An excellent first feature for director Alvaro Brechner. The strong writing and acting create characters that are believable and richly developed with subtlety and detail, but are not at all transparent. The viewer is invited into their experience yet still kept somewhat at a distance. What is innermost remains inaccessible as events unfold and build toward a climax. The film strikes a nice balance between character study and suspense. There is a simple plot – the film does more that just paint a picture, though that aspect in itself would be enough to make this a decent film.
The visual elements serve the story very well – dark colors support the emotional content perfectly. The world that is portrayed is not glamorous, but lived-in and decadent. Two very different perspectives are evident in the film – the feeling of life on the road for the wrestler and his manager, and the poverty and boredom of the local people. Excellent costuming also helps define the characters and their environment.
This film succeeds where many others that build toward a single event fail – it creates an emotional investment for the viewer – but one that may be ambiguous. Ultimately the characters are somewhat ambiguous themselves – but not due to any concealment on the part of the filmmaker. The characters simply are that way. We can't penetrate them or know their inner motives.
The film makes a point – but it is far too subtle and enjoyable to be called a "message" film. The point is that events are easily understood - people aren't.
The visual elements serve the story very well – dark colors support the emotional content perfectly. The world that is portrayed is not glamorous, but lived-in and decadent. Two very different perspectives are evident in the film – the feeling of life on the road for the wrestler and his manager, and the poverty and boredom of the local people. Excellent costuming also helps define the characters and their environment.
This film succeeds where many others that build toward a single event fail – it creates an emotional investment for the viewer – but one that may be ambiguous. Ultimately the characters are somewhat ambiguous themselves – but not due to any concealment on the part of the filmmaker. The characters simply are that way. We can't penetrate them or know their inner motives.
The film makes a point – but it is far too subtle and enjoyable to be called a "message" film. The point is that events are easily understood - people aren't.