Truman, the new film by Spanish filmmaker Cesc Gay (Una pistola en cada mano, Ficció, En la ciudad) tells a far from original story, the kind of story that, with some variations, has been told endless times by filmmakers from all over. Yet, what makes Gay's feature singularly enticing is the sensibility and care he uses to approach the main issues.
Handled by less talented directors, Truman would have certainly been just one more tearjerker. And while there's nothing wrong with a good tearjerker, truth is, not many melodramas excel as such. So moving away from the terrain of melodrama and venturing into that of drama filled with genuine sentiment, Truman tells the story of Julián (Ricardo Darín) an Argentine stage actor in his mid fifties who has been living in Madrid for a long time. He’s been diagnosed with cancer and while at first the illness is somehow controlled, it then spreads and becomes terminal.
But Julián is not the depressive type, so you won’t see him crying and cursing desperately all day long. At the same time, he's not willing to wait for the disease to finish him off in the worst possible way. He decides to quit all medical treatments, go on with his life as best as he can until the arrival of death, to make it as painless as possible under the circumstances. He seems to have only one chief worry: finding a new master for Truman, an old dog he's lived with for years. In fact, he loves him so much that the prospect of leaving him with new people is sometimes too painful to endure.
He is aided by Tomás (Javier Cámara), his best friend, a university lecturer living in Canada. Tomás flies to Madrid to spend time with Julián. To be more precise, Tomás wants to convince Julián to not give up the medical treatment, which is very unlikely to happen.
So what first strikes one the most about Truman, the film, is the restrained, non-manipulative tone with which the story is narrated. Which doesn’t mean that Gay’s film is aloof and detached.
After all, an upcoming death is both visceral and stirring. Instead, emotions and feelings do take centre stage, all the more so when they seem to be contradictory, and you are bound to be moved by every single thing that transpires on the road before the long goodbye. But you will be moved in a legitimate, humanistic way, with no unnecessary punches.
At times, restrained feelings give way to emotional outbursts and heated conversations, which not always end that well. However, it's all part of the rites of passage involved in an unsolvable conflict.
In this regard, Truman, the dog, can be seen as a symbol of letting go. No wonder why no prospective new owners seem suitable to Julián. He has to find the right person to bestow one of the beings he loves the most.
A minor subplot involves Julián’s son, and this also proves quite relevant, smartly intertwined in the whole affair. By the way, there's also room for humour and even comic relief. For Truman is not a film that relies on solemnity, but on dignity and humanism.
production notesTruman. Argentina / Spain, 2015. Written by: Cesc Gay and Tomás Aragay.Directed: by Cesc Gay. With: Ricardo Darín, Javier Cámara, Dolores Fonzi, Eduard Fernández, Pedro Casablanc, José Luis Gómez. Cinematography: Andreu Rebés. Editing: Pablo Barbieri. Sound : Jesica Suárez. Produced by BDCine and K&S. NR. Running time: 108 minutes.
Production notes
Truman. Argentina / Spain, 2015. Written by: Cesc Gay and Tomás Aragay.Directed: by Cesc Gay. With: Ricardo Darín, Javier Cámara, Dolores Fonzi, Eduard Fernández, Pedro Casablanc, José Luis Gómez. Cinematography: Andreu Rebés. Editing: Pablo Barbieri. Sound : Jesica Suárez. Produced by BDCine and K&S. NR. Running time: 108 minutes.
