As the story begins, several groups of letters appear. It is clear there is an eye examination going on. Juan DeSouza, a forty-something man needs glasses. Juan takes time from work to oversee the care of his bedridden father, something that is lovingly done by the son. The business trip taking Juan away from Buenos Aires to a provincial town, triggers something within him perhaps of the experience of seeing his seat mate die of an apparent heart attack.
What follows is a kind of detour Juan takes to settle things within himself. He assumes different names, and professions, as a way to avoid being found out for what he really is. In the process Juan DeSouza will come to terms with a situation that will be revealed eventually at the end of this tale about search and discovery about oneself.
Ariel Rotter, the creator and director of "The Other", does not like to adorn the film with superfluous incidents. His minimal approach works because the man at the center of the story, who at first appears to be an enigma, is an elusive man that takes a while to know. Mr. Rotter's admiration for Michaelangelo Antonioni is obvious, without falling into a parody. He has given us a man that appears to be at a crossroad in his life. On the one hand, his older father, weak and infirm, weighs heavily on his life, on the other, his acceptance of fatherhood is questioned by the way he acts throughout the story. This is an almost silent film since Mr. Rotter simply concentrate on the tale at hand without embellishments like a musical score.
In Julio Chavez the director found a great actor that does a tremendous job in bringing Juan DeSouza to life. Mr. Chavez does not have the good looks that other of his contemporaries have. What he brings to the film is his integrity in portraying this tormented man and gives him a life of its own. Mr. Chavez is a wonderful presence in anything he does, being on the legitimate stage, or in films, and even television series.
The supporting cast is excellent, especially Maria Ucedo, who does wonders with her character. Osvaldo Bonet is seen as the father, and Ines Molina and Maria Oneto add to the enjoyment of the film. Thanks to the cinematography of Marcelo Lavintman, who has worked with Mr. Rotter before, the film feels intimate despite the vast areas where it is set.
What follows is a kind of detour Juan takes to settle things within himself. He assumes different names, and professions, as a way to avoid being found out for what he really is. In the process Juan DeSouza will come to terms with a situation that will be revealed eventually at the end of this tale about search and discovery about oneself.
Ariel Rotter, the creator and director of "The Other", does not like to adorn the film with superfluous incidents. His minimal approach works because the man at the center of the story, who at first appears to be an enigma, is an elusive man that takes a while to know. Mr. Rotter's admiration for Michaelangelo Antonioni is obvious, without falling into a parody. He has given us a man that appears to be at a crossroad in his life. On the one hand, his older father, weak and infirm, weighs heavily on his life, on the other, his acceptance of fatherhood is questioned by the way he acts throughout the story. This is an almost silent film since Mr. Rotter simply concentrate on the tale at hand without embellishments like a musical score.
In Julio Chavez the director found a great actor that does a tremendous job in bringing Juan DeSouza to life. Mr. Chavez does not have the good looks that other of his contemporaries have. What he brings to the film is his integrity in portraying this tormented man and gives him a life of its own. Mr. Chavez is a wonderful presence in anything he does, being on the legitimate stage, or in films, and even television series.
The supporting cast is excellent, especially Maria Ucedo, who does wonders with her character. Osvaldo Bonet is seen as the father, and Ines Molina and Maria Oneto add to the enjoyment of the film. Thanks to the cinematography of Marcelo Lavintman, who has worked with Mr. Rotter before, the film feels intimate despite the vast areas where it is set.