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Grady Harp wrote on 06/09/2011:

Now and then a small quiet film surfaces without ballyhoo or even much press and finds its way before audiences who are deeply moved by a film about which few have even heard. Such is the case for UNDERTOW (CONTRACORRIENTE), a little film from Peru that is not only well written and directed (Javier Fuentes-León) and well acted by a fine and credible group of actors, but one that also deals with story and information that few film dare to touch. The film has won many awards at film festivals on the order of Sundance and GLAAD, but it has failed to make the public take notice in the theaters - probably because it is a Latin American male love story.

According to the writer/director, the story 'takes place in a small conservative seaside village in Peru. On the surface, all appears well for a fisherman and his devoted wife who are expecting their first baby. The hero is a hardworking and respected member of his community, which holds fast to rigid traditions. There is one wrinkle - he is also devoted to his male lover. A catastrophic accident does not erase the presence of his lover, as the fisherman must now contend with the apparitions of his forbidden love and the gossip and disapproving stares of his neighbors. And it may go without saying - his wife isn't too pleased either.'

Miguel (Cristian Mercado) is the little fisherman who seems to have it all - a loving wife Mariela (Tatiana Astengo), a solid group of friends and family, and the incipient birth of his first child. But Miguel is a closeted gay man/bisexual who is in love with a painter/photographer, the handsome Santiago (Manolo Cardona) who seems content to maintain a relationship with Miguel in secret. But there is an accident in which one of Miguel's young friends dies and Miguel is asked by the family to prepare the body for burial, carry the boy on a bamboo stretcher, offer a eulogy and then take the body out to sea to bury it in the water - an old tradition in this small Peruvian fishing village that assures that the dead person's soul will find rest.
Santiago takes photos of the funeral procession and it is obvious that the townspeople gossip about the painter - a man who paints pictures and is not married is suspect and homophobia rages. As Mariela gives birth to their son Miguelito, Miguel is torn between his devotion to his wife and son and his desire for Santiago's physical presence. In a series of beautifully realized love scenes between the two men it is obvious that there is a struggle on the part of both Miguel and Santiago: they love each other but that love is forbidden. Santiago appears to Miguel one night and says that he is dead, that Miguel is the sole person able to see Santiago's ghost. This allows Miguel and Santiago to be together in the village, as Santiago cannot be seen: they are able at last to love each other in the open. But the village discovers that the missing Santiago's home contained nude paintings of men - men who appear to be images of Miguel. The village treats Miguel as an outcast, his wife is outraged and leaves, and Miguel feels he has lost everything. Santiago's family come to claim the body and Miguel finally has the courage to be the man he really is. The film ends with a deeply moving tradition upheld.

Both Cristian Mercado and Manolo Cardona handle their difficult roles brilliantly: their physical chemistry is visceral and their dealing with the Peruvian prejudice is poignant. But each of the actors is excellent. The cinematography by Mauricio Vidal captures the flavor of the Peruvian seaside and the many underwater scenes are breathtaking. Selma Mutal Vermeulen provides the musical score that is the perfect balance of folksongs and background music. But in the end it is writer/director Javier Fuentes-León who deserves the kudos for a brilliant film that took considerable courage to make. Hopefully we will be seeing more of his work in the near future. Highly recommended. Grady Harp

Marty wrote on 06/01/2011:

Beautiful film. A realistic picture of what happens when a simple society is confronted with a complex situation (homosexuality and bisexuality). When it first came out I complained that "Making Love" was too sanitary. This film is anything but sanitary. Bravo!

just a reviewer wrote on 10/27/2010:

.....Society....and our Communities tell us: "Not a Ghost of a Chance."

(( When Society, families, others close by and, sadly, even ourselves keep us from being who we are supposed to be.....from loving the person we are supposed to love....then we've allowed ourselves to be screwed (and, yes, I'm talking about me....and, likely, some of you). And every now and again, to remind us of this, as happens in this tale, there will come some sign or object....perhaps as simple as a "Candle"....which mysteriously appears in our lives, causing us to recall what we've lost ))

(( Have you ever thought....or said to a Beloved: "Without you, there is Nothingness?" If yes, then you were foretelling a major theme of this film ))

A married, coastal fisherman (Miguel) as our main lead, and an unattached, visiting artist (Santiago) are the focus of this passionate love story between 2 men, spanning youth into adulthood. We'll learn this affair has a likely background of boys spending summers together...of fun times...and, no doubt, moments of finding love with one another. Sadly, however, this is a film focusing on a current day relationship which, like that of Romeo & Juliet, is being thwarted in almost every way.

So, for now, we find ourselves watching, becoming aware of, and absorbed in an extremely impassioned---though well hidden---love affair. With nearly every scene involving these two leads, our view of their passion continues to be reinforced, as the film makes its way to a heart-rending conclusion. Of hundreds of these films in my possession, none surpass the realistic displays of love and affection given us by these actors....this director. And in watching this story play out, it becomes oh so obvious that, while Miguel deeply cares for his wife, it is Santiago who is the Great Love of his life. We see a relationship which has reached the point of loving "endearment names" being used for one another (Miguel as "Mico" / Santiago is "Tiago"), not to mention our witnessing numerous scenes of closeness---erotic and otherwise.

Some final thoughts: While joy deep enough to hit you in the gut is shown to us, in the end you will also see this movie as one of sadness....tears....loss. If you're not ashamed of crying, you will probably do so. A movie of lessons for many of we viewers, importantly telling us that letting go of a love, even one you may have at times denied, is an impossibility. An especially apt lesson....if one is to live a truthful future life (just watch as our main lead resolves his truth during a heartbreaking moment).

PS--Watch for a young, fellow fisherman, Tano by name, who I often see lending support when most others don't, and taking a definite interest in our beleaguered Miguel. See where he positions himself in at least one group gathering....notice where his eyes flicker in scenes involving Miguel. Ah, who knows if he is a possible harbinger for Miguel's future. (Am I dreaming this up? You decide.)

*This word used in film dialogue captions

Amos Lassen wrote on 07/15/2010:

“Undertow”





A Forbidden Relationship






Amos Lassen




Santiago (Manolo Cardona) is a photographer who loves the Bohemian lifestyle. He is an out gay man with a bisexual lover, Miguel (Cristian Mercado) and they maintain a façade. Miguel gets married and fathers a child. The plot of “Undertow” focuses on a development that happens halfway through the film which would not be fair for me to disclose. Written and directed by Javier Fuentes-Leon, the script depends on the parceling out of information, a little at a time. What we get is a kind of “magical realism”.
The acting is amazing and the film moves slowly to climax.
Miguel is a popular and young fisherman in Cabo Blanco, a small village in Peru where religious traditions rule the live of the people who live there. His wife is pregnant with their first child and at the same time, Miguel is having an affair with Santiago who has been exiled from the village because of his non-belief in God and his sexual orientation. Santiago drowns in the ocean but he cannot go to the other side. He stays on earth as a ghost and he asks Miguel to find his body and bury it in the village according to the religious tradition. This forces Miguel to have to choose to condemn Santiago to eternal condemnation or do him justice by telling his wife about their relationship. He is forced into accepting the consequences of his love and we see the clash of religion and humanity here. This is going to be a blockbuster of a movie that you do not want to miss.
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