10.000 Km

Ready for some bold words? If 10.000Km remains my favorite film of the London Film Festival I will be 100% satisfied. Either way, it's set a high bar for Mr. Turner, Whiplash and Foxcatcher to beat. On the premise alone, Carlos Marques-Marcet long-distance romance had my investment. I've gone through, am going through, will go through everything the film is about. I can attest that the characters and situations are painted authentically in every facet. While some may argue that the film is coming late to document the modern ways that couples connect with each other, it doesn't feel that the film is latching onto any zeitgeist and is simply a matter-of-fact part of our lives from now on.

Marques-Marcet's economy in the storytelling is terrific. It begins with a stunning but simple 23 minute long take. It's more Before Midnight than Gravity, but the poetic and organic blocking adds so much to a deliberately limited dynamic. Within that shot, we know everything about the bond between Alex (Natalie Tena) and Sergi (David Verdageur) and how painful it's going to be to see them torn apart, as the former receives the opportunity to live in Los Angeles for a year. But this opening also showcases the endearing sense of humour the film has, particularly from Sergi, who teeters on mean-spiritedness with his well-meaning sarcasm. They're immediately identifiable in their mid-20s joys, hopes and dilemmas, and they're the only characters we'll see on screen throughout the film. Everyone else is but a blurred out face.

The length of that opening shot is key to the rhythm of the film. There isn't much of a narrative besides the abstract form of their relationship's turbulence and so once Alex is in Los Angeles the structure becomes very fragmented into daily sections, some lasting less than a minute. It truly captures the isolation and the way time flies waiting without progress. But it also captures the warmth couples feel as they interact via Skype in a sincere way while still having natural friction. Every little freeze of the program feels ideally orchestrated by Marques-Marcet as it feeds into the spontaneity and sensitivity of the performances. It takes a little to upset the balance.

There's an interesting idea about the physicality of their online relationship when Alex visits the server farms of Silicon Valley and contemplates about how their relationship has been stored in 1s and 0s somewhere there. It raises fascinating questions about subjective representation, something that anyone who's met an online friend can confirm. For something that matters to most to people – romance – something that feels the most real, is only a simulation of a feeling. It's easy to project feelings on someone whose not there, which the characters feel often. It's bolstered by Alex's role as a photographer, as she takes artistic representations of things, and her photos of camouflaged antennas are our only hint to her job. It digs its fingers under the anxiety of romance being artificial under the circumstances and studies it gently, pulsating through the character's actions.

This is the starring role that Natalie Tena (of Game of Thrones and Harry Potter) has been waiting for. I'd always known her since I saw About A Boy upon its release and didn't recognize her until halfway through the film. She's tender and visceral in the best way. Both performances are perfectly measured and restrained until they reach their respective explosive points. Every little thing builds and builds and you can read everything they feel in just their expressions. David Verdageur appears to channel last year's Oscar Isaac's Llewyn Davis, not only in the bearded look but the subdued disgruntled temperament with the sense of humour. However, he makes it his own and his contradictions lead our opinion to constantly fluctuate but ultimately sympathize with him. They deservedly won the acting duo award at this year's SXSW festival.

Finally, it boasts a refreshingly ambiguous ending in a sea of overtly technophobic films. It knows that it can't be conclusive about the positives and negatives of a long distance relationship bonded by daily Skyping. It doesn't spell out any assumptions as it's not as simple as a happy ever after or a break up for good. Instead, it's a quiet reflection on what their relationship had been missing, one that the film leaves for the audience to judge for themselves instead of the characters. It's a thoroughly profound note to leave the film and one that rewards on consideration, true to it's otherwise slight but powerful nature. It truly connected with me on every level, not only in things I personally relate to, but in things that I hadn't even thought of. It's not a requirement to have experienced a long distance relationship to like this film as it certainly has something to admire for any empathetic viewer.

If there were any justice, 10.000 Km would join the race for Best Foreign Language film, but as Spain submitted Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed, hopefully this will find a mainstream audience that can also relate to its anguish. With nuanced and relatable performances, rich textured cinematography and a keen sense of pacing; it encapsulates every honest high and low about contemporary relationships with an ocean between them. I really can't give enough praise to 10.000 Km and it deserves way more attention.

