Glue

If the point of the movie was suburban teenagers bored to distraction, then it achieved its purpose quite well. The problem with this is it also bores the viewer to distraction. Telling a story cinematically doesn't achieve its end with visual gimmicks alone like cross processed film and home movie additions without backing the story up with dialog that the viewer (those over 15 years of age) can relate to. This type of adolescent story has been done over and over again and for me, this film doesn't achieve anywhere near the rating this site has given it.

The story itself seems to meander at its own pace using the absence of dialog to set the mood. In a sense, this seems to be in step with the emotional life of teenagers where dialog is at a minimum and the expression of emotion is not fully formed. This was a realistic way of portraying the subjects and the kids did a good job of bringing this off.

Passing puberty is seldom even, and current technological solutions enhance wishes and desires regardless of actual location; true, in more distant and deserted areas the options to fulfill them are more limited. Such an environment we see in Glue - Historia adolescente en medio de la nada, where, through the views and deeds of 16 or something year-olds Lucas, Andrea, and Nacho we get a picture how teens become adults in the Patagonian part of Argentina. Longing for sex and love, drugs or their substitutes, alcohol, cigarettes, making music - rather universal elements, but still boosted by remoteness and sameness.

The adolescent performances (particularly Lucas (Nahuel Biscayart) Andrea (Inés Efron)) and direction are definitely above average, but the script - or its intentional inconsistency - leaves to be desired. There are some intriguing moments, but they are not developed, and the general result is somewhat arid and trivial. Camera-work and the choice of music are probably the strongest features of this film.

So, not a conceptual creation, but still an okay change for English-speaking films so widely spread and distributed.

I saw this film as it premiered at the Rotterdam Festival. It is a beautifully judged rendering of a teenager's dysfunctional life at home and sexual experimentation with friends. Every scene is perfectly pitched and rife with playful directorial invention such as the main character's (Lucas?) idle toying with the 'monkey with banana' toy in the girl's bedroom and the 'open/closed' game and his mother's English lesson earlier - there are many examples. The direction of the subject matter is fresh, sensitive, mature and never contrived, indulgent or heavy handed. The camera work is some of the best DV work I've ever seen, artful, free, fluid and instinctive.

Most impressive is how every role is perfectly cast, particularly the teenagers (although I may have had initial reservations about the father, I was sufficiently convinced by the end). The central character is realised by a soulful performance from the beautiful quirky looking actor. He has the most subtly expressive face, at once mischievous and vulnerable.

It is a fine fearless debut brimming with talent, good taste and a big beating heart that transcends it's meagre budget.

I really didn't want to dis this movie, because the acting/directing was great and the movie does succeed in capturing the teenage vibe, despite the male actors look a little older than 16 to me (still very cute though).

What makes me rate it a 4 is the total absence of a script. There is no depth of characters, no character development, no conflict. I don't mind experimental storytelling as long as I'm engaged and care for the characters. You don't in this movie and I found myself thinking like scandojazzbuff - wake me up when it's over.

The Gus Van Sant style rather annoyed than impressed me - that's how all alternative coming of age movies look like.

It seems to me many film makers want to both write and direct their movies. If you're not Woody Allen and can pull it off, maybe it would be a good idea to use that old thing called a scriptwriter.

I've recently seen this movie at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this movie.

Glue is a movie about Lucas, a fifteen year old boy living in a desert town in Patagonia ( Argentina) and his friends Nacho and Andrea. Lucas' parents' relationship is pretty unstable, but he doesn't want to be confronted with it. So he decides to spend his time hanging out with his friends, just talking about life and experimenting with drugs and sex.

Glue is a beautiful film about coming of age in the windy, desert-like outskirts of Patagonia. This movie is filmed with a very low budget and is very minimalistic, but it nevertheless succeeds to present very beautifully shot images in which we are granted a peek into the life of teenagers growing up. All the major themes are represented: Love, sex, drugs and music. This movie presents a universally identifiable view on teenagers.

If you have also seen this movie and enjoyed it, I recommend watching 'temporada de patos'. It is like a lighter version of this movie.