Cine Las Americas Film Festival: Whisky

*This review comes from new Austinist contributor Rebecca Reed.*

Whisky is a subtle powerhouse of layered storytelling from Uruguayan directors, Juan Pablo Rubella and Pablo Stoll (25 WATTS).

Marta Acuna is a stoic-faced manager in a sock factory, so ingrained with the daily routine of her 60-year-old bachelor boss, Jacobo Koller, they barely speak. When he awkwardly asks her to pose as his wife during his brother’s upcoming visit, she agrees without hesitation. Brother Herman’s visit extends to a resort vacation for the three, where the layers of their complex relationships are played out in razor-sharp deadpan. Culminating in a coolly-dramatic, open-ended finale, the interpretation of what actions are taken is left up to the viewer.

A study in the long take, the directors used linear perspective in architectural details for visual interest as the scenes play out candidly. The film stock and art direction give the film a look straight out of the 1970s. The three lead performances are heartbreaking in their truthfulness.

Billed as a comedy, its laughs are droll and dry. In the classic “a stranger comes to town” storyline, Whisky tells a bittersweet story of family rivalry, the quiet agony of unrequited love, and the tragedy of emotional inertia.

Whisky screens at the Cine Las Americas film festival tonight.

Whisky
Cine Las Americas Film Festival
Tonight @ 9pm
Metropolitan Theater
Tickets