Potestad (2002) User Reviews

A Jumbled Mess

[MiloMindbender · 3/10 · 3 March 2003]

The film version of this play opens by traveling along the train tracks in a subway while the central character narrates. As scenes unfold, it becomes clear that this central character is not rooted in space or time. His narration documents what is supposed to be a very limited & linear time frame (of about 15 minutes each), however what occurs between these markers of time transgresses such boundaries. The impact is supposed to raise questions (for the viewer) about whether the main character is senile, insane or just plain sleeping. This certainly has the potential for being an interesting film, however this film fails to bring the stage play to life. The editing of the scenes is rather abrupt and wears on the viewer. I saw this at the San Jose Film Festival & the director (in attendance) said his intent on presenting the movie in this manner was to evoke the possibility of different interpretations of the material by the audience. However, I found that this really did a disservice to the material the film tries to tackle (the history of political upheaval in Argentina, the abduction/appropriation of children by the better-off/politically connected, senility/old age in contemporary society). The director did not want to make any particular claims about things that happened, and so what is left is just a jumbled mess that wears on the viewer. There is nothing that ever really grabs you. The central character overacts (it was played by the stage actor, and so this is probably why), the transitions between scenes are random & uneven, and even the music wears on the viewer. Films which present a challenge to viewers still need some device, whether from the technical skill in the editing or the artistic skill of the actors or some good music to set some emotional engagement, but this film fails on all counts & hence leaves the viewer completely disengaged from the film's content. As a result, with the lack of any intellectual arguments to hang one's analytical teeth on, the viewer is left saying "So What?"

Fascinating and intriguing

[dilien · 26 June 2003]

Potestad is a puzzle that is at the same time sublime and cruel: sublime because of its elaborated script, cruel because of its content. Bit by bit, each of the movie's numerous flashbacks completes the puzzle. After a screening in Bruges (Belgium), director D'Angiolillo explained he wanted the audience to gradually identify itself with the movie's protagonist. Partly thanks to the brilliant performance of medical doctor-actor Pavlovsky (who used to perform the text of Potestad on stage) D'Angiolillo reaches his target remarkably well. By focusing on the past and present of an individual and his relationship with his fellow human beings the movie explores Argentine's notorious dictatorship during the seventies. `Potestad' therefore recalls `La Historia Oficial' and `Garage Olimpo'. The main question coming to mind after having seen such a powerful piece of work is: Why do movies like this barely make it to the theatres whereas the whole world has no option but to watch the usual Hollywood rubbish?