Beauty Lies in the Mess
A review of “Venice” at the 2015 Maryland Film Festival
There are two things for which I lack basic patience: navigation and the density of rush hour traffic. I had to experience both recently when I ventured to the Maryland Film Festival in Baltimore. Though I was going to be making the trek at the peak of rush hour traffic, it seemed worth it for the promise of a great film and a chance to enjoy an evening in Baltimore.
But like all good plans it didn’t exactly work out the way I intended. After slogging through two hours of traffic, getting turned around, and realizing that I still didn’t have my movie ticket, I was both sweaty and a little frazzled. However, all of the running and honking was worth it to see one of the first crowdedfunded films to come out of Cuba, “Venice.” If I’m being honest, I didn’t know that much about the film before viewing it. Instead I convinced myself that even the best film critics choose to go into movies with an unbiased and fresh perspective. So as the lights dimmed and the beginning credits began to roll, I was at first panicked realizing that I could not remember any of my five years of Spanish. Much to my relief there were subtitles. But even without the subtitles, the beauty of the film was abundantly clear, no matter the language barrier.
The movie follows the story of three women who work in a hair salon in Havana, Cuba. To celebrate payday they decide to enjoy an evening out together. Mayelín (Marianela Pupo), Mónica (Maribel Garcia Garzón), and Violeta (Claudia Muniz) are three characters that seem to sit on a character triangle. Each has their own distinct personality, storyline, and secret that they are keep hidden from each other. As we follow them throughout the night it is clear that the storyline of this film lies in its subtlety. The director, Kiki Álvarez, does not wave a red flag every time a major theme or point is discussed. Instead the film uses a more natural flow to its storyline and cinematography to allow viewers to get to know the characters on their own terms, which allows our own experiences to influence our ideas of what secrets the characters are hiding. For example, one character (I’m not going to mention names because I don’t want to spoil the movie) is given a small bottle of pills at the beginning of the movie. We don’t know what type of pills they are, why she’s taking them, or if these pills are actually illegal. And even at the end of the movie, though we are given a few glimpses into why she is possibly taking the drugs, the issue itself is never discussed amongst the group. You as the viewer are only a fly on the wall. But no matter what these women are dealing with (infidelity, unintended pregnancy, unspoken sexual desire, etc.) you realize that all of these women are bound by something that remains unspoken. Whether it is the role they play as a doting wife, the obligations they feel as the “other woman,” or the corset they force their body into, all of them feel trapped by both external societal pressures as well as the unseen pressures they place upon themselves.
The culmination of the film takes place near the end of the night at a dance club. With the music pulsing and bodies swaying to the music, the women drift apart. This part of the film is interesting because there is minimal dialogue throughout the entire sequence. We can see people having conversations, witness their interactions, and see the eventual consequences, but we don’t know what is actually being said. It is in these moments that Álvarez’s strength as a director and storyteller is clear. It would be easy to become lost in these moments, instead you feel thrust into the scene, too, dazed and confused. Strong acting and beautiful cinematography turn this entire sequence into a kaleidoscope of senses. In interviews Álvarez has discussed that this was her goal in making an independent film instead of associating it with the Cuban Film Institute. By allowing the actors to improvise many of the scenes, and using only a basic outline as a direction for the film, we are allowed to witness the exciting process of creating a story.
Even as the women stumble out of the club into the early hours of the morning, I still wasn’t sure what to make of everything I had just seen. And I know my fellow moviegoers felt the same way because I heard their utterances of “what the hell” and saw them shake their heads. But this sense of questioning seems to be exactly what Álvarez wants the viewer to feel. As the cliché says, “life is messy,” and this film is true to life. But that’s where the beauty of the film can be found, in its imperfect characters, messy scenery, and hope that each of the characters will find their true desire, which remains unspoken.
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