REVIEW: ‘Kékszakállú’
Photo: Kékszakállú follows the lives of several young women on the beaches of Argentina. Photo courtesy of Cinema Tropical / Provided with permission.
Kékszakállú, the 2016 Argentinian film from director Gastón Solnicki, has been revived by Cinema Tropical as part of their new digital collection of movies during this coronavirus pandemic. This portrait of young women wiling away the hours in the sun and on the beaches of the South American country is a clever and simple rumination on youth, growing up and what to do with one’s life when there’s so much possibility.
There are glimmers of Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle throughout the movie, but for the most part Solnicki’s film is a completely new affair, one that stresses style over plot, silence over endless dialogue. Throughout these 72 minutes, he is able to achieve a deep sense of realism, almost like Kékszakállú is a documentary feature and the director has simply hit the record button.
[Read Hollywood Soapbox’s interview with the director, Gastón Solnicki.]
Besides the realism, there is also a sorrowfulness pervading the characters in the movie, many of them seemingly stuck in a morass of boredom and forgetful romance. One girl stares off into the distance, her deep thoughts only disturbed by her mother’s questioning in the background. Another young woman scales a roof and looks over the ledge, not in a serious manner, but more in an exploratory mood.
The cinematography is a true highlight. Although the dialogue is minimal and the plot largely missing, the actual lensing is beautiful to behold. Interiors and exteriors are treated with such fine detail and precise angling that these homes and locations pop off the screen, providing a backdrop for each character much like an artist fills in the background of a portrait with vivid colors.
Kékszakállú may have some detractors who bemoan the indie feel of inertia and lack of direction, but for those who give themselves over to this clever gem of a movie, there are numerous rewards. It’s best to confront the film as an experimentation in immersion; the audience members are asked to step into this world, spend little more than hour with these creations and then leave through the same door they entered.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Kékszakállú (2016). Directed by Gastón Solnicki. Written by Guido Segal. Starring Laila Maltz, Lara Tarlowski, Denise Groesman and Katia Szechtman. Running time: 72 minutes. Rating: 
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