Antonio Molina (Daniel Quaranta) is a somewhat legendary crook who’s seen better days, and is now trying to clean up his act: he wants no unnecessary betrayals or deaths. But it won’t’ be easy since the corrupt police chief Ibáñez (Ricardo Garino) wants to force him to kill Calavera (Carlos Vuletich) as a way to pay off an old debt. Calavera is a pimp the policeman’s ex-wife Natalia works for. As much as Antonio wants to pay his debt, the entire affair grows more dangerous because of Calavera’s sudden infatuation with Natalia. Add to that another revenge because of snitching and you have a bloodbath coming.
With El perro Molina, Argentine indie filmmaker José Celestino Campusano (Vikingo, Vil romance, Fango) once again goes over some of the characteristics that have made him a novel auteur: a narrative depicting the violent, dark side of Greater BA; young and criminal outsiders, corrupt officials and lowlife “losers” as protagonists; doomed love stories and visceral personal liaisons; and raw feelings, irrational motives, deciding the fate of the characters.
As regards aesthetics, expect an austere and realistic mise-en-scène; real locations instead of studio settings; an almost invisible camerawork; a realistic sound design with no overwhelming incidental music; fairly colloquial dialogue with — occasionally — more reflexive insights; and, most visible, non-professional actors making their début.
As is easy to guess, Campusano goes for strict realism, and in a voluntarily rudimentary manner. It aims to capture spontaneity and leave out rehearsing to make you feel you are there with the characters and witnessing the events. It eschews most traits that make fiction look and sound like fiction. And while in some aspects Campusano succeeds, namely in how recognizable and authentic his universe is, or in the credible dialogue, or in the discreet cinematography, it’s also fair to point out that there’s something that just doesn’t do the trick: the acting.
I believe there is such a thing as good acting. Many filmmakers in cinema history have opted for non-professional actors — take Italian Neorrealism, cinéma verité, Iranian cinema — and the results were superlative. The performances by these non-actors are convincing from beginning to end, without the tics and tricks of consummate and seasoned actors who have left true discovery behind. Needless to say, there are also very, very realistic performances from professionals — take the films of John Cassavetes, Leonardo Favio, or Mike Leigh, just to name three very different examples. At any rate, the performances are always compelling. You believe them without hesitating.
I personally feel this is not the case with El perro Molina. For the most part, the dialogue is slightly — and sometimes not so slightly — recited and rehearsed. Emotions are unnaturally conveyed and the overall realism is hampered. Many of these non-actors do have troubles with their lines, be it in tone or inflection. That — and more than a handful of undeveloped scenes — turn a film that strives hard to be realistic into a film that often exhibits its own artifice.
Production notes
El perro Molina (Argentina, 2014). Written, directed and produced by José Celestino Campusano. With Daniel Quaranta, Florencia Bobadilla, Carlos Vuletich, Damián Ávila. Cinematography : Eric Elizondo. Editing: Martín Basterretche. Running time: 88 minutes.
