13 Sentimentos

Getting back in the dating scene after a long absence can be quite a challenge. With ever-changing conventions dictating what's acceptable and what's not these days, those who are out of practice can be left bewildered (especially those who were never particularly adept at modern-day courting to begin with). That's very much the case with João (Artur Volpi), who just broke up with his partner of 10 years. He's a nice guy, if a bit reserved and geeky, but certainly quite handsome and politely genial. Yet, even though he's certainly open to getting back into the dating game, the ambitious Brazilian filmmaker is actually most anxious to begin work on directing a new arthouse movie from his own script. However, just as the production is about to launch, his funding gets pulled, forcing him to retool the screenplay for a potential new would-be backer. But, as he's doing this, he develops writer's block, unsure what kind of story he wants to tell. So, to occupy his time as he sorts out this issue, he investigates new dating opportunities, many of which prove to be more boldly "amorously assertive" than he's accustomed to, revealing just how much he's out of touch with current dating practices than he realized. In fact, when "hopeful" suitors discover that he makes movies, they suggestively approach him to put his talents to use for chronicling their erotic escapades - not with him but with other more willing participants. So, with no income in hand and in need of money, João relents, taking his filmmaking work in a decidedly different (and personally embarrassing) new direction. But this path gets him no closer to career or romantic fulfillment. So what's he to do now? That's what he needs to find out for himself. However, as promising as this premise might sound for a gay romcom/outrageous sex farce, writer-director Daniel Ribeiro seriously drops the ball by committing the cardinal sin of moviemaking in this genre - creating a picture that's tediously dull. As this offering unfolds, it fails to generate giggles in either of the protagonist's hapless undertakings, areas that should be rife with potential for yielding sidesplitting laughs. What's more, for a movie that's supposed to be heavy on eroticism, this release contains some of the most boring on-screen sex I've ever seen (explicit though some of it may be). And the picture's lame attempts at incorporating supposedly creative narrative twists and more serious subject matter largely fall even flatter than its other failed material. The result is a finished product that fails to take advantage of the innate strengths it should have had going for it. It's little more than a tiresome, uninteresting slog that seems far longer than its 1:40:00 runtime - and a seriously missed opportunity to make what easily could have been an admittedly cheeky but nevertheless uproariously funny comedy. So much for the perfect endings.

The film endeavors to be endearing, and it is only fair to acknowledge that it succeeds in this regard. It is, indeed, a charming film. The protagonist possesses sufficient charisma to engage the audience, fostering a sense of attachment. However, if this was the film's primary ambition, it is a rather modest one.

Ultimately, the film emerges as another project that prompts discussions about its unrealized potential. The principal flaw, in my opinion, lies within the script. Crafting dialogues for a specific group, complete with their unique slang, catchphrases, syntactic structures, and onomatopoeia, is a formidable task. However, the script's shortcomings are not confined to this aspect alone. The dialogues lack depth and are superficial, failing to provide any meaningful insight into the characters. The supporting characters serve merely as ornamental props, and even the protagonist is portrayed as shallow and unremarkable. The narrative, in the end, is more trivial than endearing. While the film does identify intriguing dilemmas faced by a white gay man in São Paulo, it addresses them in such a sterile, artificial, and uninspiring manner that it seems like an antiseptic portrayal of a complex reality.

Possibly due to the script, the performances at times appear awkward. Certain dialogues between the trio of friends become cringe-inducing due to the weak writing. The attempt to represent a specific group of young people from São Paulo ends up feeling like a caricature verging on the comedic. We learn very little about any of the characters, other than their professions in cinema and their habit of drinking coffee. Their primary dilemma is their struggle with relationships-a rather universal issue.

Furthermore, it is almost imperative for any film set in São Paulo to exhibit visual beauty, necessitating proficient cinematography. However, this film manages to be aesthetically displeasing in both its photography and art direction. With few exceptions, the film fails to capture the city's visual allure, which, in my opinion, is yet another flaw attributable to the script. The city's chaos is dialectically intertwined with each character's inner turmoil. Daily routines such as cohabitation, waking early, visiting cafes, shopping at markets, attending the cinema, and returning from trips-all these events occur within a space-time framework that is not integrated into the story. When time is incorporated, it is through an unsuccessful attempt to explore various possible realities.

In conclusion, I finished watching the film without understanding what the "13 feelings" refer to.