Ema

Larrain is an excellent film maker and there is craft on display here for sure, visually, and with elements of the score (not the Reggaeton - it is almost worth watching to hear Bernal's rant against what is certainly the worst musical genre on earth), but this is a chore. No element of the story really grabs, the main character is obnoxious and irritating, and the rest are neither here nor there. Probably a 4.5 but I'll give the benefit as there are moments. Hopefully his next will be a return to form. In the meantime I'll watch Jackie again.

Pros: 1. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, especially considering the colour gradient and the superb slow camera movements. 2. Both Gael García Bernal (Gastón) and Mariana Di Girolamo (Ema) both give fantastic performances. 3. The dance scenes are greatly choreographed and are completely entrancing. 4. The emotional scenes between Ema and Gastón conversing about their failings with Polo (Cristián Suárez) and their relationship since Polo, land powerfully. 5. The score is mesmerising and it lathers the movie in emotional richness, and is always utilised effectively. 6. The sex scenes are incredibly sensual, intimate, and they succinctly highlight the depth of where Ema will go for Polo.

Cons: 1. The pacing is a little too slow at certain points, with some scenes lasting too long. 2. The plot is rather unfocused at times and it sometimes loses its way in regards to the story-telling. 3. The flame-thrower scenes, although visually enrapturing, are utterly pointless.

A departure for Chilean Director Pablo Larrain from his string of historical dramas (NO, NERUDA, JACKIE and the Princess Di biopic, SPENCER), his latest concerns Ema, a free-spirited young dancer (Mariana Di Girolamo) who is in a dissolving marriage from her older husband and choreographer, Gaston (Gael Garcia Bernal). They have given up their son for adoption and the reprisals have only intensified. The general outline has all the makings of a psychological thriller, but, Larrain and his co-writers are operating on a number of gears.

Ema, with her shock of cropped platinum blond hair, is a veritable flamethrower constantly sending out verbal and behavioral missives without inhibition. She is omnisexual and voracious. By contrast, Gaston is still and taciturn. Di Girolamo dives headlong into her character, leaving Bernal seeming even more tame than the part requires. Larrain has said that the actors weren't given the full script ahead of time, which may have hampered Bernal more than some of the other, less experienced, cast members.

Well photographed by Sergio Armstrong and experimentally scored by Nicolas Jaar, EMA has an icy sheen that can be alternately alluring and distancing - not unlike it's title character. It's certainly never less than interesting and there is a payoff of sorts, but the chaotic screenplay weakens its overall impact. Still, for the adventurous viewer, this is like a heady fractured adult nursery rhyme. Oh, and there are flamethrowers!

As "Ema" (2019 release from Chile; 107 min.) opens, we see a traffic light on fire, literally. As the camera scans back, we see a woman (Ema) walking away while she is holding a flamethrower. We then get to know Ema, a modern ballet dancer, and her husband Gaston, a troupe's choreographer. They argue back and forth about the fate of their 9 yr. Old child Polo, whom they had adopted but recently was taken away by (or turned in to?) the Children's Protection Services. What did Polo do exactly? At this point we are less than 10 min. Into the movie but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from Chilean director Pablo Lorrain. In fact it's his first movie since directing hos Hollywood debut in 2016 with the widely acclaimed "Jackie". For "Ema", he returns to Chile, and more specifically the Pacific Ocean town Valparaiso (itself a character and star in this film). The film is a fascinating mix of a family and relationship drama on the one hand, and more abstract observations on the other hand, topped off with a generous dose of reggaeton music and modern dancing. Beware: the movie features a LOT of nudity, so if that is an issue for you, I'd suggest you check out something else. The cast is for us Americans completely unknown, but kudos to Mariana Di Girolamo, who is just fantastic in the title role.

As noted in the film's end credits, the entire movie was filmed in Valparaiso in September of 2018. It premiered a year later at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. Then COVID messed up a theatrical release in the US. Now 3 years later after shooting, the movie had gotten a limited theatrical release in the US. It opened this weekend at my local arthouse theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it. The early Saturday evening screening where I saw this at turned out to be a private screening. I literally was the only person in the theater. Never mind. If you are in the mood for a top notch foreign family and relationship drama, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater (while you still can), on VOD, or on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

It could be the illegitimate offspring of Lynch, Almodovar and Gaspar Noe baked at Fahrenheit 451 for good measure. Tricky to align with reality, thought provoking nonetheless, beautifully acted and imaginative.