Mar del Plata, 2012.
Directed by Sebastian Dietsch and Ionathon Klajman.
Starring Pablo Caramelo, Lorena Damonte, Cecilia Echague, Daniela Nirenberg, Pablo G. Perez and Gabriel Zayat.
SYNOPSIS:
Comedy following two disillusioned friends who visit the seaside town of Mar del Plata to escape t
heir humdrum lives, only to bump into an ex-girlfriend and her successful new husband.
Mar del Plata is nothing if not a coming-of-age story; its central characters attempt to throw off the shackles of boyhood immaturity in the hope of becoming better, well-rounded men. That may sound just like any other story of this particular sub-genre, but the real genius of this film is that those very same characters are in the early thirties, having long since come-of-age.
The film’s narrative tells two parallel stories. The first is that of Joaquin (Perez) and David (Zayat); two lifelong friends who share the complex mix of banter and bickering that you’d expect of any long-term bromance. The pair are wondering hopelessly through their early thirties and have become fed up with life in general, falling somewhere between teenage angst and a full-blown mid-life crisis. From the very beginning of the film, it is clear that the real laughs here are going to be supplied by the characters of David and Joaquin, and the relationship between them. From their endless squabbling to the occasional bit of slapstick, they remain humorous and strangely relatable throughout.
The second narrative string running through Mar del Plata is that of Elena (Damonte) and Lautaro (Caramelo), a pair of successful individuals who make something of a mismatched couple. It is made fundamentally clear that these two just don’t quite fit together, and the tension between them is only heightened when they learn that they are staying in the same resort as Joaquin, Elena’s ex-boyfriend.
Mar del Plata is billed as a romantic comedy, and while it certainly meets that criteria (you will laugh a fair amount), it’s really more of a bromantic comedy; the real core of the plot, and indeed the vast majority of the laughs, stem from the bond between Joaquin and David. There’s an all-too-familiar love-triangle element, and plenty of romantic heart-to-hearts on the beach, but the most believable, relatable and ultimately enjoyable relationship is that of the boyhood chums. Mar del Plata explores male friendships, and their familiar reluctance to ‘grow up’, as well as any comedy in recent years, even if it sacrifices some of the classical romance to do it.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
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Originally published March 18, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
