ROTTING IN THE SUN
US/Mexico, 2023, 113 minutes, Colour.
Jordan Firstman, Catalina Saavedra, Sebastian Silva, Matteo Riestra, Juan Silva.
Directed by Sebastian Silva.
This is a small-budget, independent film, introduced at the Sundance Film Festival. It is not a mainstream film, distributed in the arthouse circuit.
Sebastian Silver is a prominent musician, artist, film writer and director, from Chile but also working internationally. Prominent amongst his feature films are The Maid, Magic Magic, Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus.
This is a gay film, a gay culture film, Silva himself openly gay. With his long-time writing partner, Pedro Peirano, he has created a character, with his name, but a variation on his persona. He is joined in the film by comic writer, producer and comedian, Jordan Firstman, also doing a variation on his persona and career.
The setting is Mexico City, the screenplay making some comments on how Americanised Mexico has become, the presence of visitors from the US, poverty, wealth, holiday resorts… And, with the depressed Silva urged to go to a resort, the film goes to a gay nude beach, frank and direct nudity and sexual activity. At the resort, Silva rescues Firstman caught in a rip. Firstman gets the idea of using Silva to work on a television series, personal and encounters with people.
This strand of the film continues, pressure from Firstman, reluctance from Silva, but contact with HBO who like the idea and meetings are set up.
Then comes the main part of the film, Silva with the maid (played by Catalina Saavedra, his star in The Maid), are working in a house being repaired by a friend who continually eggs on Silva. Carrying a sofa from upstairs, there is an accident, Silva falling to his death, the maid anxious, contacting her brother, hiding the body, planning to remove it, and lying about the situation, especially with Firstman interrogating her, his phone doing translations, the situation becoming more and more dire.
Firstman then calls Silva’s brother to visit (played by Silva’s actual brother).
And, interspersed throughout this narrative there are various characters shown in the house and elsewhere, gay men involved in sexual activity.
The film won awards from its target audience – many audiences may be put off by its explicitness. However, in terms of drama and comedy, the story of Silva’s death and his body being moved about seems something of a very laboured variation on the Weekend at Bernie’s comedy farce.
