Directed by Sebastian Lelio and written by Lelio and Gonzalo Maza, Una mujer fantastica (A Fantastic Woman) is the story of a transgender woman whose lover had just died as she is accused of being involved in his death while dealing with her own identity. The film is a look into a transgender woman dealing with loss as well as deal with her own identity as a transgender while trying to maintain her work as a singer and waitress. Starring Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes. Una mujer fantastica is a rapturous and evocative film from Sebastian Lelio.
A man falls ill as his transgender lover tries to save him by going to the hospital only to die with many of the man’s loved ones and family asking many questions about what had happened. That is pretty much the premise of the film as a whole as it play into this transgender woman who is vilified by those who don’t really know her other than the fact that she’s a lover to this much older man. The film’s screenplay by Sebastian Lelio and Gonzalo Maza takes place in the span of a few days from a night where it opens with a typical day between Marina (Daniela Vega) and Orlando (Francisco Reyes) as they go out and return to his apartment whom the former had just moved in only for the night to end tragically with Orlando’s death. The rest of the story revolves around Marina being asked about what happened where a police investigator, Orlando’s ex-wife Sonia (Aline Kuppenheim), and others ask about what happened to Orlando thinking there’s some foul play. Adding to Marina’s own issues is her identity with some are in disbelief that Orlando would choose to spend the rest of his life with someone like Marina with Sonia asking her to not attend Orlando’s wake and funeral.
Lelio’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of its visuals where it is shot on location in Santiago, Chile as it’s a place that is vibrant and more open to new things yet there are those who question some of these new ideas and new identities. There are some wide shots to establish some of the locations including scenes that play into the world that Marina lives in that is vibrant that includes a restaurant that is next to a children’s amusement park. Lelio’s usage of close-ups and medium shots play into the drama that includes a police examination that proves to be a horrific moment of humiliation for Marina as well as a scene where Orlando’s son Bruno (Nicolas Saavedra) tries to bully her with a few of his friends in a form of physical abuse. Lelio doesn't aim for anything stylish other than the ghostly presence of Orlando following Marina who is reminded of her love for him no matter how much people give her a lot of shit. All of which forces Marina to show that she is a woman as well uncover some truths about Orlando that his family is forced to deal with. Overall, Lelio crafts a ravishing yet mesmerizing film about a transgender woman dealing with the passing of her lover.
Cinematographer Benjamin Echazarreta does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of low-key lights for interior scenes at night including a nightclub as well as some of the exterior scenes at night. Editor Soledad Salfate does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward in terms of playing up to the drama as well as bits of suspense as it relates to a key that Marina is carrying that belongs to Orlando. Production designer Estefania Larrain does fantastic work with the look of Orlando’s apartment as well as the look of some of the places that Marina goes to. Costume designer Muriel Parra does amazing work with the costumes as it includes much of the casual clothing that Marina wears including a few dresses for what she wears whenever she sings.
Sound editor Daniel Iribarren and sound designer Tina Laschke do superb work with the sound as it play into the sound of a club as well as some of the locations as it add to the dramatic elements of the film. The film’s music by Nani Garcia and Matthew Herbert is wonderful for its mixture of folk and woodwind classical music to play into the drama while its soundtrack feature an array of classical and opera music as well as music from Aretha Franklin, the Alan Parsons Project, and Hector Lavoe.
The casting by Alejandra Alaff and Moira Miller is terrific as it include some notable small roles from Alejandro Goic as a doctor for the police, Nestor Cantillana as Marina’s brother-in-law Gaston, Trinidad Gonzalez as Marina’s sister Wanda, Antonia Zegers as Marina’s fellow waitress friend Alessandra, and Amparo Noguera in a superb performance as the police investigator Adriana Cortes who is suspicious about Marina as she wants to know if there really was foul play involved. Nicolas Saavedra is fantastic as Orlando’s son Bruno as someone who doesn’t like Marina as he wants to have his dad’s apartment all to himself. Aline Kuppenheim is excellent as Orlando’s ex-wife Sonia as a woman that is kind to Marina as well as grateful for Marina to bring some of Orlando’s things despite her issues as well as asking Marina not to attend Orlando’s wake.
