THE STORY – Oscar Restrepo’s obsession with poetry brought him no glory. Aging and erratic, he has succumbed to the cliché of the poet in the shadows. Meeting Yurlady, a teenage girl from humble roots, and helping her cultivate her talent brings some light to his days, but dragging her into the world of poets may not be the way.
THE CAST – Ubeimar Rios, Guillermo Cardona, Rebeca Andrade, Humberto Restrepo, Margarita Soto & Allison Correa
THE TEAM – Simón Mesa Soto (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 120 Minutes
Printed upon two separate Colombian banknotes are the faces of the nation’s great literary titans. On a meager 5,000 peso bill, the unshaved face of renowned poet José Asunción Silva adorns the bill, as a puya plant and bumblebee surround his visage. Silva, a pioneer of Latin American modernismo, lamentably passed away at the young age of 30. Consumed by family debt, he took his own life and left behind his poetic oeuvre for generations of Colombian talent to excavate. Decades after his passing, Nobel-prize laureate Gabriel García Márquez would emerge as the country’s most internationally recognised author. His magnum opus, “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” continues to sway the zeitgeist, as a recent Netflix TV adaptation continues to promote the author’s celebrated writing. Márquez’s commemorative currency, valued at 50,000 pesos, is worth 10-times more than Silva’s meager banknote.
At the helm of Simón Mesa Soto’s sophomore feature “A Poet,” obsessions regarding self-worth and artistic recognition are at the forefront of his film’s thematic explorations. The aforementioned Colombian banknotes are utilised as a visual motif to reflect upon his protagonist’s self-worth. The pouty protagonist Oscar Restrepo is obsessed with the legacy of tortured artists. Restrepo is an alcoholic and an obsessive narcissist, as he spends his unemployed days bumming around the streets of Medellín. He clings onto the accolades and recognition of his youth. Living with his elderly mother in a cramped apartment, his barren walls are pitifully decorated with a portrait of Silva, one of his most cherished literary influences.
Throughout the film, Restrepo is challenged by his family, co-workers, and fellow literary partners, as he’s confronted by his fabricated disillusions of a tortured artist. Soto introduces his cast of familiar characters with clear stereotypes, only to diverge from the anticipated formula with effective dark-comedy. Narrowly avoiding insufferable cliché, Ubeimar Rios’ committed performance miraculously adds an emotional dimension to his role. His hunched posture, awkward smiles, drunken tirades, and deadened stares fully embody his protagonist’s neurotic obsessions. As the film gradually expands upon Restrepo’s paternal commitments, Rios effectively relishes in his character’s silence for both dramatic and comedic effect.
At the crux of “A Poet,” Soto finds his artistic philosophy in the tragic-comic reckoning of his protagonist. As the narrative evolves into a mentorship parable, Soto expands his commentary by discussing the economic hurdles within the arts industry. The humorous inclusion of a Dutch ambassador interrogates the role of tokenism and sensationalism within the poet’s profession. In the grip of the white financier, the enforced exploitation of poverty porn on marginalized writers inevitably erases their autonomy. Throughout the film, Soto deconstructs his character’s interiority, as the manufactured obsessions with the self-image dictate the protagonist’s path of inevitable failure. Its thematic conclusions ultimately challenge Restrepo’s vision of success.
Told with a fly-on-the-wall tenacity, Soto utilizes humorous crash-zooms to enforce his artistic mythos. The kinetic visuals personifies the anxiety of a starving artist. Thus, what begins as a familiar tale of artistic angst gradually expands into a mature sociological tale on the pursuit of recognition. The imperfections of humanity, warts and all, are at the core of the film’s directorial methodology. The sentiments drawn at the end of “A Poet” are infinitely applicable to any artistic practice. Whereas the needless episodic structure disrupts the film’s momentum with didactic editing, the film eventually finds its passionate voice amidst the pandemonium of poetry.
Soto ultimately provides a different image of Colombian cinema, avoiding indulgence within the collective misery of his country’s dense political history. Whilst respecting the voices of the marginalized, Soto’s multi-dimensional feature provocatively examines the economic tribulations of the arts scene. The compelling neurosis which drives Restropo’s arc finally closes the film with a simple, albeit devastating gesture. The culmination of Soto’s themes mixed with his comedic prowess produces an insightful meta-meditation on the meaning of creation. Its rewarding contemplations conclude its saga of misfortune with the power of the spoken-word — wrapping the protagonist’s search for creative consolidation with a heart-trending bookend.
