Argentine director Mariano Llinas’ La Flor questions the dynamics of human beings. And yes, that’s a tall order for a movie to embark on. But that’s exactly what it does a Llinas casts four actresses. In five different roles in six parts of a thirteen hour film. Llinas, in collaborating with these actresses, is using every tool in his toolbox to frustrate audiences.
Normally, eliciting such an emotion would turn audiences away, but he’s also challenging them. He’s subverting expectations towards women within narratives. Within each episode, these female characters oscillate between competition and cooperation. They’re also fighting back, and Llinas, in turn, gives them space to let their stories expand. And as he does these, these characters, and their narrative structure, become more elusive.
These actresses also get the challenge of their lives. These actresses have to breathe life into rapid fire monologues that they either have to say of sing. In expressing the different natures of their unique characters, they inject fun into this ever watchable movie. They also make their presence known as La Flor dives into meta-narratives and even obscure their bodies and voices.
Audiences can also find the purpose within the film’s visual and aural decisions. There’s variety in what we see on screen – from closeup heavy shots to camera obscura, expressing the stories’ weirdness. Its soundtrack is like listening to Bernard Hermann on analog. All of this adds a mystery to what we’re seeing and
- Release Date: 9/14/2018