Luis Gnecco is brilliant as Orlando’s brother Gabo as the one person in Orlando’s family that is sympathetic towards Marina as he tries to help her as well as mediate between her and the rest of the family. Francisco Reyes is amazing as Orlando as middle-aged man who is Marina’s lover as he doesn’t appear much in the film but other than someone who is caring as well as be a ghostly figure for Marina. Finally, there’s Daniela Vega in a tremendous performance as Marina as this transgender waitress/singer that is dealing with loss but also questions about what happened to Orlando prompting her to deal with issues of her identity and the prejudice she faces forcing her to not take shit anyone as well as be treated with some respect as it is a true breakthrough performance.
Una mujer fantastica is a spectacular film from Sebastian Lelio that features an incredible performance from Daniela Vega. Along with its ensemble cast, study of gender identity, gorgeous visuals, and a hypnotic music soundtrack. The film is truly a marvel in its approach to a transgender woman trying to defend her identity as well as the love for the man who gave her so much. In the end, Una mujer fantastica is a sensational film from Sebastian Lelio.
Sebastian Lelio Films: (The Sacred Family) – (Christmas (2009 film)) – (The Year of the Tiger) – Gloria (2013 film) - (Disobedience (2017 film)) – (Gloria Bell)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the unpublished play El Plebiscito by Antonio Skarmeta, No is the story about an advertising man in late 1980s Chile who is asked to create a campaign to vote against Augusto Pinochet in the 1988 national plebiscite. Directed by Pablo Larrain and screenplay by Pedro Peirano, the film is a look into a man who would help end Pinochet’s dictatorship as it’s the third film of Larrain’s trilogy about Pinochet. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Nestor Cantillana. No is a captivating film from Pablo Larrain.
The film is a simple story about the NO campaign in the 1988 national plebiscite where the people of Chile had to vote whether to keep Augusto Pinochet for eight more years as this vote is being seen all over the world as Pinochet would be forced to see what the people will vote for. Leading this NO campaign is a young advertising executive who is asked by a Socialist friend of his to create ideas for the campaign while his boss would eventually take charge of the YES campaign. It’s a film that explores one young man’s attempt to create something that is for the sake of his country as well as the future of his young son in the hopes that he wouldn’t have to see his son endure the pain and terror of Pinochet’s dictatorship.
Pedro Peirano’s screenplay plays into the life of Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal) who starts out as a man who creates commercials for an advertising company as it’s a life he’s content with despite the fact that he and his wife Veronica (Antonia Zegers) are separated. When being approached by his Socialist friend Jose Tomas Urrutia (Luis Gnecco) to take part in the NO campaign, Rene says no at first as he didn’t want to interfere with his job or jeopardize his friendship with his boss Lucho (Alfredo Castro). Yet, he couldn’t turn down the idea of overthrowing Pinochet and bring a bright future to Chile for his son. Much of the script explores the ideas for a campaign where Saavedra realizes that if they have to get votes from young and old voters, they would have to do something different and radical.
While the script plays into a lot of the history of Pinochet’s reign, it also takes it time to explore what Saavedra and the people he’s working are struggling with as they knew that showing images of what Pinochet has done wouldn’t work. By going for something that was hopeful, it would create some tension not just among some of the people in the NO campaign but also cause trouble with the people running the YES campaign as they’re unsure of what to do to counter the NO campaign. Lucho tries to offer Saavedra a very prestigious offer after the election only to be turned down as Lucho does whatever to keep the YES campaign going only to realize that everything he’s doing for his bosses aren’t working.
