Los amantes astronautas

A love story, tantalizing and magnetic to attract the lead characters closer to the inevitability of their desires and affections for one another. Marco Burger is a master of this genre of creating and bringing emotional tension to a climax. A tender romance that does not disappoint. The actors are brilliant in their chemistry and uncontrived. There are moments when their interactions step off the stage and seem convincingly real. A real life, with real people and real consequences. And sweet resolution, resolved by gentle emotions and romance, supreme and rare. This film is memorable, leaving you fulfilled but still wanting more. Perfectly balanced, sensual and satisfying cinema.

It is difficult to describe this film, as it was excellent in its simplicity. I feel that it was very much what Berger does, and at the same time it departed from his traditional films to present something better and more positive.

Of course Berger is a filmmaker more focused on everyday life than in specific events, so people who need a plot rich in action may find it boring. For others, like myself, there is profound beauty in 'life as it is'. So the plot is really fantastic in its capacity to contribute to a great film in spite of its simplicity.

Another point is that his films are essays on sexuality and gender, and those dimensions are very much nested in local cultures, so this is much better understood by fellow urban Latin American viewers like myself.

In that sense, I think that the development of the two main characters, in their psychological complexity, was also a great accomplishment. They are a delight. Moreover, without affecting the plot's simplicity, the dialogues are charming - humorous and very intelligent, and the acting of the two leads is phenomenal. All this gets integrated into a more mature film of this author, one that, despite the sexual content of conversations, is still deeply romantic, producing a great romantic comedy delivering a message that even today is somewhat avant-garde.

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...

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.

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.