By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Caroline Neal
Country: argentina
Year: 2006
Running time: 79
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/
Bruce says: “SI SOS BRUJO is a film about efforts, led by cellist Ignacio Varchausky, to preserve tango by a small group of musicians in Buenos Aires. Varchausky is determined that the great tango composers, each having their own recognizably distinct style, should pass on their skills to a younger generation of musicians. Thus the tangos will continue to be played as they originally were played. One of the early members of the group is Emilio Baccare, a leading player of the bandoneon, a small accordion-like instrument that lends elements of torment and sadness to the tango music. Another is a well respected violinist, Romero Gallo. The man who they approach to lead their tango orchestra and who makes this film a marginal success is Earnest Franco, one of the great Argentine tango composers. At 87 he still has the energy and style to light up the screen. Unfortunately he is the only person in the film who is at all charismatic.
“The film follows the development of the orchestra as it includes additional composers and expands the number of musicians. They travel to Paris and meet with success. Eventually, a woman joins the group and by the end of the film it looks as though the orchestra is one third female. The music is lovely but it does not inspire for me the passion to which others lay claim. What does interest me is the amount of love and effort it has taken to preserve an important part of the Argentine culture. On the surface, it seems to be such a simple task. As one of the old-timers notes, ‘Rock culture has threatened the communication across generations.’ Such a statement may overlook the law of supply and demand. Nonetheless, it looks as though the tango has been saved. 3 cats”
“SI SOS BRUJO was screened at the 2006 Woodstock Film Festival”