O Último Banho

In recent days, I've been seizing every opportunity to catch up on films from past festivals (primarily Istanbul-based) that I missed. "O Último Banho" (The Last Bath) is one such film from my list, hailing from the Portuguese cinema scene.

Following its screening at the Istanbul Film Festival, the film seemingly vanished into thin air.

In this film, for which David Bonneville co-wrote the screenplay with Diego Rocha, we are presented with scenes reminiscent of "Call Me By Your Name" (the cinematic version), depicting a sexual tension between an aunt and her nephew. It's curious how many viewers have fixated on the incestuous undertones, while overlooking the film's equally troubling pedophilic implications.

The portrayal of a Catholic nun engaging in self-flagellation (with an emphasis on sexuality in these scenes) does not absolve the film from its complicity in these two abhorrent themes. Even the director's anecdotes about filming bath scenes with an underage actor are deeply unsettling.

The film's sole redeeming quality lies in its cinematography, which captures the breathtaking beauty of Portugal's vineyards. The lush landscapes provide a stark contrast to the film's disturbing narrative, offering a momentary respite from the unsettling undercurrents.

"O Último Banho" is a film that raises important questions about consent, exploitation, and the responsibilities of filmmakers when dealing with sensitive subject matter. However, its exploration of these themes is overshadowed by its problematic portrayal of the central relationship and its gratuitous use of sexuality.

It's a film that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, a reminder that even in the pursuit of artistic expression, certain boundaries should not be crossed.

A boy who needs a mother is paired with a woman who needs to be loved, and the rest is waiting to see if the rest will be what you fear it might be.

Director David Bonneville builds the tension - erotic tension, so far as it can be when one protagonist is 14 - throughout his solid debut feature as the main characters take a full-frontal approach to scenes in the bathroom and beyond that represent the cleansing of their souls as well as bodies.

Other critics have said the themes have been worked before, and they have, but if this is a retread it is a well-worked and beautifully shot one that is worth plunging into the Douro Valley for 95 minutes to experience again.

The woman is the boy's aunt, a nun, forced to take the boy in when his guardian (her father) dies. The boy, abandoned by his own mother, has been left emotionally stunted by his upbringing. As fate forces to two together, the viewer watches awkwardly on as boundaries blur. It seems neither has the experience to know when something is no longer a good idea. Or is it really naivety that allows both to let situations develop to see what may entail?

One criticism is the film appears cut down to size, as if there's a two-hour version that would make a bit more sense. As it is, the man-boy is naked in the bath being scrubbed by his aunt without much more than a shrug. It sometimes feels like a few pages of the script were lost to brevity.

Bonneville praises lead actress Anabela Moreira for investing her body and soul into the part - art-flick code for she gets her kit off - and newcomer Martim Canavarro also deserves praise for his brave performance (my codewords this time). Given his physical maturity it's easy to overlook the fact he was 13 years old when filming began, yet he pulls off the mix of vulnerable child and ready-for-the world youth whose body could tempt a grown woman with aplomb. (It is little wonder he has become a Calvin Klein model since the film was shot in 2018; this is a boy we will see more of.)

Overall, a somewhat slight but ultimately pleasing effort. A soapy opera that rises above the mundane.

The bath in the title is not only superficial cleaning, but also spiritual. Aunt and nephew share wounds that are physical (skinned skin, sackcloth on the thigh) but also emotional. The film plays with confusion, uses dissonant elements so that the viewer feels a certain uncomfortable curiosity, and knows how to build an atmosphere of intimacy around the main characters. There is a constant ambiguity that is provocative.