LFF 2019 Review: End of the Century
LFF 2019: End of the Century is an Argentinan film featuring in the ‘Love’ strand of the 2019 festival.
Boy meets boy. Boy likes boy. But what if they’ve already done this once before?
End of the Century is a quiet, subtle meet-cute full of what-ifs. So quiet in fact, that there is no dialogue for the first 12 minutes. The story follows Argentinian Ocho who meets a Spanish man in Barcelona and after spending the day together, realises they have met once before, 20 years ago.
First time director Lucio Castro has a confident grasp of his subject, allowing the sounds and sights of Barcelona to fill the screen, rather than relying on dialogue. By flashing back to their original meeting, the audience sees how time has changed these two men, for better or for worse. It’s a film that focuses on first encounters, first impressions and evenings that can change your life – even if you don’t remember them.
Whilst their relationship starts as just physical, it is the subtle glances, the moments of silence that push this slow burning affair. Set over the course of just two nights, it has hints of Sliding Doors and allows it’s protagonist to question ‘where would I be if we had tried?’.
Running as part of the ‘Love’ strand at this year’s London Film Festival, you can find more information about the film and tickets at the BFI Website.
LFF 2019 End of the Century: An Argentinian man from New York and a Spanish man from Berlin hook up by chance while in Barcelona. What seems like a one-night encounter between two strangers becomes an epic, decades-spanning relationship, in which time and space refuse to play by the rules. Writer: Lucio CASTRO Cast: Juan BARBERINI, Ramon PUJOL, Mia MAESTRO.
