Ander (2009)

Ander (2009)

 

Director: Roberto Castón
Writer: Roberto Castón
Genre: Drama
Country: Spain
Language: Basque, Spanish
Duration: 128 min
Year: 2009

Stars: Eriz Alberdi, Josean Bengoetxea and Christian Esquivel

Unique and well-crafted

15 May 2011 | by scootmandutoo (Long Island, New York) – IMDB

I must say that I have seen very few movies that have been paced this slowly, but in this case, it is a testament to the artistry of the director.
In a setting where the pace of life appears to be glacial and change can be a painstakingly slow process, the deliberately slow pacing of some of the scenes was just another way for this film to effectively evoke a mood. There were certain scenes where the only change for an entire minute would be a light going on, or off. Some scenes would linger with a camera a full 10 or 15 seconds after the action or dialogue had ended...just to capture a subtle mood change, or to amplify what was already there.
This is a fascinating piece of work about real people, not the porn star fantasies that populate many other glbt works. This is not to say that the 2 leads are not attractive, as another poster suggested. We all get attracted to different types and these 2 certainly found an attraction to each other.
While I thought that this movie was excellent, I would liked to have seen the romance develop in a more balanced, and less abrupt, fashion. Considering the overall way that Jose gets treated in this film, there could at least have been one truly tender moment to pave the way for how this movie eventually resolved itself.
If the movie has one flaw it was the way the 3 chapters are used to foreshadow what is to come. Once the 3rd chapter title came up there were no surprises and we knew exactly how it was going to end. While the ending made sense, and was satisfying, why the need to foreshadow it?
All in all, a very different type of glbt film that is well worth your time.