POINTS: 5
Halfway into Claudio Remedi’s La ilusión de Noemí, one of its main characters, Sergio (Joaquín Remedi), a boy of 11 or 12, stands by his teacher, in front of his classmates, and has to answer a few questions about the daily homework. He obviously hasn’t studied and he hesitates and stutters, fails to come up with the right answers, is unfocused, and above all, he speaks in a languid voice that is slow to the point of inertness. Well, the same can be said about the film: it’s in urgent need to be infused with a good deal of rhythm, of vitality, of life.
That, among many others, is the main problem here. Surely not intended, the narrative drags almost from the very point when things start unravelling. Not that the storyline is that appealing either, for it lacks an original insight, it has one dimensional characters, and is too thin in its scope. Then again, had it been properly executed with gripping performances, a couple of insights, a good dose of subtlety and a strong dramatic focus, then the result would’ve been different and for the better.
Noemí (Martina Horak) and Sergio are classmates and friends who spend lots of time together. Noemí’s mom died when she was very young and she lives with her dad (Sergio Boris) and her strict and boring aunt (María Inés Aldaburu) while Sergio lives with his mum (Licia Tizziani), who’s separated from her ex-husband and is having a hard time finding a job.
La ilusión de Noemí focuses — or attempts to focus — on the friendship between the two tweens, yet it doesn’t reveal much about it. It just scratches the surface of a bond that’s never fully developed. For that matter, the same goes for the conflicts, so to speak, that their parents are involved in along the film.
Noemí and Sergio play in the garden of Noemí’s house and they like to dig. God only knows why, perhaps because they are kids and kids are supposed to like digging. Or more likely because the script says so. In any case, they eventually find a rusty old box (more than halfway into the film) and they wonder what it may be and who it may belong to. Could it be related to Noemí’s mum?
Don’t blame the young actors for their deadpan, lifeless performances; the adults are just as inexpressive. In fact, you can see the actors sort of trying to do their best, but they can only do so much when there’s no coaching. They are as unenergetic as the film itself.
Yet there’s one visible asset, pun intended: to a certain extent, the cinematography by Lucas Martelli does have flair. Quite a few shots are well composed, well-framed, and boast certain appeal in the use of tones and textures. In this regard, a small yet somewhat personal world is portrayed. Which, in a sense, makes the movie-watching experience more digestible. And the art direction by Gabriela Crespo is not devoid of some findings either.
Production notes
La ilusión de Noemí (Argentina, 2015). Written and directed by Claudio Remedi. With Martina Horak, Joaquín Remedi, Licia Tizziani, Sergio Boris, María Inés Aldaburu, Lucrecia Plat. Cinematography: Lucas Martelli. Editing: Claudio Remedi, Gabriela Jaime. Art direction: Gabriela Crespo. Produced by Boedo Films. Running time: 94 minutes.
@pablsuarez
