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Performances are deadpan as these desperate people circle each other in this limbo-like location. None of these people have a soul, and the performances skilfully capture the true intentions without being obvious. Vadell and Munchmeyer have a wonderfully exhausted imperiousness, and the five ace actors playing their kids ooze entitled laziness. Meanwhile, Castro's sharp stare pierces every room and Luchsinger projects false innocence before a moment of soaring bliss.

The other major touchpoint is King Lear, as the spoiled kids squabble over their withering father's legacy. Pinochet is so fed up that he stops eating and hopes to die, until Lucia sparks a new dream. Where all of this goes is utter carnage, as everyone descends on each other with power and money on their mind. Through all of this, the film points a lacerating finger at politicians all over the world who plunder their citizens for their personal wealth while hiding behind ideological principles.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

8.Sep.23

Some characters are easily led, while others are definitely in charge, so power switches between cold men like Franz and Charles and hot women like Charlotte and Leocadie. Gelin's likeable young Alfred is smitten by Marie until he gets what he wants ("I feel 10 years older!"), then moves on to someone equally forbidden who's in his social class. It's understandable why Darrieux's Emma can't resist him. And while Joyeux's ditsy-tipsy Anna blames the "naughty champagne", she's clearly in control.

It's unnervingly easy to identify with people looking for love, or something like it, then moving on to the next possibility. "Don't worry, I'm here," Franz reassures Marie, who replies that this is the problem. If someone is shy, is it easier to win them over with chocolates, alcohol or a discreet apartment? And impotence is an issue more than once in this fiendishly clever screenplay. Because the narrative plays out with such a charming smile, its darker ideas hit us without notice. A masterpiece.

themes, language

23.Aug.23

The doc-style filmmaking makes performances feel messy and realistic, and Silva throws himself fully into a rather unflattering portrait of an artist whose work has turned stale. In a more complex role, Firstman is initially exhausting, then as he becomes the story's protagonist he becomes more grounded, even as his rather full-on personality continues to bubble over. Meanwhile, Saavedra portrays Vero as a woman who is having her own private odyssey. Her deadpan performance is simply wonderful, emerging as the heart of the film.

Jordan says, "You can't hurt me, because I'm happy" with a smile, shifting to a nasty snarl to shout, "Why don't you like me?" Throughout the film, there's a bracing tension between the distinct experiences of various people who are going through this situation with very different information. With the added social media element, Silva once again finds remarkable insight in between the often random things people say when they're not quite listening to each other. And the use of Google Translate is genius.

themes, language, sexuality, violence, drugs

4.Sep.23