THE MAGIC GLOVES
Argentina, 2003, 90 minutes, Colour.
Gabriel Vicentico, Fernandez Capello, Vilioro Bertuccelli.
Directed by Martin Rejtman.
The Magic Gloves is set in Buenos Aires, in a poorer part of the city, where things have gone downhill. In fact, the writer-director is creating a microcosm of a world going downhill where everybody is less than might seem on the surface.
The focus is on Alejandro, a taxi driver who breaks up with his girlfriend who is prone to put on weight, take drugs and take it off and is emotionally unstable (but who becomes friendly with the man who walks dogs and then with a Canadian involved in film-making). He encounters a producer of CDs (impossible rock music) and his wife as well as the brother, a porn star who has migrated to Canada. He also meets up with a flight attendant who is actually a travel agent for local cheap flights. The film shows their interactions.
In fact, the film also shows how they do not really succeed in what they do. This is symbolised by an investment in what are called magic gloves which are going to protect people in the wintry cold of Argentina. However, the cold in Buenos Aires is unseasonal and does not stay. They lose their money. Alejandro finishes up driving buses for a company having lost his own car - which he keeps pursuing throughout the countryside.
The film doesn't end, it just seems to stop. However, on the way we are treated to a gallery of characters and made to reflect on Argentinian society and what it has experienced in terms of prosperity and failure of prosperity.
1. The title, the magic gloves and their protecting people from the cold, Piranha and his friends investing in the magic gloves, selling out and making money, bringing more gloves in, the cold passing and the heat coming in and their losses? Symbol of their enterprises?
2. The Buenos Aires settings, the streets and the homes, studios, parks? A sense of realism - but of a city which is in decline? The musical score?
3. The gallery of characters, a microcosm, their interactions, relationships? Lack of achievement? Their hopes?
4. Alejandro, his age, looking older than he was, driving the taxi, meeting Piranha, accepting the invitation? Going out with his girlfriend, his expressing the breaking off and her nodding? His being given Luis's room? The friendship of Piranha and Suzanne, having to listen to the CD? His meeting with Valeria and their relationship? The friendship over the time, Luis and his arrival from Canada, the team making the film? Going out of town and filming? His girlfriend and her finding the man walking the dogs? Their becoming a group? The meals, listening to the music? Suzanne and her interventions for the girlfriend and sending her to the health sanatorium? The investment in the magic gloves, success and failure? Alejandro having to sell his taxi, buy it back? The shady deals? His continually finding his taxi? His finally driving the bus for the company, seeing his taxi in a country town? His future?
5. Piranha and Suzanne, their high life, the house, the record, the apartment? Suzanne and her interventions? Her finally going off and not coming back? Piranha and his money deals? The loss on the magic gloves?
6. Valeria, her support of Alejandro, her own work, friendships? Wanting to change?
7. Luis and the team from Canada, filming, going back to Canada? Luis and his ambitions, the cover of the video? The member of the crew, his size, falling in love with Alejandro's old girlfriend?
8. The girlfriend, putting on weight, taking it off, neurotic, the drugs? Her meeting with the man who walked the dogs? With the assistant and the film-making - his throwing her tablets away? Going to Canada? A happy couple?
9. A cross-section of people, a glimpse of eccentric characters? Their symbolising the success and decline of Argentina?
