We get a realistic view of the turmoil three teenagers experience as they become young adults.
Lucas's adulterous father got kicked out of their house in a small town in rural Patagonia, and forced to move to the city after one too many sexual escapades with the "fat cow", as Lucas's mother called the loose woman during a physical altercation.
Lucas writes songs for the band in which he is a vocalist, and can rarely be seen without a walkman and earphones. His buddy Nacho is also in the band. Both 16-year-olds are randy as can get and dream of having a go at girls, or so they pretend. Andrea, a bespectacled chick in their neighbourhood, also has secret romantic fantasies. The two lads are rebellious and test the boundaries. One weekend they travel to the city, and have a gigglingly good time sniffing glue. It is suggested that while high they furtively grope each other. Back in their hometown the two young men have a successful performance of one of their songs, and in the post-performance euphoria they get drunk, and involve a tipsy Andrea in mutual hugging. In a well-executed scene we are presented with ambiguous footage, where the boundaries between choices of sexual partners become diffuse, without bothering any of the partners. The three are growing up and finding out who they really are.
The strongest point of this film is the cinematography. The cinematographers largely made use of hand-held camera techniques - and take note I am generally not a great fan of hand-held footage, except perhaps during running and chase sequences. In this case it works extremely well. Parts of the film is taken with a filter giving it a 1960s colour and feel. The same applies to some footage which just as well could have been taken with a 8mm movie camera from the same period. A few scenes were taken at slow speed, e.g. those of the party with semi-intoxicated dancers, giving it a dreamlike feeling.
Furthermore, excellent acting by the protagonists and a great soundtrack made watching this Coming-of-Age film an exhilarating experience. 7.5/10.
Lucas's adulterous father got kicked out of their house in a small town in rural Patagonia, and forced to move to the city after one too many sexual escapades with the "fat cow", as Lucas's mother called the loose woman during a physical altercation.
Lucas writes songs for the band in which he is a vocalist, and can rarely be seen without a walkman and earphones. His buddy Nacho is also in the band. Both 16-year-olds are randy as can get and dream of having a go at girls, or so they pretend. Andrea, a bespectacled chick in their neighbourhood, also has secret romantic fantasies. The two lads are rebellious and test the boundaries. One weekend they travel to the city, and have a gigglingly good time sniffing glue. It is suggested that while high they furtively grope each other. Back in their hometown the two young men have a successful performance of one of their songs, and in the post-performance euphoria they get drunk, and involve a tipsy Andrea in mutual hugging. In a well-executed scene we are presented with ambiguous footage, where the boundaries between choices of sexual partners become diffuse, without bothering any of the partners. The three are growing up and finding out who they really are.
The strongest point of this film is the cinematography. The cinematographers largely made use of hand-held camera techniques - and take note I am generally not a great fan of hand-held footage, except perhaps during running and chase sequences. In this case it works extremely well. Parts of the film is taken with a filter giving it a 1960s colour and feel. The same applies to some footage which just as well could have been taken with a 8mm movie camera from the same period. A few scenes were taken at slow speed, e.g. those of the party with semi-intoxicated dancers, giving it a dreamlike feeling.
Furthermore, excellent acting by the protagonists and a great soundtrack made watching this Coming-of-Age film an exhilarating experience. 7.5/10.