Las vidas posibles (2007) Online

It would be easy for a viewer looking for action to dismiss "Las vidas posibles". On the other hand, anyone looking for a drama in which most everything is either ambiguous, or even mind boggling, will be pleased to find this Argentine rarity which came to us via cable. Not knowing anything about the movie, or its director, we decided to take a chance, something that proved a good choice.

Basically, this is a story about Carla, a woman whose husband, Luciano, a geologist, leaves one day and disappears without trace in the Patagonia while on his way to work. Carla, who gets worried, decides to follow her man in search of clues about the causes of his absence. As she arrives near the area where he is supposed to be, she is stopped on the road because of a police roadblock up ahead. This scene proves to be a key to what is going to happen to Ana.

Upon arriving at the hotel where Luciano always stays, she is told he had never shown up. Carla decides to stay in the room he would otherwise occupy. One day, while driving, she spots a man, with an uncanny resemblance to her "lost" husband. Carla follows him until she discovers he is a real estate agent. This taciturn man, Luis Miconi, is involved with a beautiful woman, although one never gets to know details about them. It comes as no surprise that Carla and the stranger become involved in a relation that leads to nowhere, although it is not only because Luis reminds her of the missing man. Carla perhaps is looking for closure as she deals with the hard reality that Luciano will never come back. In the end, Luis seems to be abandoning everything.

Sandra Gugliotta, who co-wrote and directed this film, obviously was seduced by the mystery created by the disappearance of Luciano and Carla's stubbornness thinking he might not have encountered foul play, or that he was involved in an accident. What Ms. Gugliotta has created is a film that is a puzzle caused by the crisis that Carla experiences and the reality she doesn't seem to accept.

Ana Celentano is the best excuse for watching this film. She stays with the viewer long after the film is finished. Ms. Celentano is perfectly believable in her role. German Palacios is also good in his double role of Luciano/Luis. Natalia Oreiro makes a valid contribution in a pivotal part. The haunting musical score by Sebastian Escofett serves the narrative well. Lucio Bonelli, the cinematographer, doesn't distract us by giving us magnificent views of the area where the film was shot. We shall look forward to the next Sandra Gugliotta's work.

If you're looking for a good mystery/psych thriller, watch this film! I saw it at the I.N.C.A.A. theater by the Plaza del Congreso in Buenos Aires, and even though my Spanish is not the best, the spare dialogue and odd plot made it a both understandable (at least in the literal sense) and interesting movie.

It starts off in the city of Buenos Aires, where the female protagonist and a man, a geologist, fall in love and marry. He periodically goes off to ¨El Sur,¨ i.e. Patagonia, to conduct geological work The craziness begins when, on one trip, he disappears, leaving his wife distraught. She goes off to find him and comes across another man who looks just like him. His name is Luiz, and he claims to be married. The movie documents their simultaneously detached and intimate relationship.

I feel like ¨Las vidas¨ has a lot to say about the difficulty in defining relationships and the yearning to make a connection with another person. One part that especially stood out was Luiz and the protagonist's interactions as he helps her look for a house to buy in Santa Cruz, where she will wait for her husband. At this point, she suspects that Luiz is her husband, while his thoughts about her seem to be uncertain. She is insistent on buying the house; he advises her to take time and not be hasty. The house comes to symbolize the shape and parameters of their relationship. The rooms they wander through are somewhat like the situations that they keep wandering into throughout a movie that seems to have no detailed plot, at least in terms of concrete events.

The protagonist's persistence in searching for her husband could be the expression of her undeniable connection with him, or it could be simply a result of her longing to connect with another person – any person. Why does she, and why do we as people, crave this connection so much? Maybe we just need something to cling to. The protagonist's conversation with a waitress at a lodge in Santa Cruz suggests her and ours essential state of isolation. The waitress speaks of ¨el mar,¨ the ocean – a sign of the vast space and irrationality through which navigate in our daily lives. ¨Do you like it here?¨ asks the protagonist. ¨I like what I HAVE here,¨ replies the waitress. We are creatures who hold onto our possessions for sake of sanity.

I won't spoil the ending of the movie. Let me just add that if you're into beautiful scenery, the views of snowy mountains and the ocean are shot beautifully. Some of the acting and script weren't strong, but nevertheless, this movie will leave you, if not satisfied, at least thoughtful.