Memories of a Teenager (2019) User Reviews

A suicide-prevention ad

[robtyrrell-98607 · 7/10 · 8 February 2021]

I just watched this, so am still processing thoughts here...but this was an interesting if messy, disturbing ride.

The main character is dealing with the suicide of his friend (lover?), and stumbles through being a teenager like most teenagers do. The lead often treats his friends and family like dirt, drinks too much, does lots of drugs and acts like a self-centered, confused jackass. In other words...he's an honest portrayal of many teenagers.

To an adult mind, lots of things don't make sense. But that's the point: lots (most) things that teenagers do often don't make sense. It's the rare 16-year-old that has the emotional maturity and deft communication skills to clearly explain what they're thinking or going through. Most teenagers are "a mass of conflicting impulses" as someone once said.

The writing and acting may strike you as messy and rough. But it may also strike you as raw and honest. In the end, it's trying to tell you to make the effort to talk to kids who look like they're struggling...before it's too late.

There's a lot to love here.

[rjasonbrown · 7/10 · 21 February 2021]

I find a lot of these other reviews unfair. While I'm not in love with the heavy handed ending, I did really enjoy this movie. A large part of that is down to the considerable charm of the lead actor Renato Quattordio. The characters are largely believable and the action keeps moving, though I think a lot of other reviewers lose sight of the fact that this is set in 2005 and they might not get all the cultural references or things may seem anachronistic. I'd love to see more from this director.

Teenage angst - worth watching.

[djvaast · 8/10 · 22 July 2021]

Just finished watching the film. I found it relatable and relevant. I teach teenagers and they are murky and complicated. Self-harm is such a huge concern that needs to be taken seriously. This movie deals with a lot of issues and for the most part deals with them well. I don't feel that the unexpected pregnancy scare was one of them though. It wasn't given enough traction to really be effective. Otherwise, the jumble of emotions, the conflicted nature of our main character, the self-destructive nature of denial, and the coming to terms with who you are were all poignant. The big message here is talking about suicide doesn't lead to suicide necessarily. Nico had many people who loved him and tried to help - the montage at the end showed that nicely - but he felt he had no other options. I enjoyed the movie. Could it have been better? Sure. Did I wish for a different outcome? Yes. Was I emotionally invested? You bet.

Bottom line: worth it.

I hope depressed teenagers don't see this movie, but I like it.

[juli_eta · 7/10 · 20 December 2021]

It is a film of a life that many teenagers could identify with. The protagonist tries to cope with the death of his best friend, while exploring his sexuality. It's an entertaining film and I think both adults and teens could find it emotional. The performances are believable and there are many nods to life in Argentina in 2005. I guess that's why some foreigners may not find it nostalgic.

In relation to character development, it almost doesn't exist, but I understand why it doesn't exist. The protagonist himself says that he feels he learned nothing, the viewer feels the same. That everything that is happening is stagnant, I am glad that this aspect does not make the film boring. Like any human being, he has his mistakes and his characteristics that make us empathize with him.

It seems to me that at the end there is too much importance given to the sadness of the parents when in the film there was no bonding that makes us feel empathy to then cause pity. It would have been better to focus on the sadness of his friends.

There's the cliché of teenagers partying, having sex and getting high. It's partly okay, but this movie could have been something more than that.

The problem I find is the feeling that although the goal is to prevent suicide, when watching the film we feel that what the character did was not wrong. Anyway, the film doesn't need to be a psychologist, but since it is explicitly produced for teenagers, I think the message is demotivating.

In general it is fine. I don't regret watching it at all.

Heartbreaking

[uncsbuddy91 · 6/10 · 4 May 2023]

I hated the ending, but I read that it's based on a real person, which hits me even harder. Zabo is a teenager whose best friend committed suicide, so his recklessness with drugs, alcohol, and sex, mixed with feelings of stagnation make sense- he doesn't know how to cope. That said, it doesn't excuse how he treats Ramiro or his decisions with Tina. The farther along in the story, the less likeable he is.

The story was hard to follow at times, which I blame on the director. There is no use of lighting differences or dates to indicate the transition between his memories and the present. The dates are used only to tell where he's at in the moment during the present, so it's confusing. It was also difficult to understand the depth of Zabo's connection to Pol because of the minimal presentation of their friendship and lack of timeline clarity.

As someone who has been depressed before and experienced suicidal feelings in the past (don't worry, I'm much healthier now), I think the level of Zabo's pain at the end could've been conveyed better.

Really great teen movie

[arielpomeranc · 9/10 · 9 August 2020]

Teens are always watching american movies and tv show. For once, a movie about being a teen in Argentina exists. This movie have a lot of topics like being lgbt, suicide and teen pregnancy

Argentina in 2005

[lucilachiappero · 9/10 · 12 January 2023]

As an Argentinian myself, I can't help but think that this movie is actually a really good representation of what being a teenager in 2005 was like. If you don't have a grasp of the culture, most of the little details get lost.

It's a great movie overall. Zabo is not a likeable character, and I think that's the point. He's reckless, he usually makes bad decisions, he played with a lot of people in his journey, among other things. He's flawed, just like all of us are. The fact that he is written to be a "normal teenager" is an extremely important aspect in the suicide prevention ad they're trying to make. It tries to portray that even a normal teenager, a person that loves and has things to do can even make that decision. The things he went through don't justify the way he acted throughout the movie, but it explains why he chose that path in the end.

Not great and kinda cringe

[kymlanlee · 4/10 · 4 January 2021]

I feel like i wasted my time. I was expecting to see a teen struggling to cope with the death of his best friend while coming to terms with his sexuality, a coming of age type of film... Which kinda is? But not in a satisfying way, it doesnt go further than it could have been explored. The main character is a prick, He was so disrespectful to everyone and it doesnt seem like he grew out as a character, which leads him to his death. It feels like i'm watching a movie written by a 60 year old man who thinks that's how teens live: drugs, party, sex and quirky indie rock music. The acting feels shallow and the editing feels cheap. The emotional scenes didnt make me cry or feel pity at the main character, even at his death. Nothing surprised me with this plot. This movie was a suicide prevention ad, but watching it made me want to kill myself lol Maybe I'm just being too harsh, but thats just my opinion. If you want to watch the life of a teen and his bad decisions: go for it.

relatable and emotional

[nathaliadeleon · 9/10 · 12 November 2020]

You can relate a lot to the main character, and the life of a teenager is well pictured more peolple should watch it, especially the last scene

Good movie, bad message

[piersoncayla · 4/10 · 3 October 2021]

This was a good movie but I gave it a low rating because I didn't agree with its message, considering it's based on a true story.