Sin hijos delivers on father-daughter bond but fails on love affair development
Gabriel (Diego Peretti) separated from his wife four years ago, and ever since his 8-year-old daughter, Sofía (Guadalupe Manent), has become the centre of his life — a life with no social or sentimental angles. But this seemingly unbreakable bond suffers a rather important crisis when Vicky (Maribel Verdú), and old schoolmate from elementary school, enters the scene. She is now a gorgeous woman with a very independent life and a seductive personality. So no wonder Gabriel falls in love with her almost as soon as he sees her again.
But just as their love affair begins to blossom, Vicky tells Gabriel she simply cannot stand children and would never have one. And what makes it worse is that Gabriel never told Vicky about his daughter, and is not planning on doing so, since he knows that it will surely mean losing her. Yet this can only be a temporary solution, as you cannot hide your own daughter forever. So what is to happen when Vicky finds out about Sofía?
Sin hijos, the new film by Ariel Winograd (Vino para robar, Mi primera boda, Cara de queso), is a quite an accomplished romantic comedy in some areas — particularly in the depiction of the father-daughter relationship — but fails to meet the expectations it arises in others — mainly as regards the sentimental relationship between Gabriel and Vicky. And it’s not due to Winograd’s directing, but to the screenplay.
So on the plus side, father and daughter interact in a realistic and genuine way, even if sometimes Sofía is a bit too witty, which is compensated by newcomer Guadalupe Manent’s fresh performance. Peretti and Manent establish the necessary chemistry, just as they excel individually. But when it comes to Maribel Verdú, things are not that great, as she almost always seems to be rehearsing her performance in front of the camera. She looks great and has the right physique de role, and yet she’s not that convincing.
And while the overall sense of humour does pay off and the dialogue is filled with effective one-liners, the way the plot unfolds also feels staged and often not stemming from the story. For instance, Gabriel and Vicky fall in love with very little development of the affair. That is to say, they find each other again after many years and almost instantly click, with no build-up of the affair. The script often executes a series of situations and episodes that don’t grow naturally from the story. And sometimes you can see what’s coming long before it happens, and so some of the surprises just don’t work out.
Nonetheless, all in all, Sin hijos is an affable feature that should be praised for its entertainment value more than anything else.
Production notes
Sin hijos (Argentina, 2015). Directed by Ariel Winograd. Written by Mariano Vera, Pablo Solarz. With Diego Peretti, Maribel Verdú, Guadalupe Manent. Cinematography by Félix Monti. Running time: 100 minutes.
