November 27, 2024
FILM: REINAS
DIRECTED BY: KLAUDIA REYNICKE
STARRING: JIMENA LINDO, GONZALO MOLINA, LUANA VEGA
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Reinas is Switzerland’s submission for the Best International Film Oscar this year. It’s already won awards at the Berlin International, Locarno, and Lima Latin American Film Festivals. The film takes place entirely in Lima, Peru so the connection to Switzerland is unclear, other than production companies perhaps involved in its financing. It’s a good if not terribly groundbreaking film that will have a tough time competing against some of the other big titles in competition this year.
The story centers on a family in Lima who are planning to leave the country. Elena (Jimena Lindo) has a job opportunity in Minnesota and needs the father of her two young daughters to sign the travel consent form. Carlos (Gonzalo Molina) is the father who has been a bit estranged from the family. He drives a taxi but also says he’s an actor, and then later, a special agent. What is really happening in his life is something of a mystery. What Elena and the others know though is that he’s not very reliable and a compulsive liar. When he offers to take his daughters Aurora and Lucia to the beach, it sets up a time for bonding between them that could threaten Elena’s plans. The title is translated as “queens” and Carlos certainly attempts to give the girls, whom he often refers to as “queens,” everything they want.
Each of these characters are very solidly and distinctly drawn. Aurora is a teen who prefers to spend her time with friends while the younger Lucia is close to her mom but also seems on the verge of expressing her own independent spirit. Why Elena wants to leave seems fairly clear: it is the early 1990s and Peru is going through some rough social and economic conditions including rising prices, terrorist activities, curfews, and blackouts. Elena and her mother seem to be doing pretty well though. Grandma lives in a nice house with a maid and they all look quite put together. However, it is clear that Elena wants what’s best for her children, given the current climate of the country, even though it means uprooting them.
The general tone of the film is fairly low-key, with naturalistic settings and not a lot of technical experimentation. It feels like a kind of American independent film that we’ve seen for the past few decades. This isn’t a bad thing for it is concise narratively and well-directed and acted. Beyond this, it’s not particularly clear how the circumstances might be different if the setting were changed to today. There isn’t a lot here that feels stuck in the 1990s (except, of course, for a lack of cell phones…)
Ultimately, the narrative attempts to present a somewhat complex situation. Should they stay or go? What is best for all concerned in the family? There’s not a lot of drama here except for wayward Carlos’s nurturing but careless approach to life. The girls, being the ages they are, create their own dramas. As such, there’s probably a lot here for people to relate to regardless of country of origin. I don’t think writer/director Klaudia Reynicke is trying to sway us in any particular direction as to what might be right for the family. This lack of a clearly defined focus might create a bit of an emotional detachment for some viewers from. Regardless, Reinas is a solidly constructed, relatable, and engrossing enough if not overly transcendent experience.
Reinas opens in limited release November 29th.
FILM: REINAS
DIRECTED BY: KLAUDIA REYNICKE
STARRING: JIMENA LINDO, GONZALO MOLINA, LUANA VEGA
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Reinas is Switzerland’s submission for the Best International Film Oscar this year. It’s already won awards at the Berlin International, Locarno, and Lima Latin American Film Festivals. The film takes place entirely in Lima, Peru so the connection to Switzerland is unclear, other than production companies perhaps involved in its financing. It’s a good if not terribly groundbreaking film that will have a tough time competing against some of the other big titles in competition this year.
The story centers on a family in Lima who are planning to leave the country. Elena (Jimena Lindo) has a job opportunity in Minnesota and needs the father of her two young daughters to sign the travel consent form. Carlos (Gonzalo Molina) is the father who has been a bit estranged from the family. He drives a taxi but also says he’s an actor, and then later, a special agent. What is really happening in his life is something of a mystery. What Elena and the others know though is that he’s not very reliable and a compulsive liar. When he offers to take his daughters Aurora and Lucia to the beach, it sets up a time for bonding between them that could threaten Elena’s plans. The title is translated as “queens” and Carlos certainly attempts to give the girls, whom he often refers to as “queens,” everything they want.
Each of these characters are very solidly and distinctly drawn. Aurora is a teen who prefers to spend her time with friends while the younger Lucia is close to her mom but also seems on the verge of expressing her own independent spirit. Why Elena wants to leave seems fairly clear: it is the early 1990s and Peru is going through some rough social and economic conditions including rising prices, terrorist activities, curfews, and blackouts. Elena and her mother seem to be doing pretty well though. Grandma lives in a nice house with a maid and they all look quite put together. However, it is clear that Elena wants what’s best for her children, given the current climate of the country, even though it means uprooting them.
The general tone of the film is fairly low-key, with naturalistic settings and not a lot of technical experimentation. It feels like a kind of American independent film that we’ve seen for the past few decades. This isn’t a bad thing for it is concise narratively and well-directed and acted. Beyond this, it’s not particularly clear how the circumstances might be different if the setting were changed to today. There isn’t a lot here that feels stuck in the 1990s (except, of course, for a lack of cell phones…)
Ultimately, the narrative attempts to present a somewhat complex situation. Should they stay or go? What is best for all concerned in the family? There’s not a lot of drama here except for wayward Carlos’s nurturing but careless approach to life. The girls, being the ages they are, create their own dramas. As such, there’s probably a lot here for people to relate to regardless of country of origin. I don’t think writer/director Klaudia Reynicke is trying to sway us in any particular direction as to what might be right for the family. This lack of a clearly defined focus might create a bit of an emotional detachment for some viewers from. Regardless, Reinas is a solidly constructed, relatable, and engrossing enough if not overly transcendent experience.
Reinas opens in limited release November 29th.