An Estar Ahi Cinema, Fresdeval Films (Spain)/Mantarraya, Nodream Cinema (Mexico) production. (International sales: Estar Ahi Cinema, Madrid.) Produced by Carlos Serrano, Jaime Rosales, Jaime Romandia, Carlos Reygadas. Directed, written by Carlos Serrano.
With: Bosco Sodi, Mayte Cedeno, Montxo Obeso, Rodolfo Gilmartin, Ana Casado, Maria Dolores Nadal, Maria Brunete, Sara Montgomery Campbell, Tito Ezeizabarrena.
The loneliness of a man cut off from everything that has informed his life is confidently and cinematically expressed in Carlos Serrano's fine debut, "The Tree." Although it could be regarded by cynics as another example of how the Dardenne brothers have over-influenced younger filmmakers, this disregards the considerable sensitivity of Serrano's visual storytelling and his ability to invest the viewer in every step of divorcee Santiago's building crisis, without descending into melodrama. Early 2009 fest tour to Rotterdam, Guadalajara and Buenos Aires is already impressive, though sales look limited to tony, art-friendly distribs in reliable territories.
The project reps a notable match of two of Ibero-America's bolder independent filmmakers -- Spain's Jaime Rosales and Mexico's Carlos Reygadas -- as producers (and in Reygadas' case, co-editor), but any concerns that either man's emphatic directorial style would be imposed on Serrano are allayed from the start.
In an unnamed Spanish city, Santiago (quietly played by non-pro actor and Spanish painter Bosco Sodi) tends bar at a popular club into the wee hours, but only in the light of day does his true existence become clear. Sleeping on a park bench, riding in a taxi while attempting to make cell-phone calls, wandering in on a pick-up soccer game, Santiago appears to be the quintessential European
flaneur, living life as it comes.
But this sense of a free-and-easy bohemian life is contradicted by a chain of scenes that show him lying to acquaintances about his success at work, followed by a surprising bit of heroism -- intervening as a woman is harassed on the street by strangers -- which leads to an even more unexpected revelation about his living conditions and family life.
Santiago's wanderings, frequently staged as if we're forever trying to keep up with him, are part of his overall quest to find meaning, even a dollop of justice, in a life that's been absolutely shattered. A startling sequence suggests the violent intensity of his divorce from Maria (Maria Dolores Nadal), who's had him barred from seeing his kids; his subsequent effort with his lawyer (Rodolfo Gilmartin) to reverse the custody ruling reveals how far he's stuck in the slow, grinding wheels of the legal system.
The only relief from all of this for Santiago is a respite in a hilly park with his pot connection, and it's a deliberate relief for the viewer, as well, since this is the only scene or encounter in "The Tree" -- despite the title's suggestion -- that escapes the city crowds, noise and traffic. Santiago's ultimate choice on how to face his downward spiral has hints of spirituality, which, for some viewers, will be the least convincing part of a film immersed in the material and the immediate.
Compact running time is just right for an existential tale whose dialogue is kept to an absolute minimum. True to Serrano's anti-psychological conception, Sodi's performance gives nothing away and keeps emotions close to the vest, while a consistent naturalism informs the performances of others who come in and out of Santiago's lonely days and nights. Sound work by Carlos Garcia is aces, and David Valdeperez's superb, streetwise vid lensing is another success for digital filmmaking. Vid projection at Guadalajara, however, was dreadful, marring Valdeperez's and Serrano's achievement.
Camera (color, DV), David Valdeperez; editors, Manuel Munoz, Serrano, Carlos Reygadas; music, Ginferno, W.A. Mozart; production designer, Barbara Diez; sound (stereo), Carlos Garcia. Reviewed at Guadalajara Film Festival, March 24, 2009. (Also in Rotterdam, Buenos Aires film festivals.) Running time: 70 MIN.
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