Terrific little film. Mostly (or only?) static shots, each one pretty as a picture, but it's not a pretty picture; Jacobo is an older Uruguayan man who doesn't laugh or smile and has recently lost his mother after long taking care of her, while running a sock factory as well. Then it is time for the (Jewish) ritual of placing the tombstone on her grave and his brother Hermano (which simply means 'brother') will finally come over from Brasil to pay his respects. Jacobo asks his employee Marta to stay with him for a few days, though his intentions are not very obvious or clear. Marta seems to have higher hopes than Jacobo; when she fixes them a king-size bed out of two smaller ones, but Jacobo changes it back as quickly as he can.
The humour is so very dry and casual, but still can't be missed. For instance, when Jacobo puts a novelty magnet (of a little hand with the thumb pointing up) that Hermano just took a look at, back on the fridge: suddenly it's pointing down. Throughout the 'adventures' of this somewhat unlikely trio, there are many feelings simmering just below the surface and ready to burst, but nothing actually happens. If something did happen (did Marta sleep with Hermano? I'd think so) the viewer does not get to find out, or Jacobo redirects his anger towards some soccer players on a field. And nor do we find out if Marta in the end will eventually show up at work, or took the money and ran to the waterfalls in Brasil... We do have a pretty good idea, though, don't we?
'Whisky' (the origin of the title I did not see coming, thinking it would have something to do with whiskEy and / or alcoholism, but it's understatedly hilarious nonetheless) turned out to be a film I was very much looking forward to on a subconscious level. It is slow-paced yet exciting in some strange way and has a contemplative feel to it that I just loved. It reminded me to give 'Bubble' (by Steven Soderbergh) another chance, which didn't impress me too much the first time, give Rebella and Stoll's debut '25 Watts' (that one I did very much like) another go, as well as 'The Man without a Past', and more by Aki Kaurismäki.
A big 9 out of 10 for now.
The humour is so very dry and casual, but still can't be missed. For instance, when Jacobo puts a novelty magnet (of a little hand with the thumb pointing up) that Hermano just took a look at, back on the fridge: suddenly it's pointing down. Throughout the 'adventures' of this somewhat unlikely trio, there are many feelings simmering just below the surface and ready to burst, but nothing actually happens. If something did happen (did Marta sleep with Hermano? I'd think so) the viewer does not get to find out, or Jacobo redirects his anger towards some soccer players on a field. And nor do we find out if Marta in the end will eventually show up at work, or took the money and ran to the waterfalls in Brasil... We do have a pretty good idea, though, don't we?
'Whisky' (the origin of the title I did not see coming, thinking it would have something to do with whiskEy and / or alcoholism, but it's understatedly hilarious nonetheless) turned out to be a film I was very much looking forward to on a subconscious level. It is slow-paced yet exciting in some strange way and has a contemplative feel to it that I just loved. It reminded me to give 'Bubble' (by Steven Soderbergh) another chance, which didn't impress me too much the first time, give Rebella and Stoll's debut '25 Watts' (that one I did very much like) another go, as well as 'The Man without a Past', and more by Aki Kaurismäki.
A big 9 out of 10 for now.