THE STORY – A drifter who sleeps with truckers meets a reserved driver and joins him hauling freight across northern Mexico. As they grow closer on the road, the drifter’s past threatens them both.
THE CAST – Victor Prieto & Osvaldo Sanchez
THE TEAM – David Pablos (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 93 Minutes
There is something awfully compelling about two strangers coming together. The beginning of several worthwhile relationships has to start that way. At first, we’re all passing ships in the night, carrying our unknown histories before certain paths cross. It can lead to strong bonds forged, but if nothing else, there is a fascinating journey to go on that can prove enlightening. It sounds familiar. In fact, it’s the basis for a lot of stories, but it’s a solid foundation for a reason. It allows the opportunity for exploration, both in discovering concrete details about individuals and also a deeper emotional understanding of the world these characters exist within. “En el Camino” uses this template as a means to observe two individuals on separate tracks who eventually merge together. It’s not revolutionary material being explored here, but it still manages to craft an endearing narrative with an engaging atmosphere.
Across the straits of northern Mexico, Veneno (Victor Prieto) is a wandering drifter who uses his paid sexual encounters with the local truck drivers as a means to skate by. When he’s left stranded after one hook-up, he finds Muñeco (Osvaldo Sanchez), another disgruntled loner who begrudgingly agrees to allow him to tag along on his stops. The greater incentive for him to join is the stash of drugs Veneno carries, which Muñeco is convinced he can sell and take a cut. As they travel further down the long stretches of highways, curiosity in one another grows. It doesn’t take long for the two of them to eventually have sex. Muñeco touts his heterosexuality and affirms that this is not indicative of their situation going forward. However, their connection starts to find deeper meaning when Veneno reveals he’s what he’s truly running from: a businessman who’s hunting him down after escaping his tight grasp of sexual exploitation. Their journey is about evading a violent capture, but it also finds them connecting on a more meaningful level than either had initially anticipated.
David Pablos’s previous film, “Dance of the 41,” had a competent visual style to it that signaled a handsomely mounted production. Here, he indulges in much more stylized sequences, with colorful lighting always illuminating an interior truck or bar. When outside, the harsh sun beams overhead, but it also gives enough contrast within the shadow to make the images dynamic. His stylization is at its peak during a drug trip, which features beautifully nightmarish depictions of graphic sex and violent exchanges, all within hazy silhouettes against smoke-filled backgrounds. Pablos finds captivating ways to transform this small-scale character study into one that dazzles the senses, even if it is simply gazing at naked bodies washing themselves to inform of the intimacy slowly forming between them. The film often has a vibrant color palette, and the imagery is intoxicating in both its steamy sexuality and disturbing acts of torture.
However, the narrative that Pablos has crafted is not as compelling as his filmmaking. The inciting premise that finds these two men, one fully embracing his sexual orientation and the other one who has to be slowly coaxed out of his shell, is a very conventional framework that the storytelling never really subverts in any way. Even Muñeco’s “I’m not gay” insistence at first is right out of a playbook seen in a thousand other queer films. It’s almost a stereotype at this point, as is seeing yet another film set in Mexico that has such a heavy crime element. It’s not to say such events aren’t happening within the country, but it’s so often used as a motivation for plot mechanics that one wishes for something more innovative. However, there is a central idea to the story that is engrossing, and that is a world in which sex and violence are intertwined. When Veneno strips down to pleasure Muñeco for the first time, the physical scars along his legs are a reminder of the danger this work finds himself encountering. It’s not meant to condemn the lifestyle in general, but it does highlight the difficult circumstances in which pleasure could be swiftly met with pain, and it provides a tension that is gripping throughout.
Between the two central figures, Prieto is the slightly more impressive performer. From the very first frame, his presence is instantly enthralling. He exudes a consistently alluring confidence, projecting a swagger that sells confidence in a particular skillset. Yet, there is still the damaged and broken individual that lurks underneath that can easily crack through the facade. The moments when he is overwhelmed by the situations he finds himself in, attempting to hold back the tears that force their way out and tear down that strength he has held onto, are impressive. Prieto delivers an incredible performance that’s riveting to witness. Sanchez holds his own, but the narrower lane of his character’s nuances makes him give a less interesting portrayal in comparison. They share a nice chemistry, and Sanchez is absorbing enough in the role. However, he just comes up short in the two-hander, even though his performance is still capable of encapsulating a fully-realized character.
“En el Camino” soars when it gets to showcase a vivid aesthetic that capitalizes on impactful visuals that are creatively constructed. It’s often an enticing study when those aspects are highlighted. With a commanding lead performance in the center, there is plenty to admire and appreciate. However, the narrative it chooses to explore is one of cliches and traditional tropes that don’t find any inventive avenues to bring any more depth or nuance to the subject. The tracks laid out are predictable, and their inevitable conclusions are rather pedestrian. Still, enough of the successful elements of the execution make this a worthwhile effort. It may not be revolutionary storytelling, but the tale being spun is still an intriguing one, bathed in gorgeous scenery amid the surrounding darkness.
