Wach auf, Liebster!

This bitter-sweet film of the passing years and reminiscences of the happy days of growing up is carefully directed with great attention to detail. It takes place in Argentina under military rule, but this fact is not much mentioned apart from Grandma's remarks about communists who seduce but never marry. Twenty-five years can reek havoc to one's appearance and when the central characters decide to meet after this long time, they try to cover their baldness, greying hair and expanding waistline. Ricardo says the secret of eternal youth is rock and roll and he virtually rocks his way through life filled with enthusiasm and contentment with his wife Ana and son Sebastian. His friend Ernesto a writer and philosopher takes a serious view of life, and he dreams of his youth when he first met Ana and fell in love with her. These reminiscences are done in flashback using young actors with reasonable likeness to the adult characters, particularly young Ana who looks very much like the actor as the grown woman. When Ana and Ernesto plan to meet secretly over a coffee, we see some marvellous relaxed acting, never hurried, always believable as they rediscover each other after 25 years apart. The conversations are brilliant and there is no hint of sentimentality although at times the characters come close to tears when they consider what might have been. Ernesto finally finds sympathy in the arms of Vera who plays haunting melodies on her magnificent cello. Vera has a commanding presence somewhat mysterious but totally compelling, whereas Ana has that frank, innocent, bubbly "girl next door" look about her. All characters are well-defined and believable. It's an interesting slice of Argentinian life with food for thought in much of the dialogue.

Eliseo Subiela, the director of "Despabiltate Amor", his 1996 film, is a man with a great admiration to poetry, as clearly shown in his other films. Evidently, Mr. Subiela is an admirer of Mario Benedetti, one of the best, and less known, poets of South America. His poetry is music to Mr. Subiela's ears, as he fills his films with the rhythms and cadences in his movies.

"Despabilate Amor" is an account about how, in spite of the passage of time, most of us have stayed the same. We are taken to the meeting between Ernesto and Ricardo, who have been part of a group of teen agers that seemed to be inseparable. The one thing that kept them together was the rock music they played constantly. Ricardo has rinsed his hair with a shade of blond in order to appear younger. Ernesto, alas, has lost most of his hair.

Through the use of flashbacks we get to know the story about those early years. Ernesto loved the gorgeous Ana, the fair beauty who is now married to Ricardo. We get to know the thing that separate them was Ernesto's trip to Cuba where he went, attracted by an idealism and a promise that seems not to have panned out. It's been 25 years since Ernesto has seen Ana, but actually, when they meet again, there are no sparks flying between them; then again, Ana is his friend's wife.

Ernesto, waiting one day to meet Ana, meets the mysterious cello player emerging from the Colon theater. He is intrigued by this solemn looking woman and approaches her. She tells him he is Cuban and, in a way, shows a disillusion about her paradise island. It's evident that Vera, the cellist, is now living, and working in Buenos Aires. Ernesto realizes at the end that what he felt for Ana during his youth is just a memory and he must move on. That is when we watch him running to look for Vera, who represents the new reality.

Dario Grandinetti makes a great appearance as Ernesto. In a way, Ernesto seems to represent the Argentine male character. Mr. Grandinetti is one of the best collaborators of the director and gives an excellent performance. Juan Leyrado plays Ricardo, a man who seems to be a total optimist; he keeps young by dancing rock in the terrace of his apartment. Soledad Silveyra, a wonderful Argentine actress, is Ana, who upon learning about Ernesto's sudden reentry in her life wants to rekindle a love that has ceased to exist a long time ago. Marilyn Solaya portrays Vera, the cellist.

The film is easy on the eyes and gives us a lot to think about. Again, Eliseo Subiela shows he is a director with a knack for making the everyday things into poetry.

The old formula of long lost friends who rekindle their past with a reunion has been done to death in THE BIG CHILL, PETE'S FRIENDS and the list goes on. In this case it is under the watchful eye of director Eliseo who makes entertaining poetry into an art form! The characters are absolutely adorable, giving their appearances as middle aged, non-glamour and no star names. A simple treat by this new master filmmaker whose other films include, Man Facing South East (1986), Dark Side Of The Heart (1992) and Little Miracles (1997).

Have you every thought did you marry the right person, was it for love or laughter? Darío Grandinetti performs again at his best, an enigmatic character who tries to rekindle his love with a high school girlfriend. But she has married his best friend from high school.......