Jezabel

Pretty clever and grimm coming of age crime-drama of four good-for-nothing kids interwoven with the death of one of them. Some kind of arthouse-thriller but not artsy-fartsy. More a latino version of a Park Chan-wook flic. The criminal case is told from the perspective of sixteen years later. You don't know if you should like or hate those slackers but you will feel for them anyway. The four young actors are just brilliant.

A very well told story about guild & punishment, power dynamics and the questionability of memories. You get a nonlinear narrative, suspence, great acting, awesome camera work, a lot of nudity, some political undertones and enough to think about when the movie is over. It's one of these little gems that went under the radar and didn't get the attention it should have. Maybe because of the amount of sex scenes or because of the nonlinear jumpiness that needs you to pay attention. Whatever the reason is, Jezabel is one raw diamond with a wonderful tarnished beauty, a thriller that will compel you to think and stays with you.

Go and watch it!!!

No pun intended - I actually don't mean that there is a Generation X (maybe there is), but this is just a filler for the pun I mentioned before. Which would have to do with love making - but with less love and just seeking thrill and having "highlights". Which seems to be ... making life worthwhile to a degree .. getting kicks, doing stuff that is not allowed - like cheating on exams and all that.

That means of course that you may not have too many characters that you will find too likeable ... you have to suspend your disbelief in that and many other regards. Also as you may have guessed you can't be too sensitive about stuff - especially when it comes to intercourse and nudity ... but also violence, physical and psychological ...

Some scene was more interesting than others. I didn't liked the ending, it is revealing but perhaps too trivial.

What is love at the beginning of the film turns into bitterness when the story dissolves and the protagonist gets to retrace moments from his past. To be honest i like more nice ending, this wasnt one but i have to say that it didnt surprised me neither that much, i can accept it.

Anyway the film is mostly well acted, the actors and actresses are good, the filming is also quite good. On the other hand the story wasn't at its best it gave me the idea of being a bit poor. The conclusion in the end comes very simply, it would have been good a little more suspense.

I would have preferred more research into the characters by the director.

Overall it's not a masterpiece but if you have nothing else to watch if you like slightly "particular" thrillers it's not to be ignored.

Alain, Eli, Lolo and Carmen are best friends and ofcourse rich kids, who are happy to celebrate their hedonistic ways - indulging in sex, drugs and house parties. One such night ends up with Eli dead, leaving the other 3 panicked. Soon their teacher is arrested for Eli's murder. 16 years later, Alain is now in a relationship with a journalist and promises him a story which is Alain's past. As Eli's death gets investigated, the accused teacher is said to be brutally murdered in prison, Alain gets haunted by his memories. What actually happened on that night and how did Eli die actually? As the answers get revealed, much more sinister truth gets exposed too.

The film stands out when it comes to it's cinematography. The scene setting, the lighting and the shots, definitely left a mark. The narrative too starts off well, slow paced yet the non-linear with constant flashbacks, keep the mystery alive for a while. However, the narrative gets derailed in the third act and in an attempt to expose nobody is innocent, the director takes it a bit too far. The twist isn't that unpredictable and the gimmicks with pointing the doubt towards another character, didn't really work as intended. The performances are still decent and the explicit scenes are not much of a distraction.

"Jezabel" is a true masterpiece in storytelling and in deceiving viewers with its own Rashomon effect. The first half implies that the film is going to tell a story of grieving over a dead friend and recalling adolescent years, but as we move to the second half we start to uncover layer after layer of the protagonist's true personality along with several unexpected plot twists. "Jezabel" is a perfect example of sexual thriller that doesn't try to be subtle with its depiction of violance, cruelty and shocking actions - it does want to be uncomfortable. Yet at the same time it is not overstated or overdone and director Hernan Jabes finds the perfect balance and harmony of each and every element of this film. I also have to praise the acting performances of all cast members, but especially Gabriel Aguero, whose complex peformance as the protagonist serves as the fuel of the story. I would highly recommend this picture!