Estuários

I expected to see it from a long, long time. First, for the title. Second, for a special sketch of hope to be real different. And it is it. And, in same measure, it is a beautiful film. Beautiful is a fair term about a film who escapes from the old cliches. A film about the traces of childhood, about love and happiness , about a sort of refuge and powerful friendship. At the first sigh, nothing new. But one of films being, in special way, just delightful. For grace and delicacy and precision of story, for good acting and, no doubts, for estuary. Comfortable can be a good term to define it . For a sort of poetry of small, significant things defining us. So, I love it !

A deceivingly quiet flim loaded with power hiding under the surface.

From the beauty of the estuaries (for which the fim is named) to the revealing hairstyles of the main characters, it's all there: much deeper than the estuaries themselves. the pace gives you the opportunity to take it all in, if you choose to do so.

Esteros (2016) is an Argentinian film directed by Papu Curotto. It stars Ignacio Rogers as Matías, who formerly lived in Argentina, but left when his family moved to Brazil. Ten years later, he returns for a visit to Argentina with his Brazilian girlfriend. He meets his boyhood friend Jerónimo (Esteban Masturini), and there's obviously still a bond between them.

Matías and his girlfriend aren't happy. She's beautiful, sophisticated, buoyant, and fun-loving. He's dour and hates noise and crowds. He and Jerónimo are much better matched in temperament.

However, Matías is well educated and successful as a biologist. (Director Curotto suggests that Matías is doing research on GMO plants.) Jerónimo studied filmmaking, but he's drifting along making FX models, and doing makeup for party goers.

The men return to Jerónimo's home, near an estuary. The city is surrounding the region, but Jerónimo's parents want to preserve the area and keep it in its natural state.

In any case, the men have returned to the spot where they had been many times before, except that now they are ten years older.

This is an very good movie. The acting is well done, the plot makes sense, and the estuary truly is beautiful.

We saw this film at the excellent Little Theatre, as part of ImageOut, the wonderful Rochester LGBT film festival. It will work better on the large screen, because of the beautiful scenery of the estuary. However, it will work well enough on a small screen as well.

This is one of 22 movies at ImageOut that had their New York State or East Coast premiere at the Image Out festival. My compliments to the festival Programming Committee.

What's interesting about Esteros is how little surprises there are. The film plays out almost exactly as one would expect, its flashback structure isn't particularly innovative and the conflict isn't particularly tense either. And yet, I am in love with this film.

Esteros plays largely like a fan-fiction - and not in a bad way either. Childhood friends with an intimate friendship, grow apart with time only to reunite years later unexpectedly to rekindle their friendship and something more.

The film rests entirely on the intimate relationship between between Matias and Jero - and for good reason too. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable - there is a sense of age to their relationship dynamic, that when they interact for the first time in years it feels awkward and tepid, as if they were relearning how to be around each other. It's those small details that lend an honesty and a truth to the relationship - so that when they kiss for the first time, the film has been building immensely towards it.

It is Esteros' devotion to the small emotional details that make it so emotionally satisfying. While not groundbreaking by any means, its gentleness and sweetness are infectious, and it's always nice to see a queer-themed film that wants its characters to get the happy ending they deserve.

Showing on netflix. This one MUST have been someone's actual life story. Two friends attracted to each other as kids meet up again as adults. Except that now, one has a girlfriend. Some LONG drawn out scenes, and as others have said, the script moves pretty slowly. But I like the simplicity of the story. Conflict, and we HOPE there will be resolution. Ignacio Rogers is Matias, and Esteban Masturini is Jeronimo. They had both been in the industry about ten years. Directed by Papu Curotto, who had also directed the short upon which this is filmed. Good stuff.