Suddenly Review

Suddenly
In a rundown part of Buenos Aires podgy lingerie seller Tatiana Saphir is kidnapped by predatory punks Carla Crespo and Veronica Hassan but aggression turns to affection as the trio heads for the coast

by Patrick Peters |
Published on
Release Date:

13 Feb 2004

Running Time:

92 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Suddenly

Expanding his 1999 short, The Proof, which was itself adapted from a novel by Cesar Aira, Diego Lerman's road movie changes with the landscape through which it passes.

It opens in a rundown part of Buenos Aires to show podgy lingerie seller Tatiana Saphir being kidnapped by predatory punks Carla Crespo and Veronica Hassan (mischievously named Mao and Lenin). But aggression turns to affection as the trio heads for the coast and the alienating urban menace is replaced by a Jarmusch-esque quirkiness.

However, by the time they reach Hassan's aged aunt (Beatriz Thibaudin) in the deep south, the tone has shifted again to almost teen-pic whimsicality, as everyone rethinks their attitudes and aspirations. The action meanders occasionally, but the performances are consistently disarming and Luciano Zito and Diego del Piano's black-and-white photography complements the mood of ironic melancholy.

Though it's occasionally lacking in focus, you can't fail Suddenly for performance or atmosphere.
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