Film: Twisted Romance
Release date: 13th September 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 103 mins
Director: José Campusano
Starring: Oscar Génova, Nehuén Zapata, Marisa Pajaro, Javier De la Vega, Olga Perezgel
Genre: Drama/Romance
Studio: TLA
Format: DVD
Country: Argentina
Shown at the BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival this year, and now released on DVD, Argentinean director José Campusano’s film Twisted Romance (aka Vile Romance) is a disturbing drama about violent and dangerous relationships, set in the impoverished suburbs of Buenos Aires.
The film follows the relationship between a young man, Roberto, and his aggressive older lover. Roberto meets Raul in the streets and a fling immediately turns sexually violent. Despite the brutality of Raul’s actions, the need for Roberto to be away from his unstable home (the first glimpse of his mother and sister shows them both involved in casual prostitution in the living room) means he jumps at the opportunity to move in with him.
As time goes on, we begin to learn more about Raul’s dangerous behaviour - he becomes increasingly controlling over Roberto, monitoring his every movement, and Roberto soon finds himself trapped. He seeks solace with a man he meets online, but the situation escalates before reaching a tense, dramatic conclusion…
At this point, you would be forgiven for thinking that the film is indeed twisted, but without the romance. It is true that Raul has few redeeming qualities - particularly when you learn more about his estranged relationship with his family and involvement in weapons trade. Yet Roberto, though a little naïve, is incredibly kind natured. He has a good relationship with his family, and genuinely cares for Raul. Roberto essentially just wants to be loved, but finds himself being continually treated badly by his partners. Concern for Roberto is what drives the film forward.
Director José Campusano certainly doesn’t shy away from tackling difficult subjects, and his gritty portrayal of life on the streets of Argentina does have a raw quality which is admiral. Yet whilst it was compelling until the end, the director ultimately fails to achieve a solid, dramatic piece of work. The main problem is that it attempts to be a brave, serious movie and falls short due to a number of reasons.
For a start, a lot of the cinematography is noticeably bad, giving an amateur feel which detracts from the central performances. A dramatic shot of Raul can look hilarious due to the ropey camera work, which spoils the whole effect. If this character is to be taken seriously, there is also the small matter of his ridiculous appearance - he is hardly an intimidating figure, as he skulks around in his Matrix-style sunglasses, leather jacket and long straggly grey hair. Instead of appearing the angry villain, he bringst to mind an aging biker in the depths of a mid-life crisis.
Whilst Oscar Génova’s acting makes Raul a fairly convincing character overall, Marisa Pajaro’s performance as Alejandra (Roberto’s sister) is rather confused and over-dramatic, which means that lots of the moments which are intended to be serious don’t really work. There are many scenes which are incredibly difficult to watch - for instance, when characters have either been coerced into sex or it is being carried out completely without consent, but, due to the failings of the film, these scenes don’t really achieve anything apart from making the viewer feel uncomfortable.
All these things add up to a film which just couldn’t produce the atmosphere needed for a successful drama. On a less important note, fans of subtitled films may also be a little disappointed by the numerous mistakes in the translation, which turns a serious discussion about a gun (which should be a ‘piece’) into a discussion about harmony (or ‘peace’). Not meaning to be pedantic, but all these mistakes just help to undermine the serious tone, which is needed for the film to work.
Essentially this is a film which set out with brave, ambitious intentions, but couldn’t execute them with the tone and style required to make such a difficult subject work. The movie had good potential but its numerous shortcomings meant it never comes close to delivering. KB
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