Marilyn
- Director: Martín Rodríguez Redondo
- Writer: Martín Rodríguez Redondo; Mariana Docampo; Mara Pescio
- Producer: Paula Zyngierman; Giancarlo Nasi; Martín Rodríguez Redondo
CGiii Comment
When you have very little, when a cell-phone is your prized possession - in fact, your life-line - take that away...of course, there will be consequences!
Marcos chooses his mother's clothes, takes up hems, dyes her hair...indeed, he is the daughter she never had. Only...her rules are set in stone and no son of hers will ever be a 'maricon' - she rules her roost with an iron rod.
Martín Rodríguez Redondo's debut film is one of gentle agony, understated misery...of horror. Structurally, the film starts off with the optimism that youth brings...as circumstances take their toll...it's an absolutely mesmerising descent...into hopelessness.
The sparse dialogue just amplifies the horrendous situation that this family finds themselves in...struggling to survive, ducking and diving to exist...something has to give. And, it does!
Really, a remarkable film about 'things' most of us take for granted...stability, ambition and identity...all these 'things' are systematically stripped away from Marcos...leaving just a shell...with a deliberately subdued power-house of a performance by Walter Rodríguez, Marilyn will leave you shell-shocked...but, the fallout will linger long after...perhaps, he did them a favour after all!!!
This is tragedy. This is powerful filmmaking.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
There’s not much going on in this part of rural Argentina where a shy young man named Marcos lives with his family. Theirs is a modest existence, where gender roles are clearly demarcated. The hot summer doesn’t make life any easier, but money needs to be earned and the herd of cattle must be kept together. Marcos manages to carve out little islands of freedom during his routine; in these moments he likes to put make-up on his childlike face or slip into colourful dresses behind closed doors. Carnival is just around the corner; this year’s event will change Marcos’ life as dramatically as the family’s unexpected relocation.
Martín Rodríguez Redondo’s cinematic debut is a tender portrait of youth and initially repressed self-discovery, told with serene understatement, devoid of guiding music. The roar of motorbikes promises both freedom and danger and, although there appears to be no escape from this world, the situation is far from hopeless for at some point young Federico appears on the scene. The images are contemplative and the narrative linear, yet the course taken by the film’s seemingly predictable trajectory is nonetheless surprising. A story based on true events.
Cast & Characters
Walter Rodríguez as Marcos
Catalina Saavedra as Olga
Germán de Silva as Carlos
Ignacio Giménez as Carlitos
Rodolfo García Werner as Facundo
Andrew Bargsted as Federico
Josefina Paredes as Laura
German Baudino as Raúl