Sixteen-year-old Manuel (Martín Miller) spends his days hanging out with his girlfriend and playing in a rock band with his childhood best friend (Teo Inama Chiabrando). But Manuel's latent feelings for Felipe come bubbling to the surface - could they be more than friends? Will he take the plunge to discover whether the feelings are mutual or would he be risking their friendship?
A celebration of young love and its innocent beauty, this touching film tells the story of a long-standing friendship between two adolescent friends in a small coastal town. One of the two, Manuel puts the pair's solid bond, formed in childhood, to the test when he realises he wants something more from Felipe.
The movie is a highly watchable slice of modern-day realism showcasing a picturesque and arguably less familiar side of the varied Argentinian landscape, which may come as a pleasant surprise to those more familiar with the iconic streets of Buenos Aires.
Also central to the piece is an earnest rock band in which the two friends both perform. The relationship between all the members of the group is warmly portrayed and the way they informally get together and boisterously rehearse perfectly captures the joys of being in a band at that age and following your dreams.
Indeed, their urgent and amateur-ish sound only adds to the warmth of the picture and it brought back happy memories for me of what it's like to be carefree and just enjoy playing music with your friends - what the late David Crosby called "the most fun you can have with your clothes on".
The light 'clothes off' fun, encapsulates that feeling of being in love for the first time - and dealing with rejection - and another key thing to note is that while it is often the mother who is more sympathetic to the plight of the troubled central figure, here it is Manuel's father (Javier Drolas) who provides the emotional support.
This is a movie that tackles a common theme in a new and slightly different way and that makes it all the more enjoyable.
Available On-Demand on PeccadilloPOD, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, as well as Curzon Home Cinema and BFI Player.
