In the last few decades, Latin American movies have undergone an explosive development in quality and earned a place in the first rank of world cinema. In particular, there have been some exceptionally fine movies of a subtle, minimalistic bent. Titles that jump to mind are Hamaca Paraguaya (Paraguayan Hammock, 2006) by Paz Encina, Liverpool (2008) by Lisandro Alonso and El Camino de San Diego (The Road to San Diego, 2006) by Carlos Sorin, the last two directors Argentinian.
In these movies, unlike in conventional films, we do not watch stories where characters' actions are clearly motivated and all loose ends are neatly tied up before the end titles; we watch life itself. Motivations may not be entirely clear, unlikely coincidences happen, help comes from unexpected quarters, objectives are not attained or become reality in unforeseen ways. As in real life we only have incomplete information and we are asked to fill in (or rather imagine) the missing parts of the narrative.
Cómo Funcionan Casi Todas las Cosas (How Almost All Things Function, 2015) is the title of the encyclopedia that Celina, the protagonist, is trying to sell door-to-door. The movie has elements of a road movie like Sorin's El Camino de San Diego. There is an objective; to finance Celina's trip to Italy to look for her mother. A touching story emerges subtly, gradually and nonlinearly. The ending is not a resolution; life continues in ways left to our imagination. Perhaps the best description was given by director Leandro Salem in an interview: "We all go through life crossing a desert, and even when we carry our encyclopedias with us there are things that have no explanation. In view of that, all we can do is feel."
This is Salem's first feature movie, and his debut could hardly be more auspicious. His direction is flawless as is the script by himself and Esteban Garelli. Even the passages where characters talk to the camera (which I usually dislike) are filmed with a disarming unpretentiousness. Acting is uniformly excellent, from newcomer Veronica Gerez (playing Celina) to established actors like Rafael Spregelburd. Cinematographer Georgina Pretto captures the beautiful, melancholic landscapes of San Juan Province, which fit the story perfectly. A must-see.
