Digital Reporter Michael Lyons reviews La Demora…
A delay is a period of time by which something is late or postponed. A delay means waiting and waiting is boring, right? That may be true, but on an abstract level, delays can actually be fascinating. What caused the delay? Who is waiting and why? What is the duration of the delay? How does a delay make you feel? Essentially, a delay is a test of patience and loyalty.
After two Mexican films, including ¡Viva! 2008 hit, La Zona, Rodrigo Plá and his screenwriter (who also happens to be his wife), Laura Santullo, decided to move back to their home country, Uruguay, to make La Demora. It proved to be a successful decision; the film was selected as Uruguay’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at The Oscars. However, Rodrigo Plá remarks La Demora is not necessarily about Uruguay, it is more universal than that. It’s a character-driven story that focuses on family relationships, poverty, and loyalty.
Maria (Roxana Blanco), is a single mother, who looks after three children and her elderly father, Agustin (Carlos Vallarino). A cramped apartment, a laborious job, and a father with dementia means everyday life is a struggle for Maria. Agustin, although aware of his deterioration, still tries to perform daily tasks like going to get some bread. Consequently, he ends up lost, and it is only thanks to Maria’s ex-boyfriend, Nestor (Oscar Pernas), that he finds his way home safely. To me, Nestor represents what could’ve been for Maria. If she stayed with him, life could’ve been a lot different. Agustin’s latest antics seem to be the tipping point for Maria, so she attempts to find him a care home. Without the proper finance, Maria tries to offload her father to another sibling, before trying to cheat the system in an unthinkable manner…
Rodrigo Plá’s minimalist style really is something to marvel at. Static shots and a limited score allows the viewer to focus on the acting and characters. Without distractions, Roxana Blanco and Carlos Vallarino take control with stunning performances. Roxana Blanco with her haggard face plays a stoic, who loves, but at the same time resents her father. Carlos Vallarino is also magnificent throughout. Agustin’s character is very endearing – he loves his daughter and wants nothing more than to help her, but can’t escape his own condition.
La Demora is quietly devastating and feels cold with a dreary colour hue. However, despite that, I see great beauty in it. At the heart of this story is love. Circumstances just get in the way. To me, Plá’s third feature film is similar to Michael Haneke’s Amour and Werner Herzog’s Into The Abyss. La Demora never reaches the heights of these two, but the camera technique and its brutally honest nature can be compared with Amour. Ailsa Ferrier, who works for Artificial Eye, said of Into the Abyss, “Herzog’s camera lingers on subjects long after they have finished speaking” – there is just a hint of this in La Demora. An extra second here or there, which adds something special. Rodrigo Pla has proved once again that ‘less is more’ and provided a drama that stays with you long after the 84 minutes running time.
La Demora screens on Fri 15 and Tue 19 Mar as part of our ¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Film Festival. Do not delay, book your tickets here.