Todos los incendios

This starts off quite strongly as we meet the young "Bruno" (Sebastian Rojano) who has a penchant for setting things alight. We are not talking grand conflagrations here, but a few dozen matches inside the box can make for quite a distressing sight for his mother when he's playing in his room! His home life is a bit complicated as his father has recently died and his mum has a new lover, so he decides that he is going to travel to the city to meet a girl he met on the internet. The thing is, "Dani" (Natalia Quiroz) has not been entirely honest with him about her agenda and that's just further exacerbated by "Ian" (Ari Lopez) who is the gay best pal of "Bruno" and with whom he has had the occasional dalliance. He's confused, "Dani" is confused and his mother is concerned that her son is in danger of going off what rails he was ever on. With the story now well poised, it unfortunately rather loses it's way as the characters struggle to focus on what's important to them, personally, or to us watching. There's too much pointless dialogue, implausible decision making and padding and though both Rojano and Quiroz deliver their roles with a degree of poignancy the underlying thrust of the drama becomes a little too tepid. I did like that it doesn't take a rose-tinted approach to growing up, and that it illustrates quite well the fluidity of sexuality and the pressures to conform from both within and without, but again there is just too little substantial to activate the characters and make them relatable. It's a good looking production but a little too soporifically scored and that rather sums up a disappointingly flat coming-of-age story that struggles to stand out from the crowd.

While "All the Fires" presents the story of a confused teen pyromaniac and his obsession with fire, the heart of its content lies in another kind of fire that can't be seen but can be truly felt by everyone: the fire within ourselves where our wishes, dreams and hopes can be fulfilled, basically the things that keeps us going and live another day, another month, another year. The longing for such fulfillment or such idealization is such a tiny yet powerful fire that if put out, then we lost everything, we lose ourselves in the process. Mauricio Calderón Rico's first feature, in one of the many movies shown at the Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo, is a glorious and amazing achievement that brings a reality to the screen while dealing with teen issues, love, loss, hope, pain, fears and it was all done in such a careful way and with a great sense of truth hardly ever conquered by most films dealing with similar themes. Despite the many downer situations presented, one leaves the film feeling hopeful for better days ahead.

Our main character Bruno (Sebastian Rojano) is a somewhat typical teenager dealing with issues at home with his mother, after his father's passing and of whom he clings to some memories through a collection of matches from his trips, and with that he developed a fascination on burning things to which he posts on the internet. He's a pyromaniac but not the dangerous kind; he just like seeing the fire, and with his videos he got the attention of Dani (Natalia Quiroz), a girl he befriends online and they seem to connect just fine and develop a crush on each other. If things at home aren't so fine since his mother is seeing an old crush of hers, the little of life enjoyment Bruno has comes with Dani, and his best friend Ian (Ari Lopez), a gay teen who has a crush on Bruno but they only have some brief intimate experiences. Confused and rebel like any teen, Bruno decides to meet Dani in person, in what becomes a personal discovery of himself and others around him, and to find out what he really wants from life and relationships.

I like when films treat coming of age themes in a serious, sober way rather than happiness all around as most movies go, specially when it comes to the discovery of sexuality and love. It's not a depressive movie though it has some hints and some sequences. It feels real and honest, and an experience I could connect at most parts. The awkwardness of social communications, the little dialogues each character exchange with each other yet communicating a great deal about themselves, or even the many repressive ways Bruno pulls away from kisses he gets either by Ian, Dani and a girl friend of hers, it feels genuine when one is too trapped within himself that every form of a new act becomes something strange and unfamiliar as you experiment it, specially as someone who knows that he wants someone to be with but doesn't know who. Younger audiences needs movies like this as an experience to be seen and thought of, because the opposite of those films show things happening far too easy, without much obstacles to be faced when in fact there are plenty, even if one is really sure of himself at a younger age.

Rico's film escapes some cliches and conventions which enriches the whole experience. There's also some space for some unexpected humored bits that were incredibly funny (when Bruno saves grace at Dani's house by quoting something his mother heard which leaves everyody awkward at the table; and when he finally discovers the term 'queer').

Here's a revealing movie about finding the true nature of ourselves and that let it blossom as much painful, strange it can be when shared with others it certainly makes us feel a lot more free and open to everything that life has to offer. As long as that fire inside keep on burning we know there are great things to be seen, to be known, and to be shared in time. 9/10.