The recently concluded 5th Cine Argentino at the Red Carpet not only marked its return to the Shangri-La Plaza, it also featured the comeback of a couple of films that have become favorites by Philippine audiences.
 |
| Argentine Embassy Chargé d'affaires Flavio Chomnalez |
The two films that made a return for this festival are the ever popular Relatos salvajes and the chilling El clan. The first I could watch over and over again which I did during the press screening while the second one is something that I missed a few years ago when it was part of Película/Pelikula, Spanish Film Festival. And having El clan a part of Cine Argentino this year gave me another chance to see it on the big screen during the festival's opening night.
Relatos salvajes
This black comedy by Damián Szifron released in 2014 is still a delight to watch even if I've already seen this numerous times including in a previous edition of Cine Argentino. This anthology film is composed of six shorts namely Pasternak, Las ratas, El más fuerte, Bombita, La propuesta, Hasta que la muerte nos separe. They are unrelated narratively but otherwise thematically linked. My favorite part is the last one, Hasta que la muerte nos separe, since I've gone through the rest and there's nothing left but to enjoy a disaster of a wedding reception. Although it is sometimes hard to watch El más fuerte, with the two men's pride sending both to their demise, it is actually La propuesta, that brings out the disgust in me. All the characters, even the poor, innocent caretaker, made awful decisions thinking that they can get away with it because of their privileged lives.
The previous post about Cine Argentino had a couple of concept art from the film by comicbook artist Juan Ferreyra. Here below is the soundtrack by Gustavo Santaolalla for me to listen to until the next viewing of the film.
El clan
Directed by Pablo Trapero, El Clan features the chilling performance of Guillermo Francella as the patriarch of the Puccio family. As Arquímedes Puccio, Francella was creepy in his iciness as he pulled off kidnapping and murdering helpless victims while maintaining the guise of an ordinary family. What surprised me most about his performance was realizing that he was also in El secreto de sus ojos as the alcoholic Pablo Sandoval and that he is more known in Argentina as a comedian. A new discovery for me with this film is Peter Lanzani who made his film debut with El clan as Alejandro, the eldest son who was portrayed as the reluctant accomplice in his father's schemes.
The film selection for the past five years of Cine Argentino have been impressive so far but this festival needs to catch up with the latest technology since having DVD copies for screenings especially at the upgraded Red Carpet cinema is just not cutting it in 2019. And while the return of audience favorites are a welcome treat, may there be more contemporary and obscure films offered in future editions.
The 5th Cine Argentino was presented by the Embassy of Argentina, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Shangri-La Plaza.
No comments:
Post a Comment