Silvia Prieto

I had heard so much about this film that I looked forward to seeing it as in trendy Buenos Aires circles it is something of a cult item.

Mistake.

Stilted acting, rambling 'smart ass' dialogue, trite situations. It was instantly apparent that here was yet another lame attempt at trying to be 'cool' and European. Let's say: French.

The neutral Rohmer tone works perfectly when used by it's inventor. So do his themes, and charming actors. But here the actors lack 'charme', the dialogue lacks sparkle...and the whole thing feels like a frail attempt at 'clever' Cinema done by a pompous fourteen-year-old.

If this is Arty Argentine Cinema give me their staple but unpretentious 'popular' Cinema.

All the worst 'tics' of the arrogant and self-important 'porteño' are on display. This little 'clique' of friends might delight in their home-movie, but they sure know how to bore one to death.

Silvia Prieto decides to change her whole life, and discovers that there's another woman with the same name as hers.

This Argentine film explores the lifestyle that took over a large part of that country's society at the beginning of the 21st century, where uncertainty and economic difficulties began to have an impact on the way people relate and deal with life.

Martín Rejtman intelligently manages to capture the audience's attention through moments and situations that are very down-to-earth, without exaggeration, in a narrative that doesn't really matter much, but can still be satisfying.

The cast is great, the chemistry between the actors is visible and helps the characters to gain more background and be more solid.

The last act is a bit rushed, and even bizarre sometimes, but ends in a fun way.

A lovely film about late 20-somethings in late-90s Argentina. Though quite slow for the first 30mins, it then starts to feel utterly transportive, taking you to another place and time. The film is imbued with that lovely ambling 90s vibe, where someone putting on a fur coat can enthral, so past comparisons to Jarmusch or Kurasmaki films are definitely valid. B+

Martín Rejtman's SILVIA PRIETO is considered as one of the landmark film of New Argentine Cinema. The film focuses on Silvia Prieto who discovers that she has a namesake. She develops a bizarre obsession with the "other" Silvia Prieto that involves unwinding the question of her own identity. The screenplay has been a pre-packaged film on text that simply needed actors to bring it to life. It gets it - and at the expense of the lightness and the transient nature of comedy, a handsome portrayal of human wisdom is emerging. The characters are extremely well drawn and there's no artifice to any of the performances. Everyone plays off each other with natural, spontaneous ease, and though some scenes go on far too long, the subtle dynamics between them keep one engaged. It ends on a sweetly satisfying note and is overall a classy effort acted with likeable style. Kind of reminded me a bit of an early Aki Kaurasmaki, Jacques Rivette, Jim Jarmusch, Eric Rohmer and Harry Kumel's The Arrival of Joachim Stiller (1976) - filled with some great dialogues that in some mysterious way stays interesting. A film which is a worthwhile rumination on matters of the heart. For the fans of Joe Swanberg, David Neves, Andrew Bujalski, Rikiya Imaizumi, Noah Baumabch, and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit. Rest in Peace Rosario Bléfari.