Day: October 29, 2014

Mini-Review: The Deflowering of Eva Van End

Posted on by bernardovillela

Introduction

This is a post that is a repurposing of an old-school Mini-Review Round-Up post. As stated here I am essentially done with running multi-film review posts. Each film deserves its own review. Therefore I will repost, and at times add to, old reviews periodically. Enjoy!

The Deflowering of Eva Van End

I’ve discussed the fact that I quite enjoy the Film Movement film-of-the-month club. One aspect I’ve mentioned less frequently than the included short films on each DVD release, is the fact that on the inside cover there is usually a statement about the film from both the company and the director of the film. I make it a point to not read either until after I’m done watching the feature. The reason I mention that is because what struck me from the first frame is what Eva’s (Vivian Dierickx) look, her persona; reminded me of was Dawn Wiener, the protagonist of Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse, and as the opening scene played out that notion was reinforced. Those sentiments were echoed in the statement. However, I agree this is its own film because it’s not a myopic view of a world but rather a portrait of an entire family.

Eva is our entry into their world. She gives us our first glimpse of them and thus we see them in a very broad stroke. As Veit (Rafael Gareisen), the German exchange student who turns their world upside down, changes their behavior we learn about them, what their insecurities were and what they try to do to take control of an alter their lives.

It’s a very funny film in both its exaggerated renditions of reality, but also a very real one with dramatic consequences. The characters progress but are not perfect; they remain flawed in the end, but better for the experience. Veit could be the only one who walks through it unchanged. He is what he always is, it’s what the family projects him to be that alters.

Through artful cinematography, editorial finesse and music that enchantingly encapsulates this odd world, there are well-executed tonal shifts and visceral impact that far overcome any minor quibbles I may have. The Deflowering of Eva Van End is a film that paints the portrait of a family far more fully than its title suggest and is recommended viewing if you see it about.

9/10

Review: The Mystery of Happiness

Posted on by bernardovillela

Santiago (Guillermo Francella) and Eugenio (Fabián Arenillas) are longtime friends and business partners. They seem to be as in sync as best friends are when they are children, and then one day Eugenio disappears without a trace. Nothing about the timing of it makes any sense. Disconsolate Eugenio’s wife, Laura (Inés Estévez), shows up seeking to help run the business and find her husband. As they search they want to know what prompted this and how well they really knew him.

The Mystery of Happiness balances elements of comedy and drama, offering insights about life, as well as sensitive touches and laughs much the way last year’s Dos más Dos did, which is also an Argentine film. The main difference being that this film doesn’t begin with a subject matter as inherently humorous and over the top.

While the film introduces in Santiago and Laura comedic foils, but where there is a delicate touch in this film is the way in which it easily introduces a dual examination of relationships of two different types: best friend/business partner and spouse. The way the examination is conducted is also wise: with Eugenio being practically a ghost each deserted party is left to wonder about his/her respective relationship and also give their impression of the other pair.

One way in which this film makes itself a touch unique is through the quirky private eye character that is brought into the fray. Oudukian (Alejandro Awada) is an enigmatic figure who through his unrevealed life experience, and his arcane approach to interpersonal relationship examination steers the abandoned wife and business partner in the right direction. In essence, he acts more like a guide, a guru, rather than a traditional private eye, and the main characters conduct the search. This works fine because it allows the world of this story to stay small and this small mysterious character to stay shrouded.

This film begins with a sumptuous montage of Santiago and Eugenio walking about enjoying various activities. It establishes their seemingly inseparable nature, and also sets a tone for the visual approach to storytelling in this film. As per usual, it sounds ridiculous to laud a film for a visual storytelling approach as it is a visual medium, but the fact of the matter is being dialogue-heavy is a very easy trap to fall into, for comedies especially. In this film, however, many of the key moments are conveyed entirely in visuals: the opening, the montage then mirrored and the conclusion and denouement are specific, important examples.

The Mystery of Happiness is a funny and moving story that finds people in search of answers about relationships they thought they had. The literal disappearance of Eugenio symbolizes the vanishing of stability in their lives and is a classic example of a MacGuffin. The film balances its funnier moments with heartfelt, bittersweet ones. This is occasionally underscored by music which is always brilliant especially Nico Cota’s re-orchestration of “Aquarela do Brasil.” The Mystery of Happiness is now available to stream and on DVD and is most definitely worth viewing if you want to see a mature dramedy that’s not afraid to take things seriously as well.

9/10