THE STORY – Olga lives a strictly regulated life without any friends or relationships in a vast block of flats. When, out of financial necessity, she is forced to rent out a room, a man moves in who also sneaks his nine-year-old son into the flat. To her own surprise, Olga begins to form an unlikely bond with the child. Her carefully controlled world begins to shift and, entirely against Olga’s will, these three lives start to become intertwined.
THE CAST – Teresita Sánchez, Bastian Escobar & Hugo Ramírez
THE TEAM – Fernando Eimbcke (Director/Writer) & Vanesa Garnica (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 99 Minutes
Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke returns to the Berlinale competition with “Moscas” after last year’s “Olmo” also played the festival. Produced by Michel Franco, this Mexico City-set film is largely told from a child’s perspective as he tries to find his mother at a local hospital, only to form an unlikely connection with a reclusive woman who is cold to him and his struggling father at first. Over 99 minutes, the film has its charms and amusing moments, but doesn’t leave much lasting impact beyond the final frame.
The film begins with Olga (Teresita Sánchez) hunting an annoying fly that has been plaguing her apartment. She is ultra-aware of sounds, given that she doesn’t do much in her everyday life. Her routine consists of playing games on her computer, eating food, and watching TV. She doesn’t have friends or family with whom she frequently hangs out, so her life is quite reclusive. When money becomes tight because of an expensive surgery, Olga rents out a room in her apartment. At first glance, it looks like the room her now-deceased son used to sleep in. She cleans it up and lets Tulio (Hugo Ramírez), a kind man whose wife is in the hospital, rent the room. Unbeknownst to Olga, Tulio has been sneaking his son, Cristian (Bastian Escobar), into the room with him, which wasn’t part of the deal. Naturally, she is not happy and demands the rent to be paid upfront, and will force them to move out on the weekend.
This forces Tulio to seek new work to make more money to sustain his and his son’s lifestyle. He leaves Cristian in the apartment with a little money to go to the local diner and eat. However, Cristian is obsessed with a cosmic video game, and he spends the money he has left to play it. Determined to be the best, he got third place after a few impressive runs. Back in the apartment, Olga asks Cristian to pop to the shop to get some electrolyte drinks. When he returns, he tells her about the arcade game, so the two head down to give it a go. Olga, surprisingly, knows all the strategies to play well in the game, so she helps Cristian improve his score. The game forms an unlikely bond between the once-prickly landlord and the mischievous young boy.
The film beautifully captures childish innocence, despair, and joy with its black-and-white shots. The cinematography focuses on small details, often shooting in close-up and cutting only when necessary. The chiaroscuro-style lighting is naturalistic, yet very cinematic, despite the camera’s stillness. It’s easy to read Olga’s emotions, as the film introduces her mannerisms and expressions early on. The camera lingers on her disturbed looks, often over noises she hears through her apartment walls. A few examples: she hears her upstairs neighbours having passionate sex, the screaming of a young child, or the buzzing of an annoying fly. She is not pleased but can tune out the noise with earplugs. When Cristian comes into the picture, and the camera is on Olga, the audience instantly reads her feelings, knowing exactly what her expression means. She is often brash and cold to her new tenants, caring more for alone time than spending time with others.
The characters of Tulio and Cristian breathe life into what was a very contained and isolating opening. Cristian has an immense amount of youthful energy; he is allowed to roam free and has no boundaries. Every scene with him is charming, and his presence really shakes up the film. Things get deeply emotional as the unlikely duo of Olga and Cristian connect over a Space Invaders rip-off game that her son used to play. They are both passionate about the game, beating the all-time high score, which they are over the moon about. He plays the game to distract himself from the harsh reality of life, even if he doesn’t know it. Upon hearing the devastating news of his dearly beloved mother’s death, Cristian loses it and intensely smashes the game’s buttons before being swept up by his loving father. It’s the best and most impactful scene, raw emotions fill the screen as the film reminds us that games can only provide so much escapism and that those you love will always be there for you.
“Moscas” is a commendable film that is an amusing, pleasant, and heartfelt watch throughout. The performances elevate the film’s rather simplistic story; Teresita Sánchez and Bastian Escobar are a great pairing. Also, the good-looking black-and-white cinematography by DOP Maria Secco adds a cinematic quality to the mundane reality the film follows. The only real problem is that the film is forgettable; despite doing a stand-up job in nearly every aspect, it’s not quite great, but it’s good enough to enjoy as a one-time watch.
