*Get "Sublime" on Amazon here*
*Watch "Fabrizio's Initiation" on Amazon Prime Video here*
*Get "Aura" by Mariano Biasin on Amazon here*
*Get "El Inicio de Fabrizio (Banda Sonora Original)" by Various Artists on Amazon here*
This coming-of-age story about an Argentinian teenager is universal and cautious, which turns out to be a small detriment.
Manuel (Martin Miller) is a typical high schooler. He has a girlfriend- Azul (Azul Mazzeo), a lifelong best friend Felipe (Teo Inama Chiabrando), plays in a small town band with Felipe and two other friends (Joaquin Arana, Facundo Trotonda), and has a moderate homelife with his parents (Javier Drolas, Caroline Tejeda). Manuel also has braces, and shares a bedroom with his younger sister, so life isn't perfect. Felipe has lifted Manuel's spirits since they were kids, but now that he is in his teenage years, Manuel discovers that he doesn't just love his best friend, he's in love with his best friend. This realization begins to affect Manuel's relationships with everyone in his life, and he tries to sort out his feelings as the band gets ready to play at a birthday party.
Writer/director Biasin does an astounding job of presenting Manuel's story without any of the tropes you would normally find in this sort of plot. I would describe the film as quiet and careful. There are no explosive, emotional scenes ready to beat the viewer over the head about how they should feel. Manuel is just like ninety percent of us who went to high school- the anonymous rest-of-the-class who couldn't be confined to a stereotype or get films made about us. We don't need a sequence with Manuel's parents screaming at each other to know there's something wrong, and Biasin wisely leaves that out. An almost-sex scene between Manuel and Azul is awkward and halting, but not for the reasons you might think. Felipe is always around Manuel, but he's not stupid about Manuel's feelings toward him, he honestly doesn't know. I would say that Manuel's story is told in glimpses, not showy scenes, and this is helped by excellent performances all around. The film's style is so naturalistic, it plays like a documentary complete with handheld camerawork. The band's songs are also good without being too good.
However, the film isn't for everyone because of the way the story unfolds- there are some lags that creep in unnoticed until I found myself looking at the running time. I don't know if Biasin scripted everything, but I luckily didn't have to sit through a bunch of eye-rolling improvised scenes of teenaged angst, and I was grateful for that. The cinematography is wonderful, and the sound recording is realistic- the band rehearsals aren't polished and clean- the band's vocals were recorded on set and not dubbed in later.
"Sublime" isn't sweet, or dumb, or even intense. It has a charming reality that makes it familiar to many viewers, no matter their preferences.
Stats:
(2022) 100 min. (7/10)
-Written and Directed by Mariano Biasin
-Cast: Martin Miller, Teo Inama Chiabrando, Azul Mazzeo, Javier Drolas, Caroline Tejeda, Joaquin Arana, Facundo Trotonda, Emma Subliela, Candela de Carli, Agustina Midolo, Pedro Gonzalez, Marcello Subiotto, Jorge Sesan
(Not Rated)- Mild physical violence, some profanity, some sexual content, sexual references, strong alcohol use
Media Viewed: Screener
