Glue

Director dos Santos takes us through the beautifully common streets of Patagonia (Argentina) alongside three teenagers, where none is a genius, a serial killer or has an issue other than being a teenager living, as the Spanish title points out, in the middle of nowhere.

Nahuel Pérez Biscayart stars in a powerful performance as Lucas, a 15-year-old boy eager for a first sexual encounter, while surviving teen boredom hanging out with his best friend Nacho (Nahuel Viale) and quiet pal Andrea (Inés Efron, XXY), in whom he soon discovers the possibility of pleasure, unaware she's every bit a hormone clock-ticking bomb as he is. In their company he escapes a day at a time from what he perceives is his alienated family (a mother who teaches English in the morning, fights her husband's lover in the evening and screams at the man at night, only to forgive the following day and go out camping).

The fact that no dialogue was ever written in the script (a less than 20 pages long document) is a strong plus, considering all lead actors speak what they really think about being teens and feeling unimportant toward the world around them, which, in a very rare way results in accidental poetry, where no love or roses are cited. They want what every viewer once wanted, when being fifteen, and ask themselves the questions we all asked ourselves when we were young and restless. They remind us of that beauty we tend to ignore in our every day lives; the uniqueness of what our ordinary lives were.

Another fine side to the film is the carefully set soundtrack, which fits in perfect unison with Natasha Braier's cinematography and Lucas's wannabe singer aspirations, as well with the many silent minutes where one would think Glue is about to turn into a silent movie only to be pleasantly surprised by one of the character's sometimes groggy, sometimes wishful voices.

Some may wrongly consider Glue as gay cinema, since it has been shown at several gay film festivals. But the movie is not gay-oriented, nor does it have to do anything about being gay in Latin America. The movie is about being an adolescent and the feeling of being one, of knowing and not knowing what you really want and who you are. What this characters do is not exactly what we all did at our own times, or still do, for every person has a different story to tell, a different party to talk about, a different kiss to remember, but it captures the essence and wonders of teenagers today with bravura and honesty. As the US trailer says, it's not about the experience, but experiences. And watching Glue has been an exhilarating one.

tthomas

I've recently seen this movie at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this movie.

Glue is a movie about Lucas, a fifteen year old boy living in a desert town in Patagonia ( Argentina) and his friends Nacho and Andrea. Lucas' parents' relationship is pretty unstable, but he doesn't want to be confronted with it. So he decides to spend his time hanging out with his friends, just talking about life and experimenting with drugs and sex.

Glue is a beautiful film about coming of age in the windy, desert-like outskirts of Patagonia. This movie is filmed with a very low budget and is very minimalistic, but it nevertheless succeeds to present very beautifully shot images in which we are granted a peek into the life of teenagers growing up. All the major themes are represented: Love, sex, drugs and music. This movie presents a universally identifiable view on teenagers.

If you have also seen this movie and enjoyed it, I recommend watching 'temporada de patos'. It is like a lighter version of this movie.

I attended the North American premiere of "Glue" at the Toronto International Film Festival. In a phrase, it's Larry Clark meets Gus Van Sant. But I say that in only the most complimentary of terms. The camera basically follows a 15-year old as he discovers himself. He wonders about his physical development, compares himself to his buddy, and begins to explore his sexuality. The barren expanse of Patagonia is the backdrop, the music of The Violent Femmes (who donated the songs gratis) the appropriately angst-ridden soundtrack.

What makes it so different from most American films is that it's all just so natural. No judgments are made. We only observe through the lens of cinematographer Natasha Braier, as well as writer/director/producer Alexis Dos Santos, who did much of the camera-work himself. It's basically about mid-adolescence told, via voice-over, from the point of view of Lucas (Nahuel Perez Biscayart). Most amazingly, the entire film is improvised. Dos Santos held a Q&A afterward and said that he wrote virtually no dialog at all. There was a 17-page script basically outlining the action. But the three lead actors improvised from start to finish. As it turns out, all three had attended the same acting classes where they learned improv, so they were well-versed in the art and were already friends. And it shows. The chemistry between the teens evokes those awkward years as effectively as any film I've seen.

I asked Nahuel what his most difficult scene was and what was his favorite. I won't get too specific, but he most enjoyed some of the more physical aspects of the relationships he develops with his friends. He was quite honest and his matter-of-fact attitude was endearing. I met him afterward and he was polite and self-confident. When I walked up and told him what a good job he did, he thanked me with the look of a pro. He is from Argentina but speaks decent English. In spite of his young age, he has done 9 films and is something of a teen idol in South America. In the States he'd likely be one of the most sought-after young actors in the business.

If coming-of-age films have become a bit worn in the hands of Hollywood, "Glue" will serve as inspiration and provocation to American filmmakers. It's Larry Clark in Spanish. But sweet and non-judgmental. It will leave you with a smile on your face.

I saw this film as it premiered at the Rotterdam Festival. It is a beautifully judged rendering of a teenager's dysfunctional life at home and sexual experimentation with friends. Every scene is perfectly pitched and rife with playful directorial invention such as the main character's (Lucas?) idle toying with the 'monkey with banana' toy in the girl's bedroom and the 'open/closed' game and his mother's English lesson earlier - there are many examples. The direction of the subject matter is fresh, sensitive, mature and never contrived, indulgent or heavy handed. The camera work is some of the best DV work I've ever seen, artful, free, fluid and instinctive.

Most impressive is how every role is perfectly cast, particularly the teenagers (although I may have had initial reservations about the father, I was sufficiently convinced by the end). The central character is realised by a soulful performance from the beautiful quirky looking actor. He has the most subtly expressive face, at once mischievous and vulnerable.

It is a fine fearless debut brimming with talent, good taste and a big beating heart that transcends it's meagre budget.

Although not specifically stated, the film is set in Neuquen, Argentina's "outback" in what is most likely the 1980s (judging from the music) or possibly the 90s. So, no cell-phones, web-cams or any of the modern amenities one would have expected of kids today. Instead, we see a very raw, realistic look at bored, awkward kids in what appear to be their early teens. I have to be honest that I will watch almost any story about Argentina. However, given the tendency towards shock-value in most modern films, I wasn't surprised by the constant, unfortunate references to masturbation (yes...we get it...teens do that. But why the constant need to emphasize it? Nothing new there). For me, the redeeming side was the interaction between the three protagonists...that is, when they weren't groping each other. In fact, I was honestly put off by the blatant exploitation of the female protagonist's body, and had to check to see how old she was at the time it was made (apparently 20, but still...I found it unsettling as they made her look WAY too young). I can say this film kept my interest, but then again, as I said previously, I'll watch almost anything that comes from Argentina.