By Roger Costa
DROWNING DRY
A family trip turns into unexpected events as two sisters gather their husbands and children intending to celebrate one’s birthday and the other’s martial arts tournament winning. Lithuania’s official selection for the Oscars, writer-director Laurynas Bareiša’s sophomore feature is an emotionally charged, austere and observational drama exploring its characters with patience, commitment and gentle devotion.
As they flirt with joy and harmony, an inevitable sense of tragedy seems to be around the corner. Stylish and subtly shifting tones, Bareiša takes us for an intense and intricated ride, a puzzle-structured tale, meticulously addressing danger while leaving us on the edge of our seats. As it reminds us of the importance of family, it delivers a thrilling and mesmerizing experience.
(Dekanalog. 7/18. IFC Center. Director in person at selected screenings).
KILL THE JOCKEY
Blending surrealism and absurdism, director Luis Ortega’s satire is a deadpan, wildly fun, and stylish satire on fame, vices, identity and wounded egos. A renowned yet self-destructive jockey prepares for an important race while in conflict with a female competitor who may be pregnant as a result of their complicated affair. He suffers a brain injury, altering his identity and personality as the film enters a labyrinthic, metaverse-like crime plot. Actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart is fascinating and hilarious as the protagonist Remo, delivering an intriguingly charismatic performance as a bizarre character that feels like a cousin of Chaplin or Beetlejuice. Provocative and outrageously funny, it confirms Ortega’s authenticity and accuracy as a major Latin American voice.
(Music Box Films. Now Playing at Film Forum).
AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE
Gorgeously shot, intensely observed, poetical and brutal, Albert Serra’s critics’ darling documentary relentlessly accompanies its main subject, the respected Peruvian-born torero Andrés Roca Rey as he enters the arena ready to perform and win over the heavy bulls. Holding on to his shots patiently, simply observing both the torero and the heavy animals, Serra crafts a deeply penetrable, bloody, gripping and triumphant real-life story about a man’s personal path to glory.
(Grasshopper Films. Now Playing at Film at Lincoln Center).
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