Blue Eyelids, directed by Ernesto Contreras with an original screenplay by his brother, Carlos Contreras, is yet more evidence as to why Mexican auteurs are making critical tidal waves on the international film circuit. Beautifully and imaginatively photographed, like so many recent Mexican films, a lonely Marina has a chance encounter with an equally lonely Victor while she is desperately longing for someone to share in a trip for two that she won to an exotic Mexican beach resort. She doesn't remember him from school, and he feels that she isn't the fun girl she used to be. Their situation, getting to know each other, is filled with a stunning tension that is touching and surprising, but has a profound undercurrent of sadness. This affecting tone is so simple, yet it feels fresh and wonderful. Cecilia Suárez and Enrique Arreola embrace the journey and quirky characters they are given by the Contreras brothers with elegance and style, and their eventual romance is something to behold. There is an incredible sense of melancholy to the piece; Contreras directs with simultaneous flair, wit and subtlety while always keeping an eye on the unusual colour of the overall piece. Are these brothers the Mexican Coens, bringing a novel oddness to on-screen storytelling? We can only hope so.
9 on the DaveScale.
(dir. Ernesto Contreras, Mexico, 98 mins)
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