POINTS: 3
Argentine performer Alejandro Awada is without a doubt an extremely accomplished actor. With a strong theatrical and cinematic background, he’s embodied most diverse characters, many of whom are quite memorable. And yet thanks to filmmaker Alejandro Agresti, his performance in Mecánica popular is memorable too, but for all the wrong reasons. As over the top as it gets, absurdly contrived, and entirely unengaging, it only becomes watchable from time to time, that is to say when the actor seems to be doing his own stuff by disregarding the coaching of his director. So let’s say it at once: Awada’s performance is the highlight of Agresti’s new film, which is absolutely excruciating.
First, the storyline. Mario Zavadikner is an old, alcoholic editor who’s devoted a large part of his life to publishing philosophy, psychoanalysis and history, but none of that has given him the bliss and satisfaction he longed for. So now he feels both his social and intellectual reality are very disappointing and so one night he decides to shoot himself at his office in the publishing house. That is until, out of the blue, the young Silvia Beltran (Marina Glezer) appears on the scene. She’s no less than a wannabe writer with the manuscript of her first novel, which she wants Zavadikner to read and ultimately publish. If he doesn’t do so, she’ll just shoot herself in front of him.
What ensues is an overlong, unbearably pretentious and conceptually vacuous monologue eventually disguised as a conversation in which Zavadikner spits out his supposedly wise opinions on life in general, intellectuals, the art and cultural world, those who inhabit it, post modernism, and whatever else he can think of. Silvia listens and, every now and then, says something. Then Zavadikner keeps on talking, talking, talking. And hence Agresti subjects viewers to a never ending discourse filled with commonplace, childish insights and adolescent anger towards everything and everyone — considering Agresti’s usual critiques, it’s not hard to realize he is the one actually speaking though the mouth of his character.
Then, all the forced, nonsensical references to the military dictatorship. Oh, boy. This is the part when you are bound to think you’re watching a parody of lame films dealing with the effects and consequences of the dictatorship. Well, that’s not the case. You’re actually watching one. To be honest, I first thought Agresti was going for a personal grotesque, a farce maybe, some kind of non-naturalistic register. And yet, as the film unfolds, I realized he was trying to make a realistic film with real characters engaged in real dialogue. Well, that’s certainly not what came out of his directorial efforts. Not by a long shot.
when and where
Mecánica popular (Argentina, 2015) Written and directed by Alejandro Agresti. With Alejandro Awada, Patricio Contreras, Marina Glezer, Romina Richi, Diego Peretti. Produced by Sebastián Aloi. Cinematography: Marcelo Camorino. Editing: Anabela Lattanzio, Alejandro Agresti. Sound: José Luis Díaz. Running time: 90 minutes.
