trying to burn everything down, but there's something naive about the way she faces life straight-on. Her scenes with Bernal snap in unexpected directions, as both actors create sharply defined individuals. And the same can be said for Loyola and Cabrera, who remain distinctive even as they fall under Ema's spell. But then each actor is vividly singular, entwined people who are defiantly independent.

Even as it plays with issues of mental instability and dangerous pathology, the film is a clever exploration of human desires and connections. Larrain is always adept at exploring the space between his characters, and that's the main thing that defines this unstructured story. So even as it begins to feel like a freaky track into the darker corners of the human psyche, this is actually a film about the expansiveness of love.

themes, language, sexuality

10.Oct.19 lff

Marinelli manages to bridge each of Martin's phases beautifully, maintaining his innate charisma as a man who wins over everyone he meets, including those who disagree with him. Layered under that is the sense of a voracious learner who loves to have his ideas challenged and refuses to go with the flow. Each person in his life is played with passion by a solid ensemble cast, bringing out the internal aspects of characters who are strongly individualistic while also feeding into Martin's journey.

Essentially experimental, Marcello assembles this movie as a collage of imagery and topical themes that are cleverly hooked into a driving central narrative. It's exploring the misuse of words like liberalism and socialism to distract people from the same old exploitative politicians, which basically just obscures the fact that slavery is alive and well today. But even with the tricky filmmaking, this is a remarkably involving story of a man working out who he is.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

12.Oct.19 lff

Performances also catch this distinction, as Zebadua's Francisco is almost too relaxed, even in sharply pointed encounters with Pablo's wife, mother (Morales) and the family maid (Telon). Remarkably, Olyslager is able to place Pablo in between these two worlds, subtly revealing the push and pull between them, relishing the ease of authentic living while craving the security of his family. This tension is vivid in each scene, which makes it impossible to know where he will end up. It's clear who he is, but what he will do is another question.

As the story progresses, scenes deliver powerful kicks. From the torrential rainstorm in the opening segment to the jaw-dropping sequence in which the pastors enact their "cure" on a group of gay men. Through all of this Bustamante maintains an eerily realistic tone. The family's emotional reactions may seem over-the-top, but they are clearly expressed that way for manipulative effect. And with subtle undercurrents running through each scene, it isn't difficult to see the real motivations behind these despicable actions.

themes, language, sexuality

23.Sep.19 lff