O Diário Aberto de R.

The cuteness overload of this short is beyond belief even though the majority of elements didn't follow exactly my ideal. Yet there's so many great things about it of which I could relate on a personal level tracking down things from a slightly distant past. Caetano Gotardo's "The Open Diary of R." deals with Caio (Fábio Lucindo), a teenage boy who during a class discovers something written on his desk, a sort of message of a boy in love with another, to which he replies. A reply from this unknown person appears and since there's always a name attached to it - a certain Rafael (Marco Pigossi), of whom Caio has a crush, things are heading positively. Will they ever...? Find it out.

The mystery, the tension, the idealization of youthful romance and the way things unfold, it all makes of this short a marvelous experience to be seen and felt. Like Caio, we anxiously hope for the next moment to see if things will be corresponded or not, and who's gonna give the first step outside of those messages on the desk. The brief physical contact between them when Caio touches the other guy's hair is insanely beautiful just as the dream sequence that comes some moments later (although I wished it could be a little daring, I mean, it's a wishful thinking so why not dare a little?). A whole new generation won't have the slighest idea about what longing is, and how certain subtleties can affect our reality and how we perceive people and things when trying to establish a deeper meaningful contact. The messages of school desks...I've been there but the thing this movie gets wrong is that those desks are far too clean, and both guys would get in trouble with their classmates if a curious mind come by and ask what's going on with those exchanges.

Although I came to watch because of Pigossi - now a huge name in many soap operas - the surprising factor end up being Lucindo as Caio. The face was familiar and it took me an awful time to remember where did I knew him from (he had a cultural program in the afternoon but in this short he's very young). As the passionate kid, he carries a lot of weight in the role, all smiles whenever he's around Rafael barely containing his excitment and if ignoring the small dialogues, just pay attention on how expressive he is with just one look or a small movement of his eyebrows. He's really impressive.

I was moved by the picture, enjoyed its humor, its bits and pieces of romance even though it didn't got me the ending I was hoping for - even though it's somewhat open, it's out in the air when you see Caio signing a final message. But I loved it anyway and all the way. 9/10.