9/10

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Opening to a rather explicit sex scene, we are introduced to Alex and Sergi; a Spanish couple living in Barcelona. Continuing from that is a lengthy, yet stunning, 23 minute one-take-shot. During that elusively choreographed sequence they talk, wash and eat as we find out everything we need to know about the couple.

Alex, played by Natalia Tena (Harry Potter's Tonks), is a photographer who is struggling to find work locally, and her partner, Sergi (David Verdergauer) is a teacher. But there intimate relationship together suddenly gets shaky as Alex is offered a fully-paid working job in Los Angeles for one year… After some discussion, she accepts. However Sergi is unable to join her due to teaching commitments. This is where issues arise.

Now a continent apart (or more specifically 10,000km) their relationship is put to the test. Topical, as long distance relationships do not usually last, yet the characters are aware and highlight the pros and cons.

But the real intelligence of 10,000km comes from director Carlos Marques-Marcet. Absent of any other surroundings, the film is set in just merely two locations in Sergi's Barcelona flat and Alex's LA apartment.

Their relationship continues via Skype, WhatsApp and Google Earth. Hindered by technology, they attempt to remain sensitive and in love. But as days pass (chronicled on screen with titles; Day two, Day 88, Day 116 etc), it inevitably becomes difficult to continue. At one point Sergi demands 'Can we talk about something else that isn't our relationship?' – Isolated and gripping, 10,000km studies the bounds of romance like no film before it.

Marques-Marcet's feature debut film is ambitious as it is ingenious and it thrives on the narrative. Very worthy of the Best Foreign Film at next year's Academy Awards perhaps?

... as far as movies dealing with long distance relationships go 10k KM should be considered as one of the better ones... out-of-sight out-of-mind is much to contend with... being unfaithful to one's partner made easier when you can drift apart, not having to go back and see the other person regularly... can you fall out of love with someone.. sure... can you fall back-in-love again, sure

... he tells her to go out and experience the city, make new friends, have shared experiences... actually he's really saying she must let go of him, so what could he expect, he's not going to live there, she's not returning back, at least for now or soon

... it's not that they no longer have anything in common, just that they no longer have the intimate bond of physical-intimacy helping-keeping them together... that hands-on-contact we all crave-need-regularly.

With pleasant cinematography and superb acting, 10,000km features the complications of a long-distance relationship that may appear as initially close, but which becomes increasingly stagnant and sour over time. Issues of couple's communication bubble up over time, and show how fast couples may deteriorate in their romance due, in part, to distance. The film is a dramatic portrayal of loss and of change, of the difficulties couples face when entering into a long-distance romance.

Just watched this movie in the Bergen International Film Festival. I didn't watch so many movies in this festival. I choose which ones I want to watch very carefully by title, and description of the movies. "10,000 KM" was the first one I chose that I was going to watch and I enjoyed every second of it from the beginning to the end.

I have actually always wanted to write a script or shoot a movie about the internet relationship IF I were a write or a director. It is difficult, and can be challenging. A lot of people have done that, but I haven't seen anyone has done it successfully. However, Carlos Marques-Marcet nailed it, just the way as I wanted it to be, or even better. I don't know how it feels for elder people who don't use internet or even anyone who doesn't have such experience before. But to me, it totally worked. The cast is simple, the conversation is raw but real, the cinematography is beautiful, while the theme of the movie is complex and deep.

There were actually only two characters, the leading actor and actress in this movie. The performance is outstanding, both of them. It couldn't support such a movie without excellent performances. In a good movie, the viewer usually could fit himself in one of the roles and feel for it. While in "10,000 KM", I could fit myself in both of them, more for Sergi(played by David Verdaguer) probably. I have gone through exactly the same thing as the couple did in the movie. Every act, every word, and every thought was so real. When they were questioning each other, they were also questioning themselves. Sometimes, you already knew it from your first thought, but then you try to find different ways to prove it wrong, but failed. What I like about this movie is that it didn't give the audience any suggestions, or any conclusion. You knew it from the first second of the scene, and just wanted to prove it throughout the whole movie. The director has done an excellent job by proving it to you.

As for me, I came thousands miles from China to Norway because of a long distance relationship. Now I'm ending up living here for almost ten years, alone. I gave the movie 10 out of 10, one point was from my own similar experience.