Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, 2023.
Written and Directed by Aitch Alberto.
Starring Max Pelayo, Reese Gonzales, Eugenio Derbez, Veronica Falcón, Kevin Alejandro, Eva Longoria, Luna Blaise, Marlene Forte, Isabella Gómez, Maynor Alvarado, Hanani Taylor, Jose Diaz, and Emiliano Torres.
SYNOPSIS:
Based on the book by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, set in 1987 El Paso, it’s the tale of two teenage Mexican-American loners as they explore their friendship and the difficult road to self-discovery.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe wouldn’t exist.
Anyone who hasn’t read the novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz probably has no idea what to expect from a title like that. After finishing the movie, it’s still a pointlessly bizarre title for a 1987-set gay coming-of-age drama with a dash of exploration into Mexican culture.
Adapted for the screen by writer/director Aitch Alberto, there is also a decent, relatable drama here, unfortunately, weighed down by questionable creative choices, presumably sticking to the source material but in a rushed manner that comes across as jarring and ineffective. For roughly the first hour, this resembles a family-friendly film about discovering and accepting sexual identity before becoming something raw and occasionally violent without much warning or a graceful handling of those shifting tones.
Aristotle Mendoza (Max Pelayo) is an introverted lone-wolf teenage boy who prefers to bottle up his emotions. His brother went to jail for murder years ago, which has conditioned him to avoid becoming a toxic male for fear of repeating some of those same mistakes. He also has no interest in girls, as he perceives most of the boys around him as gross womanizers, which may be accurate, but it also becomes clear that he is gay and in denial about his sexuality. This especially becomes obvious once he meets the wealthy, confident Dante Quintana (Reese Gonzales), who is also cheerful, humorous, and very interested in Aristotle, teaching him how to swim on a summer day at a public swimming pool.
As Aristotle and Dante get to know one another (including discussing the corny origins of their names) and their respective families (with well-known faces such as Eva Longoria and Eugenio Derbez popping up and grounding some of the drama while offering wisdom), that mutual attraction is strengthened even if neither of them is ready to make a romantic move. This also sets the stage for Dante’s family to return home following that summer, but not before some entirely unnecessary life-threatening danger that adds nothing to the greater narrative.
That’s the big problem with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe; it doesn’t matter if the ensemble is solid, with the leads believably selling their core dilemmas (Dante is ready to come out to the world, whereas Aristotle convinces himself that he doesn’t see his friend that way), because there is always a wild plot development around the corner that belongs in a different movie. There is an entirely separate plotline here about rage filling up inside Aristotle due to his family’s past and some heinous acts eventually committed against Dante, all of which feel out of nowhere in a story that, up until then, is about their bond and what it means to be Mexican (the latter of which is wholly dropped.)
These elements likely have much more time to breathe in novel format, often feeling forced or clunky when transferred from page to screen. The story and significant points of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe are undoubtedly timely and vital but are packaged into shaky and inauthentic storytelling. The ensemble deserves better, as the moments of warmth and heart they imbue into these characters are almost enough to make it work, but not quite against such a rocky narrative.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
