De Longe Te Observo

The vulnerable victim of a voyeuristic sexual predator (who is likely a former victim himself) tries to "fix him" and fails dramatically.

While technically good and masterfully acted, this movie tells us a bleak story that's not necessarily interesting or especially meaningful. It's a good retelling of a tale of human misery, make of this what you will.

An old-guy-meets-young-guy love story, er, hate story, perhaps. In their first encounter, Armando, the old one, promises money to Elder, the young one, in exchange for removing his clothes while he masturbates. Elder is a supposedly-straight homophobe who wails the older, gay man in the face, leaving him passed out on the floor while he steals his wallet. That's their first "date". Then they keep coming back to each other for more.

On the positive side, the acting is not half bad, especially from the young lead. He completely filled his character's shoes, right down to the body language. It didn't feel like he was acting at all. When he was supposed to be an asshole, he was a total asshole and then some. No matter how absurd the idea of his chemistry with Armando, his portrayal of unbridled passion was still shockingly convincing. The role of Armando does not require nearly as much acting by comparison. He mainly makes the same hollow face for the entire film, indicating that he just feels terrible all the time. There is nuance to both of the main characters which makes you simultaneously hate, pity, and maybe even root for them, capturing quite honestly at times the complexity of human nature and self-inflicted suffering.

All the while the characters are exploiting one another, there is never a single moment or conversation that indicates a genuine mutual interest or respect has developed between them. Suddenly, romance appears to blossom out of a couple of drinks, which I found highly unbelievable given the characters' demeanors. Armando doesn't smile even when, against all odds, he gets what he's been dreaming of. Their mere togetherness suggests perpetual self-loathing on behalf of both characters, as they ultimately can't seem to resist hurting each other.

An interesting change develops in one of the characters towards the latter part of the film, but then the story ends abrubtly and disappointingly. The lack of music in the end credits and the muted color palette perfectly exemplify the sense of emptiness one gets from the film in general.

I was hoping for and somewhat expecting a different outcome. The story's arc does not seem based in reality. The characters, Elder in particular, frequently seem guided by an unseen hand that makes them do things real people probably wouldn't do. The overall product manifests like an intoxicated, angry, revenge fantasy in which a homophobic man gets his comeuppance, but not before first being objectified and salivated over like he's a piece of meat. If you're not already bitter, you might want to avoid watching this cold-hearted film.

A film who I love. Maybe, for impecable Armando of Alfredo Castro. Or , because, as teacher, I know many Elders like the character of Luis Silva. It is not a comfortable film. But an useful one for atmosphere, high craft, for dialogue, reactions and the clash between two different worlds. And, more important, it is support for reflect about loneliness in contemporary world. Short, a great work. Simple, profound, stormy , cold and precise in each detail, giving more than it seems do.

I want to start of by saying this movie has the best production value I've seen in a venezuelan movie, cinematography and sound were great.

The story however I feel it's lacking, it is quite uneventful, one hour into it I was like, ok it's been an hour and nothing has happened yet.

Armando was extremely one dimensional, and I didn't understand why he spoke like that, it was very weird and unnatural. His actions and Elder's dont make sense.

It could have been great but it suffers from the same problem so many venezuelan and foreign movies have, nothing really happens.

I have seen this film twice; once a few years ago and now again recently. I am torn between giving it a good review or a not so good review and decided on the latter. The film in itself is well made, and Lorenzo Vigas clearly decided not to give it music, and in so doing avoids audience manipulation, and psychologically we are often left in the dark about the two protagonist's motivations. So far so good, and anyone who knows film history both Antonioni and Bresson come to mind. Here again I admire the film for its ambiguity and to confront a troubled relationship between a street hustler ( played excellently by Luis Silva ) and an older man played neutrally and well by Alfredo Castro. We are told very little in the film about the truth of both their pasts and this again I can go along with. A savage and brutal relationship develops between them, and their sexual contact is as hard as the physical violence between them. In the conventional sense there is no ' love ' between them, but a need bordering on dependence on the youth's side and darker motivations on the older man's side. The terrible ending is hard to watch, and in a way that I cannot understand the film seems to endorse the homophobia that it appears to attack. In no way is it a positive film about homosexuality, and this troubled me as it comes from a country that needs to understand homosexuality more than it does. However well made it is, it is so full of hatred towards others and the inner selves of the two main characters that I had to reach the conclusion that it is a negative, and repulsive film. The conclusion is a construct as all films are. A decision made by writers and a director and it offers absolutely no hope at all. It is my personal right to dislike this construct and turn my back on the film. It is not enough to make a film that is well made; but a film that is heartless and cruel in intent towards the natural state of homosexuality repulses me. Pessimistic in the extreme it serves no purpose in our troubled society.