Pablo Larrain’s direction is very mesmerizing not just for the intimacy he created but in the visual look of the film that is really striking. Shot in a full-frame aspect ratio and on video-like film format known as U-matic to play into that period, it’s a film that is about a moment in time where Chile was at a critical point in time where they’re not sure if Pinochet would still rule as the whole world is watching. The look and its intimacy has this nostalgic feel while the video footage of the campaigns definitely look like what Latin American television looked like at that time. Much of the NO campaign commercials do have a sense of cheesiness yet it does have a point in not just the future of Chile but also what might happen. Some of it is very funny and light-hearted while some of it is also sobering as opposed to the more propaganda-based approach of the YES campaign.
There’s also some moments of suspense in the direction in the way it portrays some of the chaos that goes on in Chile as it’s shot on location in the country and the city of Santiago. Even as Larrain was able to recreate some of the protests and marches that went on during the 27-day campaign period as well as incorporate archival footage of these events that include testimonials from Jane Fonda, Richard Dreyfuss, and the late Christopher Reeve. While its outcome would be known, it’s more about what Saavedra would feel about in his role as well as the impact it have. The film’s final credits would reveal footage of the people who were part of this campaign as they meet the actors who would play them. Overall, Larrain crafts a very stylish yet riveting film about the NO campaign that would end Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile.
Cinematographer Sergio Armstrong does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its grainy yet rich look in its video-like form as it plays to something that has an air of nostalgia but also some style that features additional work from visual effects supervisor/colorist Ismael Cabrera to play with the look of the film as well as the TV footage. Editor Andrea Chignoli does excellent work with the editing from the stylized approach of the adds as well as montages for some of the historical footage and jump-cuts for some of the film‘s drama. Art director Estefania Larrain and set decorator Maria Eugenia Hederra do fantastic work with the set pieces from the offices that Saavedra works at as well as his house and the studio where he looks into the filming of the ads.
Costume designer Francisca Roman does nice work with the costumes as it plays to the look of the late 80s for most of the characters while many of the government officials wear suits and uniforms. Sound designer Miguel Hormazabal does superb work with the sound from the way TV sounded back then to the sounds of crowds gathering for marches and such. The film’s music by Carlos Cabezas is terrific as it doesn’t appear much in the film as it’s mostly an orchestral-based score that is very low-key as it plays to some of the drama that occurs.
The film’s wonderful cast includes some notable small roles from Jaime Vadell as a government minister, Marcial Tagle as Saavedra’s friend Alberto who aids him in the campaign, Elsa Poblete as Saavedra’s maid Carmen, and Pascal Montero as Saavedra’s young son Simon who watches everything that happens. Nestor Cantillana is excellent as the video director Fernando who often spars with Saavedra on a creative and political level as they reluctantly work together while Antonia Zegers is fantastic as Saavedra’s estranged wife Veronica whose work in protests and such has her returning to the life of her son as she contemplates about returning to Saavedra for a less complicated life. Luis Gnecco is brilliant as Saavedra’s Socialist friend Urrutia who brings him to the NO campaign while hoping that the campaign will do some good.
Alfredo Castro is amazing as Saavedra’s conservative boss Lucho who runs the YES campaign as he deals with Saavedra’s newfound affiliation while still being a friend as he also deals with the limited resources he had to use for the YES campaign. Finally, there’s Gael Garcia Bernal in a remarkable performance as Rene Saavedra as a young advertising executive who runs the NO campaign as he deals with the possibilities of the campaign as well as its unorthodox approach as it’s a performance that has Bernal be somewhat restrained but also show a determination as a man who would play a small part in changing Chile’s political identity.
No is an incredible film from Pablo Larrain that features a marvelous performance from Gael Garcia Bernal. The film doesn’t just offer something for history buffs about the end of Augusto Pinochet’s reign but it’s also a unique portrait of a period in time where thing was about to change told with such style. In the end, No is a phenomenal film from Pablo Larrain.
Pablo Larrain Films: (Fuga) - (Tony Manero) - (Post Mortem) - (The Club (2015 film)) - (Neruda) - Jackie (2016 film)
© thevoid99 2014
