CHRONICLES OF FIRST AND STRONG LOVES... WITHOUT TIME OR DISTANCE
I wandered off to see this feature film because I don't usually watch low-rated films, as it's a clear warning of what you're about to see. But that's not a rule written in stone (as we say here in LATAM), so I decided to give it a chance. And it was, at least, enjoyable.
We have the typical plot of first-time teenage love, that plot over-explored by independent cinema and Hollywood to the point of nausea, but here, at least on paper, it didn't feel like a rehash of other films or cinematic devices, although ironically there are some, but they are necessary to a certain extent.
The acting was good for what the script proposed. Even judging by the script, the acting was above what one would expect in a typical film of these modern times, and even more so in a plot that's already over-explored in general cinema, but it wasn't perfect either. Despite the fact that some actors occasionally didn't connect with their characters (there was, at times, a slight discomfort on the part, mainly, of the lead actor/director), and Wayne Virgo, who wasn't even the raw promise of the time, did something as good as he did in his debut feature and, to this day, his greatest film, Shank (2009), because they gave him a mediocre, almost filler character, forgetting how great he can be without feeling pressured. Still, it was clear that an effort was made to avoid falling into mediocrity.
The script was the film's downside. It has many flaws that seem straight out of a super-amateur film or a university thesis-type project, even though it was noticeable that there was production and certain resources (I mean, it didn't feel like a cheap film, at least from what you see in close-up), and it's a shame because the essence of the plot isn't bad. In fact, I saw some similarities with Steel (2015) or a better-made film in every way, Gameboys: The Film (2021), but due to a mediocre script and direction bordering on amateurish, it felt empty, without substance, and at times, like something that was done more than anything to please mass audiences than to make a more robust, daring, and courageous proposal. The film needed that because the proposal required it.
In short, it's not a bad film, but it's not perfect either. At least by its release date, there weren't yet the 1,000 films made in droves, repeating the same plot indefinitely, with different approaches, but which contributed little or nothing to cinema in general. It's entertaining to watch, at least if you want to relax in your room watching something for those nights when it's hard to sleep.
The title of my review was taken from the song "Mas Allá De La Piel" by Frankie Ruiz and curiously, it coincides with the film's title in Spanish.
