Imagine the most unremarkable series of events taking place any given day of your life. Then imagine that within those trivial moments in which you life your life, something new is added -- the sneaky, near-invisible element of human baggage and quiet awakenings -- and you have yourself the story that unfolds in TEMPORADA DE PATOS (DUCK SEASON).
A mother leaves her fourteen-year old son Flama (Daniel Miranda) alone in the tenement apartment where she lives in Mexico City to go visit her sister. He's with his best buddy Moko (Diego Catano), and they both pass time playing violent video games. A neighbor, an older girl named Rita (Danny Perea) pops in to use the oven because hers isn't working and she's baking a cake. Bored and hungry, the boys order pizza.
Its late arrival (which the delivery man, Ulises (Enrique Arreola), vehemently denies) is the fulcrum of the events that build up the story's thin plot. The boys feel they shouldn't have to pay, to which Ulises decides he won't leave without his payment. First he sits rather menacingly at the door, but the boys decide maybe it's best to play a video game with Ulises. If they win, their pizza is free; if they lose, they must pay.
Meanwhile, Rita continues making her cake, making little appearances here and there. She seems lonely and tries to insinuate herself into the threesome... and when the power goes out, her asking Moko for help in finishing making her cake hints that she's there for a little more than just borrowing their kitchen for the afternoon.
The boys lose to Ulises. Flama reluctantly pays up, insulting Ulises with an ugly smooch. Ulises' frustration finally makes its appearance as he hits (and cuts) Flama, but to make up for his horrible yet brief moment of violence makes him retreat his steps, and his tragic story unfolds...
Watching TEMPORADA DE PATOS made me feel of those short, unassuming stories I used to read in high school that in their brevity managed to say a whole lot more than a grandiose novel. The way the foursome's inner motives play against and with each other comes in the most unexpected ways, and Fernando Eimbecke's approach is that of an almost improvised movie that unfolds its treasures in minute yet poignant ways. I thought it was impressive, because the initial appearance of Ulises seems to warrant a creepiness that I did not open myself to; however, the longer he stayed in the story, the deeper it became. This becomes true due to the fact that while all of them acknowledge the presence of the most invisible picture in the living room -- the type of picture prevalent in many Hispanic homes, depicting pastoral scenes -- Ulises is the one who really comes to realize its significance.
TEMPORADA DE PATOS is a rarity that people tired with the norm should pay attention to. It's funny, but not in the way one would expect (and check that last scene after the end credits!). It's sad, because of the hinted isolation in which all of the characters are caught in. It's hopeful and uplifting, and I loved it for its honesty.
A mother leaves her fourteen-year old son Flama (Daniel Miranda) alone in the tenement apartment where she lives in Mexico City to go visit her sister. He's with his best buddy Moko (Diego Catano), and they both pass time playing violent video games. A neighbor, an older girl named Rita (Danny Perea) pops in to use the oven because hers isn't working and she's baking a cake. Bored and hungry, the boys order pizza.
Its late arrival (which the delivery man, Ulises (Enrique Arreola), vehemently denies) is the fulcrum of the events that build up the story's thin plot. The boys feel they shouldn't have to pay, to which Ulises decides he won't leave without his payment. First he sits rather menacingly at the door, but the boys decide maybe it's best to play a video game with Ulises. If they win, their pizza is free; if they lose, they must pay.
Meanwhile, Rita continues making her cake, making little appearances here and there. She seems lonely and tries to insinuate herself into the threesome... and when the power goes out, her asking Moko for help in finishing making her cake hints that she's there for a little more than just borrowing their kitchen for the afternoon.
The boys lose to Ulises. Flama reluctantly pays up, insulting Ulises with an ugly smooch. Ulises' frustration finally makes its appearance as he hits (and cuts) Flama, but to make up for his horrible yet brief moment of violence makes him retreat his steps, and his tragic story unfolds...
Watching TEMPORADA DE PATOS made me feel of those short, unassuming stories I used to read in high school that in their brevity managed to say a whole lot more than a grandiose novel. The way the foursome's inner motives play against and with each other comes in the most unexpected ways, and Fernando Eimbecke's approach is that of an almost improvised movie that unfolds its treasures in minute yet poignant ways. I thought it was impressive, because the initial appearance of Ulises seems to warrant a creepiness that I did not open myself to; however, the longer he stayed in the story, the deeper it became. This becomes true due to the fact that while all of them acknowledge the presence of the most invisible picture in the living room -- the type of picture prevalent in many Hispanic homes, depicting pastoral scenes -- Ulises is the one who really comes to realize its significance.
TEMPORADA DE PATOS is a rarity that people tired with the norm should pay attention to. It's funny, but not in the way one would expect (and check that last scene after the end credits!). It's sad, because of the hinted isolation in which all of the characters are caught in. It's hopeful and uplifting, and I loved it for its honesty.