This is a beautiful and complex film that explores ideas of masculinity, love, family, dependence, while at the same time portraying a disturbing picture of a society in which privilege and money can buy anything. The manipulative Armando has at some point obviously been a victim himself, but his cultivation and ultimate betrayal of the teenager Elder is, in the end, disturbing and gives the film a bleakness that is totally unexpected. It's a very powerful portrayal of two characters who you initially might think you understand, but the director manages to completely change your sympathies and turn everything on its head. The sparse dialogue helps create an emotional tension that's at the heart of this movie. Intriguing and compelling.
