UN MUNDO MENOS PEOR (A LESS WORSE WORLD, THINGS COULD BE WORSE)
Argentina, 2004, 90 minutes, Ccolour.
Directed by Aleandro Agresti.
This is an Argentinian film directed by Alejandro Agresti, a director who spends much of his time in Europe but has a strong eye for life in Argentina. His films include Secret Wedding, Wind With The Gone, Valentin.
While the film is set at the beginning of the 21st century, it evokes memories of the Time of the Generals as well as of the Falklands War. A woman who thought her husband had died, discovered that he is still alive and has never seen his daughter. She and her two daughters travel south from Buenos Aires to find the father. In the meantime, in the aftermath of the war where he disappeared, he has set up a life as a baker in the provincial town, well liked by everyone.
The film evokes the atmosphere of the towns of Argentina, life in the towns and on the road. It also is a fine character study of the central characters as well as of a number of supporting people. The film also highlights the tensions between mother and daughter, the daughter angry with her mother’s overprotectiveness, not having felt the need for a father and discovering that she had one, trying to reconcile with him.
The dialogue offers a great deal of reflection on the nature of family but also invites its audiences to reflect on the long-term consequences of a war like that with Britain on the Falklands, the effect on the soldiers and their subsequent lives and the repercussions for families.
1.An expatriate Argentinian’s view of Argentina, its past and present, the consequences of war, especially for families? The effects on the soldiers in decades later?
2.A road film, the Argentinian countryside, the bus, the town and its detail, the mother and daughters and their travel? The musical score?
3.The mother, her personality, her story, the marriage, her daughter, her husband disappearing, discovering where he lived, coming to see him again, the questions? The relationship with her daughters, sick on the bus? Her being helped by Michael? Coming to stay with her friend? Life in the town, her being unwell, meeting people, their judgments on her and Chollo? Michael, his father, the discussions about the war and its aftermath? Her clashes with her daughter, the shouting match? The reconciliation? Hopes for the future?
4.Chollo, his place as the baker in the town, going with his friend in the car, fearful of fast driving, his story about his wife and child killed in a car crash? Watching his friend fly – and later going in the plane, his fears but supporting him? Baking the bread, the range of customers, their friendship? In the bar, cards, drinks, friends? His denying knowing his wife? The challenge to him, his daughter coming, his shutting the shop, going flying? The reconciliation with his daughter, possibilities of the family reconciled? With his wife and the reassessment of the years?
5.The daughter, her age, not having a father and feeling no loss, wanting to know her father, her job, travelling for the week? With her mother, in the town, Michael and his friendliness? Her response? The fight with her mother? Going to see her father? The truth, plain speaking to him, possibilities?
6.The younger daughter, a different father, her life, attitudes, expectations?
7.The old friend, driving in the car, his relationship with Chollo, cards and drinking, flying – his training, his age, fear of flying, his final success?
8.Michael, his helping the mother, his friendliness, his bike, with the daughter?
9.The women in the town, the gossip and the stories?
10.A film of healing of memories, the mother, twenty years and thinking her husband dead? The effect of knowing he was alive? His experience of the war, his opting out of life? The veteran and his explanation of what the war was like? An Argentinian theme for the healing of memories? The bewilderment of why the Falklands war happened, why the British were so hostile? The effect on them?
