El intercambio

Marco Berger is (or was?) a reference in Argentine cinema (especially LGBT+) for his characteristic work: sublime dialogues, spectacular setting and unique photography (which other directors in the world have imitated in a certain way) but like every director with a long career, not everything is rosy. And here is an example.

We have an atypical story that borders on the fantastical, about the reversal of roles. This is taken to an extreme, which although it is a kind of coquetry, at the height of the short film, works as a "silent manifesto" of hidden desires but that in a certain way, seems to find no more graceful way out. Perhaps the casual viewer will say: and that's all? And I don't blame him. Experimental/auteur cinema has no grays. It's either black or white. You either like it or you dislike it and here we see the latter.

Since "El Cazador" (2020) it seems that Berger wants to take away so much applause, so much recognition, so much praise for his work, as if he were fed up with it and since that film he seems to be "on vacation" (with the notable exception of "Los Agitadores, 2022") since it is not explained why since then, although there are characteristic features of his work in all his films, in this short film (which had not been made for years) he seems to arrive breathlessly to the goal.

There are films that should have less time. In "El Cazador" the time could easily have been reduced and turned into a medium-length film. And there is the case of "El Intercambio" which was noted that its reduced time gave for more.

I agree with the previous critic: do not pay attention to the synopsis that is here. It seems like advertising and that is a shame. Could it be that Berger is falling into political correctness? We do not know. What we are sure of is that we are watching a great director self-defeating everything that characterized him, everything that made him famous. And it is a shame. Because since "The Blonde One" (2019) I have not seen anything that makes me say: "without seeing the title, this is a work by Marco Berger." Unfortunately, that is the case and it must be said coldly and without fanaticism.

Please don't swallow the synopsis that was presumably written by the production company. This is so far from a voyage of discovery as is possible to get.

It's an imaginary tale touching on gender swapping both physically and mentally. The two male leads were attractive, the female one less so. It seemed pretty clear that Lucas fancied Mateo like crazy and didn't need his transition to get it on with him.

As a tale of whimsy it worked on a certain level but ultimately fell flat, even when the denouement happened with Mateo hinting he'd give Lucas's request a thought.

I don't resent the time I spent on the film, but I wasn't really impressed.