Rapado

With his beguiling first feature "Rapado," Argentinian director Martin Rejtman crafted a deadpan comedic update to Vitorrio de Sica's classic "Bicycle Thieves." Presumably, the idea was this: what if you took the basic idea of Bicycle Thieves, but instead of the protagonist desperately needing the bicycle for the survival of his family, he's just a bored and aimless middle-class teenager?

That's the setup for this often absurd "film about nothing." Rejtman cited the Taiwanese New Wave as a chief influence but American viewers might find an easier comparison with Jim Jarmusch, who also somehow creates interesting movies essentially just about people hanging out through elegant craftsmanship. Rejtman adds subtle incisive commentary on the lack of purpose of the '90s generation in Buenos Aires, using an arcade game about motorcycle racing as a broader metaphor for the characters trying to find their place in life.

This type of film obviously isn't for everyone, but at only 76 minutes, you can't say this film overstays its welcome. For anyone interested in the history and evolution of Argentine cinema, it's definitely worth a look.