Lifting de corazón

Excellent film. Excellent actors. The one who discovers and the one who teaches. The young woman teaching an older man how to love in a way he has never done. The environment (Buenos Aires and Sevilla) is beautifully and carefully shown by someone who loves both places. Every feeling is described with respect and sweetness, and with good humor. Although it is a movie by Eliseo Subiela this one time he has managed to bring us a very clear story, where the characters are just as anybody else, people with desires and fears. With brave acts and a lot of mistakes. One special mention deserves Alfredo Casero, the taxi driver who puts the laughter and the Buenos Aires way of being in his character.

Eusebio Subiela, the excellent Argentine film director, has abandoned the metaphysical themes which have been at the core of his career. Instead, he charts into a territory one wouldn't suspect he would turn to, the making of a romantic comedy with shades of bittersweetness.

The basic flaw of the story seems to be in the screen play Mr. Subiela and his collaborator, Alicia Rosendorn, have written for the picture. They have created a story about a man, who having reached middle age, suddenly finds himself attracted to a much younger woman. His marriage is not exactly perfect, but they have been together for many years and it doesn't appear they are candidates for an imminent divorce. This theme has been done repeatedly for the movies, yet Mr. Subiela doesn't fall into the conventionality of the genre.

What sets this comedy apart, is the way Mr. Subiela gets interesting performances from all his principals, something that another man probably couldn't have achieved. Best of all, Mariana Anghileri, who plays the young woman who is the object of Antonio's love. This young actress makes her Delia a perfect example in how to project the right amount of intelligence in the role. Pep Munne, is also good as Antonio. Maria Barranco, a steady presence in Spanish films, does what must be, the best acting we have seen her do in the movies.

One sure hopes to see Mr. Subiela go back to his old style for his next project. After all, he is one of the best talent ever to come out of Argentina's cinema.