By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Sebastián Silva
Starring: Catalina Saavedra | Jordan Firstman | Martine Gutierrez | Mateo Riestra | Sebastián Silva
Year: 2023
Running time: 109
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24146896/reference/
Michael says: “While the synopsis of this film did a bit to prepare me for the audacious and flat-out bizarre journey I might be embarking on, certainly Silva’s earlier film, THE MAID, for which lead actress Catalina Saavedra was nominated for a Trudy, did not. In a bizarre and twisted take on art-imitating-life, writer/director Silva portrays himself, living in a building under construction, going through a transitional phase of his career, suffering from depression and thinking suicidal thoughts. His unconcerned business manager and his downtrodden Mexican maid (played again beautifully, but very differently by Saavedra) his only confidants. Taking suggested trip to a gay resort beach, he meets up with real-life Instagram influencer, Jordan Firstman, who pitches a superficially ridiculous idea to Silva as a film idea. Despite Firstman’s persistence, Silva rejects the idea and returns home. Later, when he finds himself floundering in a pitch meeting with an HBO executive, Silva tries Firstman’s pitch and finds there maybe interest. Plans are made, and then, about halfway through the film something shocking happen that send the story spinning off in another direction.
Never mind that the film has already been filled with lots of actual gay sex, lots of penises, lots of drug use in a way that seems ridiculous and funny rather than sexy, and the meta nature of portrayals is enough to make your head spin, ROTTING IN THE SUN is part social commentary, part mystery, part critique of social media, and so much more. While not for everyone, this looked like it going to be the most fun and in-your-face from of the festival. Well, that was an incorrect assumption, but we’ll find out more about that later. In the meantime, ROTTING IN THE SUN gets a deserving 4 1/2 cats.”
Diane says: “A movie director and an Instagram influencer meet at a gay beach–very much like real life! I loved that this film went in a completely different direction than what I was ready for. Tonal changes, suspense, evolving characters, a whodunit once-removed… I had to watch an interview with two of the actors afterwards to reassure myself that they were okay.
“Seems like I’ll be voting for Catalina Saavedra for Best Actor–I couldn’t understand why/how a peripheral character was stealing my attention from the start. She is amazing.
“I need to watch more by director Sebastian Silva (THE MAID, 2019), despite his Rotten Tomato average being around 5. ROTTING gets 4 cats from me, maybe more.”