By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.6
Director: Fernando Eimbcke
Starring: Carolina Politi | Daniel Miranda | Danny Perea | Diego Cataño | Enrique Arreola
Original language title: Temporada de Patos
Country: mexico
Year: 2006
Running time: 90
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407246/
Chris says: “Here’s an early candidate for next year’s Buried Treasure award: this engaging black-and-white Mexican indie is about two fourteen-year-old best friends, Flama (Daniel Miranda) and Moko (Diego Catano). On one Sunday afternoon, they have Flama’s mother’s apartment to themselves and plan on doing nothing but playing X-Box, drinking cokes and ordering pizza. However, not long after their sixteen-year-old neighbor Rita (Danny Perea) asks to use their kitchen to bake a cake (because her oven’s not working), the power goes out. With the addition of Ulises (Enrique Arreloa), an older, initially hapless-seeming pizza delivery man, the four of them spend the day figuring out creative ways to amuse themselves and pass the time within the apartment, which is located in a vast high rise housing development.
“Much like Ulises, Fernando Eimbcke’s film is unassuming and unremarkable at first, but as more about each character is developed and revealed, it grows on you considerably. The minimalist style, complete with brief fade-in, fade-out transitions, is surely influenced by both Ozu and early Jarmusch (both are thanked in the credits), but Eimbcke is less formally rigorous than the former and less deadpan but more emphatic than the latter. Sweet, poetic, and not at all pretentious, this little gem of a film reminds me why I value indie cinema so much. If you see this one, make sure to sit through the closing credits for a fun surprise at the very end. 5 cats”
Gil says: “I also want to encourage everyone to go check out DUCK SEASON. I saw this film at last year’s San Francisco International Film Festival and was almost certain that it would fall in the category of those great festival films that never get distributed. But thanks to Alfonso Cuaron and his newly acquired influence with Warner Brothers from having directed HARRY POTTER III, he was able to help this film get distributed by Warner Independent.
“The best description of the film referred to it as Jim Jarmusch meets THE BREAKFAST CLUB. Hopefully it plays at the Kendall for another week. 5 cats”
Michael says: “This little Mexican film surely would have passed by completely unnoticed if it hadn’t found a champion in Alfonso Cuarón of Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN and HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN fame. He executive producer credit surely got this film its brief distribution run in the U.S. In any event, director Fernando Eimbcke’s charming little film is an accomplished look at coming-of-age. DUCK SEASON plays like the work of a seasoned filmmaker, and the fact that it is Eimbcke’s first feature speaks to his talent as both a director and as the film’s co-screenwriter.
“Fourteen-year-old’s Flama and Moko are best friends who have a day alone in Flama’s apartment. They plan to spend the day playing video games and drinking cola. But unexpected visitors, like their sixteen-year-old neighbor Rita, and the pizza delivery man Ulises, along with periodic power outages, and the accidental discovery of some pot, turn their day into whimsical adventure leading from childhood to adulthood. This is a quiet film focusing on tone and character rather than the often frenetic or violent Mexican films that have been gaining popularity of late. 4 cats.”