Pinamar is a resort town on the Argentine Atlantic coast 300 km southeast from Buenos Aires. Unlike other Argentine balnearies it it is a planned city where part of the wild sand dunes have been artificially turned into pine forests (hence half the name; the other half is mar = sea).
In the first scene we see twentysomething brothers Pablo and Miguel driving from Buenos Aires to Pinamar, an urn on the back seat. We learn later that the urn contains the ashes of their mother, that the brothers plan to scatter in the ocean. The other reason of their trip is to finish the details of the sale of the family condominium. Pablo is introverted, with a seemingly grim take on life; Miguel is the opposite, full of jokes and silliness and seems to enjoy annoying Pablo. There is a tension between the brothers that seems to exceed the natural tension between siblings. As they arrive they reconnect with Laura, daughter of the manager of their apartment building, who was a friend of both when the family spent their summers in Pinamar. Their relation is rekindled and old feelings resurface, tempered by years of separate experiences. The backdrop is Pinamar, dormant in winter; streets without traffic, interminable deserted beaches and equally deserted pine woods. Contact with Laura finally leads to a reevaluation of the brothers' plans.
I liked this movie with reservations. In this kind of film we do not expect flashbacks or detailed explanations, but at least enough snatches of dialog or visuals for a reconstruction, however partial, of the characters' past and its influence on their present feelings and actions. That we don't get; at the end we know little more about the three that we knew at the beginning. This is Federico Godfrid's first solo work (he previously codirected the enchanting La Tigra, Chaco in 2009 with Juan Saslaín). He is supported by excellent cinematography and acting is first rate. In spite of objections, the movie deserves a watch.
