Les amants astronautes

Argentine Writer/Director Marco Berger once again repeats the same formula used in his previous productions such as 'Plan B' (2009) and 'Hawaii' (2013): two young men, both sexually fluid, who were childhood friends and eventually develop a deep love for one another. Nonetheless, it works!

This film touches on one of the ultimate gay fantasies, where true, honest, and eternal love may exist between any two men. The dialog and intimate visual imagery, without a single sex scene, are superb and hit the mark by creating anticipation throughout the narrative and that 'feel good' sensation in the end.

Pedro travels from Spain to Argentina for a beach vacation at his extended family's home. Present are his cousin and a small, similarly aged group - including a childhood friend, Maxi, who has just broken up with his girlfriend. Pedro and Maxi's playfully flirty sexual banter is fun, highly entertaining for all, and takes on a life of its own over the course of the vacation.

The movie revolves around the fascinating rapport and connection that builds between Pedro and Maxi, they continually straddle the space between bro-banter and flirtation that leaves everyone, including the viewer, wondering just how far they are going to go...

How beautifully a summer can be spent with best friends who are totally attracted to each other. Nuances of being Gay are well portrayed in this film. Their jokes, subtle jealously, laughs and negotiating their relationship with each other all through was very well played by Javier Orán and Lautaro Bettoni. They have become my hot favourites, its like I know them up close and personal. Some of the moments in the film are so pure and basic elements of being in love are shown. Marco Berger has done a fantastic job of bringing out these actors who are so free in those scenes and have long conversations without cuts just felt so beautiful, natural and it was like watching their own personal videos. Aww..I already miss them...Lots of love.

Quiet, intimate, and emotionally honest.

The Astronaut Lovers is a slow but rewarding film that explores male friendship, attraction, and identity with subtlety and care. The performances feel natural, and the chemistry between the leads carries the story. There's not much plot, but the emotional tension builds in a way that feels real and personal. It's a film that trusts the audience to feel rather than be told. Not for everyone, but deeply moving if it hits you right.

Marco Berger's best film.

Synopsis: The line between reality and fantasy is blurred when two friends are reunited. Pedro is openly gay and Maxi is curious, let the role play begin.

Having watched all of Berger's movies I was surprised that this time around he decided to actually show what one of the character's fantasies and more importantly to let them communicate like humans.

Javier Oran is one of the best actors Berger has found not just for this movie, he obviously elevates Bettoni's performance and brings nuances to Berger's dialogues with which most actors usually struggle.

Getting these actors and obviously more financing probably forced Berger to create one of his most sanitized films to-date. For someone unafraid of full frontals, his decision of not even showing the consumation of the will-they-wont-they dynamic seems extremely out of character. It reminded me of Guadagino's decision to move the camera away instead of showing us what we would definitely see if the scene were between a straight couple.

I have complained in the past of the monotony in most of Berger's movies. However, this time I missed having some of his signature style: silence and close-ups, letting us imagine just for a little while what the characters were thinking of..I would have appreciated it at least once.

I also want to recognize that we have better actors in supporting roles, especially Pedro's cousin and his girlfriend (not Sabrina, sadly) and that Berger allowed them to state the obvious: that our two main characters spend so much time together. It's at least a cute wink given that Maxi is friends with everyone else in that house and they are constantly together only because the script needs them to.

Even if Pedro and Maxi's private exchanges become a little tiresome towards the end (and gross), I choose to stick with the better parts of the movie: the main actors and my renewed interest in this filmmaker's work. Hopefully he'll be able to create in the future something that happens in just one night (or in the span of several weeks) making more plausible the constant exchange between males that he loves to portray.