Rotting in the Sun

So this is of course polarizing and yes, Silva does have a tendency to deliberately shock for no dramatic purpose, but this film is carried by his muse Catalina Saavedra who helped him to stardom as "La Nana" (2009) which won Sundance back in the day. Silva then moved to the US and made one terrible film after another, all lacking the ingenious timing of "La Nana", so he has good reasons to be depressed and suicidal. This film is obviously a cleansing ritual of sorts, Silva kills himself to be born again, and while this may seem terribly self-centered, it does provide one of the most neglected actresses a chance to show her vast range.

It's also a rare satire of hedonistic queer life as only Almodóvar did before respectability killed his genius, also in collaboration with muses, most importantly Carmen Maura. It's no coincidence that Saavedra's part has similarities with Maura's in "What have I done to deserve this" (1984). Firstman is pretty gutsy doing a role like this (just imagine, Michael Cera turned it down). He is an Instagramer and this film makes you hate them even more. Most people don't seem to get the allegory of the artist working on film and canvas (which Saavedra destroys in her first scene) being replaced by the digital usurper, although that elevates the film to social criticism.

For me it's a positive surprise as I didn't expect much from it, but the shock value for non-gays makes it niche. To paraphrase a Latino saying, Americans just can't look cocks in the eye(s).

This is being advertised as a party comedy. It's definitely not. It's an extremely tense and chaotic film, and when there is humor, it's during uncomfortable moments so you're ambivalent about laughing. But it is very effective, and I think it might be profound (i'm still digesting it)

This film seems to examine the contrasts within the gay community between hedonistic abandon and self-hate. It shows these elements living simultaneously and seems to unite what would seem to be incompatible opposites.

Jordan Firstman plays a boisterous, fun-loving social media influencer that can't take anything seriously. Sebastian Silva plays a nihilistic depressive to does drugs not for fun but to feel numb and dead. When Sebastian goes missing, Jordan is forced inside of Sebastian's world where the misery he left behind begins to infect Jordan.

In a sense, both of these characters are initially unlikable in their extremes. You desperately want Sebastian to get out of his head and see the beauty around him, but you're also begging Jordan to stop treating everything like a game, and yet when Jordan slowly but surely starts absorbing Sebastian's dark persona you feel awful about it. This film is definitely a smorgasbord of mixed feelings.

But the most powerful weapon this film has is Catalina Saavedra's performance as Vera, an employee of Sebastian's landlord, who is living with terrible trauma, guilt and fear. Her acting reaches right into your guts and rips them apart. Powerful stuff.

Yet it's the metaphorical implications of this film that truly eat away at you once the film ends. You can't let go of these very real feeling people, who are all different, who are all chaotic, and all wind up in the same mess. Along with examinations of the gay community, it textures that with other kinds of culture clashes. Cultures within cultures within cultures. All falling into one dark hole of a mystery at once.

I'll say 9/10 for now, but depending how I feel when I wake up tomorrow, it might be a perfect 10.

I'm gonna be chewing on this one for a while. I'm writing this review to help me digest it. It's that kind of film. Heavy.

Whether or not this film is for you I can't say, but I can definitely warn that it is not a comedy. It is a dark and disturbing film that plays with your emotions and leaves you feeling messed up. But if you can appreciate that sort of thing, then this film is excellent.

Most folks here just use their own names, so it's easy to follow the characterisations as dysfunctional, ketamine-loving, "Sebastián" (Silva) encounters the drowning "influencer" Jordan Firstman in trouble just off a nudist beach. Rescued and grateful, the doggy-paddler invites his new saviour to hang out with him and his collection of "accommodating" gay groupies. This isn't quite his scene though, especially when his buddy starts posting stuff that "Sebastián" doesn't really want seen. Anyway, Firstman offers him a role working on his new project and decides to move in while they work it through. Silva has a lot to do on this film so he cleverly arranges that with the help of the maid "Vero" (Catalina Saavedra) and a rather ugly looking brown sofa, he manages to write himself out of the rest of this, increasingly mysterious, little drama that for Jordan could now be called "Where's Sebastián?". Now we all know what has happened as we continue to follow the almost farcical consequences as tracks have to be covered and Firstman vacillates between annoyed to concerned to perplexed to... You get the drift. If you like his style of comedy and delivery, then you'll enjoy this rather ripe and quick-fired look at all things media, gay drug-induced and shallow - indeed, there are few stereotypes left unharmed by this - but it's never dull and though the ending is distinctly weak, I thought this was quite a fun film that shies away from nothing - so don't watch if you've an allergy to male genitalia and beach shagging.

Wasn't expecting a few unexpected twists and the fast sudden change of leads within a movie with 2 protagonists. Impressive. This has a genuine feel of reality and it follows a very logical route of story telling. And that's exactly how the guilty character would behave with anyone caught in that dire predicament. The female helper was truly superb in her performance giving so many conflicting and disturbing vibes of what exactly is she in character essence. She can seem naive and somewhat intellectually slow, yet her instinctive prodding for an accomplice to erase her reckless misdeed betrays her darker nature. Again, the ending was another unexpected twist from her yet unpredictable surrender of truth when she could have had simply fade into oblivion. Great show.

Without giving too much away, this film took an unexpected turn halfway through and so it's almost like it becomes it's own sequel. There was a Hitchhockian angle to the way the film changes pace, and it became almost stressful to watch at times. I enjoyed the disoriented feel, a kind of metaverse vibe to it. It's really daring in the best possible way. Also offers a lot of social commentary on the poverty divide in Mexico, with the complete ignorance of the rich to how the poor live and the physical division of neighbourhoods. Of course it's also full of cocks so just a warning if you are easily offended by male nudity, this one is not for you.