Los Fuertes

I have watched this wonderful film several times. Just far apart in time to make it new and fresh. But the depth of the story, the acting and the cinematography is such that new things are discovered each time. This takes place in a wet place, lots of rain. Cold. I can feel it as I watch. And so on. This is not just another gay man love story although heaven knows we can use as many as we can get. There are many kinds of relationships shown and once again we find the difference between they that stay and they that go. As one who left I feel the pain of both sides.

Saw this movie during the 2020 Chicago Reeling Virtual Film Festival. The movie has a slow but steady pace. The director took great shots to document the beautiful city of Valvidia. I feel that the cinematography enhanced the story - like a supporting actor. This is a short yet sweet romance: boy meets boy, boys falls in love, boys realizes the difference in their lives However, life steps in and realities must be faced. The chemistry between the main characters is solid, supporting cast gave good performances. Overall a pleasing movie.

Los Fuertes (2019) is a Chilean film written and directed by Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo. It was shown in the U.S. with the translated title The Strong Ones.

Samuel González portrays Lucas, a young student of architecture who visits his sister in the Valdivia region of Chile. It's there that he meets Antonio, who works on a commercial fishing boat. Antonio is played by Antonio Altamirano. The men are gay, and are attracted to each other.

The plots plays itself out as the men come to terms with their relationship, prejudice against gays, and the fact that Lucas is leaving Chile to study in Montreal.

This is a film that cries out to be seen on a large screen because the Chilean landscape is so beautiful. However, it's a movie about relationships, so it worked well enough on the small screen.

We saw Los Fuertes via ImageOut, the wonderful Rochester LGBTQ Film Festival. (Virtual this year.) The movie has a solid IMDb rating of 7.2. I though it was even better than that, and rated it 9.

'The Strong Ones' as it is called in English, doesn't provide anything particularly new for queer cinema fans but what it lacks in originality the film makes up for in mood, charm and location - the Chilean seaside town is definitely a character unto itself. It's a well known tale, for both queer and heteronormative cinema, a character returns to their family to resolve issues from the past before moving far away indefinitely. During their short stay they find passionate love and face the decision of whether to continue on their planned journey or remain with this new love. There's nothing wrong with this formula but its been done a lot. This film certainly has similarities to God's Own Country and Weekend but is less gritty and more romantic than both of those films. There are moments where potential drama is hinted at but then never followed through with or used to raise the dramatic stakes. It's a gentle story, a happy one for the most part and that could be all the filmmakers wanted to achieve. In this frequently harsh world I guess it's not such a bad thing for a film just to be nice. Other positives are the two leads who are compelling and charming to watch. Their attraction feels authentic and a couple of sex scenes are tastefully handled yet arousing. There is also a sweet relationship between one of the men and his grandmother. As queer cinema goes this is definitely one to watch particularly when you are looking for something comforting, familiar and well made.

The battle scene that opens the film sets the stage for the battle for independence and freedom. At the start of the film, and again during the movie, we see a re-enactment of one famous battle for Chile's independence from Spain. The rest of the action represents a battle for independence and freedom of two men who become entangled while one, Lucas, is visiting his sister before moving to Montreal to attend school.

The visit is limited, but while visiting, he meets a local man who works on a fishing boat. There are undercurrents of turmoil between Lucas and his parents (possibly because he is gay), and between his sister and her husband. There are also undercurrents of turmoil developing in the wider circle of characters because of the relationship forming between the two men.

And this leads to turmoil between the two men as well.

Each has his own dream to pursue, and his own life story. Will one of them sacrifice his independence and freedom for the other? Or will they go their separate ways.

There are some very sweet moments along the way, and it's enjoyable just watching these two handsome men develop in their relationship. I found the interactions, and reactions of the other characters toward the men interesting as well.

The movie is beautiful to watch, given the backdrop of the Chilean coast and the excellent camera work. Acting is outstanding throughout the film.