All-Inclusive (Todo Incluido), the second short film from writer-director Duván Duque Vargas, is a snapshot of a family in flux. Fernando (Leopoldo Serrano) is taking his wife/stepmom Natalia (Alejandra Herrera) and son Fer (Maximiliano Rojas) to an all-inclusive resort. Unfortunately, this isn’t for a much-needed vacation and bonding time, as Fernando is conducting business on the trip. But when the I is dotted, and the T is crossed, will the child’s dad finally be a parent again instead of just jumping from one paying gig to the next?
At 20 or so minutes, the drama doesn’t have the time to dive into how often this has happened to the hapless Fer. Due to feeling like an afterthought to his father, Fer is more reactive than proactive, causing him to be a little hard to read until the final few minutes. But damn, what a conclusion.
“…this isn’t for a much-needed vacation and bonding time, as Fernando is conducting business…”
The cast does a lot of the heavy lifting here. Serrano projects a need to help his family financially while still feeling like he loves them the best he can. Herrera gets a great moment to shine, trying to be defiant but knowing that money makes the world go round. But it is Rojas who walks away with All Inclusive. He’s affable and sweet and clearly longs for a healthy family relationship. It’s a strong performance that carries the one-dimensional writing all the way to the finish line.
All-Inclusive should be a much longer film. But there are grains of truth in what story is present. Plus, the cast is terrific, and the ending hits all the right buttons.
For more information about All-Inclusive, visit Lights On Film.
"…the cast is terrific..."
