Xavier Villaverde / Spain/Brazil / 2012 / 105 min
The government’s recent landmark decision allowing gay marriage has made Britain a far more welcoming place for its non-heterosexual population. Xavier Villaverde’s film explores the conventions of both gay and straight relationships. Bruno (Llorenç González) and Carla (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) have been together for many years when Bruno is suddenly overwhelmed by homosexual feelings for his friend Rai (Álvaro Cervantes). At first Carla is perturbed by her boyfriends newly discovered sexuality but trying to put her traditional feelings behind her, she embarks upon a more liberal, accepting kinship between the three of them.
From the outset Villaverde’s film isn’t touched with subtleties, the first longing looks between Rai and Bruno scream a dampened but yearning passion. However, as the entangled affair develops, the sensitive consequences of the trio’s predicament and how they’re manifested (particularly in the exasperating and emotionally vacillating Carla) become a vaguely interesting exploration into the enamoured human psyche. The problem is the film centres around the polygamy of its protagonists. There are attempts to explore the character’s back-stories (Bruno’s studies, Carla’s photographical aspirations, Rai’s childhood) but they’re never developed to an extent where you can build a human connection with them. Too much of a focus on their hotchpotch relationship isn’t engaging, it’s just reminiscent of the vacuous and inane sexual attachment centred drivel already littering our screens.
Showing as part of the Glasgow Film Festival 2013
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