Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Thursday Till Sunday (2012)

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)
Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)
Genre: Drama
Director: Dominga Sotomayor
Starring: Santí Ahumada, Emiliano Freifeld, Paola Giannini, Francisco Pérez-Bannen
Language: Spanish, French, English
Duration: 96 min.
Rating: 7.6
Summary:
Two children travel with their parents from Santiago to the north of Chile for a family holiday...
Thursday Till Sunday, also known as, Thursday Through Sunday, is the debut feature film from Chilean writer and director Dominga Sotomayor Castillo. It premiered in competition at the 2012 Rotterdam International Film Festival where it was one of three recipients of the Tiger Award, the main prize of the festival eligible only to the best first or second features.

This gently told minimalistic story follows a family of four during a road-trip from the capital of Santiago to the desert somewhere in the north of Chile. It's told primarily from the perspective of the eldest child, preteen Lucía (first timer Santí Ahumada), who as the journey progresses, slowly witnesses the tension between her parents (well known Chilean television stars Paola Gianni and Franciso Pérez-Bannen), who try but aren't quite successful at hiding the true reason for this trip, from Lucía and younger brother Manuel (Emiliano Freifeld).

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

From the outset, Sotomayor establishes a quiet melancholic rhythm and a familiar atmosphere that anyone who's ever taken a long family road trip can relate to. The early mornings, the roadside stops, and the general feeling of being confined in the backseat watching the scenery pass by. All of it is captured with a careful grace by cinematographer Bárbara Álvarez, whose unique angles and framing lets us see everything through the eyes of perceptive young Lucía.

Road movies are a dime a dozen, but here Sotomayor has found a unique and refreshing point of view from which to tell her story. It isn't long before Lucía suspects something is amiss, and 11-year-old Santí Ahumada puts on a remarkable first performance as she tries to make sense of what's going on in the front seat. There aren't any searing moments, it's low-key all the way though. But the natural subtlety and curiosity communicated while she observes and listens to her parents' conversations, as well as their silence; combined with the sense of terror and confusion we can see in her eyes as she realizes what is happening, is simply devastating to watch.

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

Sotomayor also reveals an eye for capturing tiny intimate moments with great insight and detail. You get the sense that this is somewhat autobiographical with the passionate way she presents fun moments like riding on the roof rack of the car, swimming in a river, or watching her father steal apples from a tree. All beautifully crafted scenes that evoke nostalgia and color the film with life.

Even though deep down this is a drive we've taken many times before, the detailed visuals, tender dramatic approach, and the breakout young performance make this one of the year's best debuts.
Bonjour Tristesse
Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

Thursday Till Sunday • De jueves a domingo (2012)

7 comments:

Michaël Parent said...

Interesting! Since I love to travel this is the kind of film I would really dig!

365 moviesandsongs365 said...

Agree with Michael, I'm a fan of road movies. I already have it on my list, the trailer looks promising.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I'm certain this is one you would appreciate.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I don't think you'll be disappointed. Looking forward to hearing your take on it.

Max Covill said...

I'm a huge fan of road movies. Little Miss Sunshine is one of my favorites. I wonder when I would be able to see this though.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

It isn't anything like LMS, but I hope you get a chance to view it soon. Thanks for taking the time to stop by Max.

d_4 said...

Oh this sounds nice, I can't wait to catch this one. I'll be looking for it.

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